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Bison Cf. B. Latifrons Document generated on 09/29/2021 3:39 p.m. Géographie physique et Quaternaire A Partial Bison (Bison cf. B. latifrons) Skeleton from Chuchi Lake, and its Implications for the Middle Wisconsinan Environment of Central British Columbia Les liens entre la présence d’un squelette de bison géant (Bison cf. B. latifrons) au Chuchi Lake et la nature de l’environnement au Wisconsinien moyen au centre de la Colombie-Britannique Teile eines Bison-Skeletts (Bison cf. B. latifrons) vom See Chuchi und seine Bedeutung für die Umwelt im Zentrum von British Columbia im mittleren Wisconsinium C. Richard Harington, Alain Plouffe and Hélène Jetté Volume 50, Number 1, 1996 Article abstract Fragmentary but massive left and right horncores, found with eight URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/033076ar post-cranial bones, from a clay unit underlying a diamicton of the last (Fraser) DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/033076ar glaciation at Chuchi Lake, British Columbia probably represents an individual giant bison (Bison cf. B. latifrons). A sample of bone from one of the horncores See table of contents yielded an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon date of 30 740 ± 220 BP, whereas overlapping dates from two other laboratories on an associated humerus are 34 800 ± 420 BP and 35 480 ± 1080 BP. Despite the Publisher(s) discrepancy between horncore and humerus dates, they are in accord with the suspected stratigraphie age of the clay unit whence they came. Analysis of Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal pollen from that clay unit indicates that bison with massive horns once occupied an open forest in the vicinity. Probably giant bison and Columbian ISSN mammoths (incorporating paleoenvironmental evidence found with the nearby, penecontemporaneous Babine Lake mammoth) shared lake-dotted 0705-7199 (print) open forest to shrub tundra range in what is now central British Columbia 1492-143X (digital) toward the close of the Middle Wisconsinan (Olympia Nonglacial Interval). The Chuchi Lake specimen is important because it is the first indication of giant Explore this journal bison from British Columbia, and it appears to be one of the latest known survivors of this species. Cite this article Harington, C. R., Plouffe, A. & Jetté, H. (1996). A Partial Bison (Bison cf. B. latifrons) Skeleton from Chuchi Lake, and its Implications for the Middle Wisconsinan Environment of Central British Columbia. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 50(1), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.7202/033076ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1996 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 1996, vol. 50, n° 1, p. 73-80, 4 fig., 4 tabl. A PARTIAL BISON (Bison cf. B. latifrons) SKELETON FROM CHUCHI LAKE, AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MIDDLE WISCONSINAN ENVIRONMENT OF CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA* C. Richard HARINGTON, Alain PLOUFFE and Hélène JETTE, respectively Canadian Museum of Nature (Paleobiology), Ottawa, Ontario K1P6P4, Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1AOE8, and Natural Resources Canada, 580 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4. ABSTRACT Fragmentary but massive left RÉSUMÉ Les liens entre la présence d'un ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Teile eines Bison- and right horncores, found with eight post- squelette de bison géant (Bison cf. B. Skeletts (Bison cf. B. latifrons) vom See cranial bones, from a clay unit underlying a latifrons) au Chuchi Lake et la nature de l'en­ Chuchi und seine Bedeutung fur die Umwelt diamicton of the last (Fraser) glaciation at vironnement au Wisconsinien moyen au cen­ im Zentrum von British Columbia im mittleren Chuchi Lake, British Columbia probably rep­ tre de la Colombie-Britannique. On a trouvé Wisconsinium. Fragmentarische aber mas­ resents an individual giant bison (Bison cf. B. au lac Chuchi dans une unité d'argile recou­ sive linke und rechte Hornkerne zusammen latifrons). A sample of bone from one of the verte d'un diamicton de la dernière glaciation mit acht Hinterschâdelknochen, die man in horncores yielded an accelerator mass (Fraser), des fragments de noyaux de cor­ einer Lehm-Einheit unter einem Diamikton spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon date of nes droite et gauche et des ossements post­ der letzten Vereisung (Fraser) am See 30 740 ± 220 BP, whereas overlapping dates crâniens qui pourraient provenir du bison Chuchi, British Columbia, gefunden hat, from two other laboratories on an associated géant (Bison cf. B. latifrons). Un échantillon kônnten wohl von einem einzelnen humerus are 34 800 ± 420 BP and 35 480 ± d'un des noyaux de corne a été daté au Riesenbison stammen (Bison ci. B. latifrons). 1080 BP. Despite the discrepancy between radiocarbone par spectrométrie de masse par Fur eine Knochenprobe von einem der horncore and humerus dates, they are in ac­ accélérateur à 30 740 ± 220 BP, alors qu'un Hornkerne wurde mittels Massenspek- cord with the suspected stratigraphie age of humérus du même horizon a été daté dans trometrie durch Beschleuniger ein the clay unit whence they came. Analysis of deux différents laboratoires à 34 800 ± Radiokarbondatum von 30 740 ± 220 v.u.Z. pollen from that clay unit indicates that bison 420 BP et 35 480 ± 1080 BP. Malgré la dif­ ermittelt, wâhrend zwei andere Labore sich with massive horns once occupied an open férence entre les dates du noyau de corne ùberschneidende Daten auf einem damit in forest in the vicinity. Probably giant bison and et de l'humérus, celles-ci concordent avec Verbindung gebrachten Oberarmknochen Columbian mammoths (incorporating paleo- l'âge stratigraphique présumé de l'unité d'ar­ ermittelten: 34 800 ± 420 v.u.Z. und 35 480 environmental evidence found with the nearby, gile où les ossements ont été trouvés. L'ana­ ± 1080 v.u.Z. Trotz der Diskrepanz zwischen penecontemporaneous Babine Lake mam­ lyse du pollen de la même unité d'argile indi­ den Hornkern- und Oberarmknochendaten, moth) shared lake-dotted open forest to shrub que que le bison vivait dans une forêt stimmen sie mit dem vermuteten tundra range in what is now central British ouverte. Selon les données paléoenvironne­ stratigraphischen Alter der Lehmeinheit, Columbia toward the close of the Middle mentales du Babine Lake, où on a trouvé un aus der sie stammen, ûberein. Die Pollen- Wisconsinan (Olympia Nonglacial Interval). mammouth du même âge, il est probable que Analyse von dieser Lehmeinheit zeigt, daf3 The Chuchi Lake specimen is important be­ le bison et le mammouth colombien parta­ ehemals Bisons mit massiven Hôrnern in cause it is the first indication of giant bison geaient un milieu variant entre la forêt ouverte einem offenen WaId in der Nàhe lebten. from British Columbia, and it appears to et la toundra arbustive parsemée de lacs, au Gegen Ende des mittleren Wisconsiniums be one of the latest known survivors of this centre de la Colombie-Britannique, pendant (nichtglaziales Intervall von Olympia) teilten species. le Wisconsinien moyen (intervalle non gla­ sich wahrscheinlich Riesenbisons und ciaire de l'Olympia). La découverte du spé­ kolumbianische Mammuts (wenn man die cimen du Chuchi Lake est d'autant plus im­ Palàoumweltbelege von Babine Lake berùck- portante qu'il constitue le premier indice de sichtigt, wo man ein Mammut des gleichen la présence du bison géant en Colombie- Alters gefunden hat) ein Gebiet, das von Britannique ; il pourrait être parmi les derniers Seen durchsetzten offenen WaId bis zur survivants de cette espèce. Buschtundra enthielt und dem heutigen Zentrum von British Columbia entspricht. Das Exemplar von Chuchi Lake ist wichtig, weil es der erste Hinweis auf Riesenbison von British Columbia ist, und es scheint eines der letzten bekannten Ùberlebenden dieser Art zu sein. Manuscrit reçu le 1er mai 1995 ; manuscrit révisé accepté le 21 novembre 1996 * Contribution no. 12595 of the Geological Survey of Canada 74 C. R. HARINGTON, A. PLOUFFE and H. JETTE INTRODUCTION GEOLOGICAL SETTING During the summer of 1967, P. Koropatnisky, a resident The bison site (91-264) is located along the Nation River of Chuchi Lake, found a cluster of bison bones including (55°11'29"N, 124°22'51"W, at 875 m above sea level) (Fig. horncores embedded in gray clay along the Nation River, 1). The bones were recovered beneath 6.5 m of uncon­ approximately 1.2 km from the outlet of Chuchi Lake (Fig. 1). solidated sediments. Plouffe (1992) has reported on the Qua­ He notified CE. Borden of the Museum of Anthropology, ternary stratigraphy exposed along the Nation River. Station University of British Columbia, who visited the site, examined numbers and stratigraphy are the same as in that publication the bones and made the necessary arrangements to store except for the lowermost stratigraphie unit at site 91-264, and preserve them. In 1991 A.P., who was starting a regional which was added following more recent field work. surficial sediment mapping project in the area, met Koro­ patnisky and learned about the discovery of bison remains The bones were recovered near the base of section 91- along the Nation River. They revisited the bison site together 264 in a well-laminated silt and clay unit (Unit 1; Fig. 2). At to properly identify it and the stratigraphie unit where the bones this site, Unit 1 is exposed only in late summer and early au­ were recovered. A.P. then contacted the University of British tumn when the river is lowest (P. Koropatnisky, pers. comm., Columbia Museum of Anthropology (D.
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