\ V. ^i'*' !«> V. *.iv U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 171 PLATE 1 '^ "Oft/ ^- • Iv J5.. !• 1^' -^ ' cT^rvc^M Y /^\ ^ \^ /' X A (; /:.-\s O A '/; s¥^Z ./% ^r\ -~ *-' iwn}S^ ¥ ^4 Ki '-. w if ^'-m -• - .a:: ^\ Topographic map showing location of Cumberland Cave and its relation to the physiography. The cave is indicated (X) on north end of spur just south of Corriganville, Md. Map is taken from U. S. Geological Survey Frostburg Quadrangle. Scale, 1/62500, or about 1 mile to the inch. Contour interval, 20 feet. r?Cj( SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Bulletin 171 THE PLEISTOCENE VERTEBRATE FAUNA FROM CUiMBERLAND CAVE MARYLAND BY JAMES W. GIDLEY and C. LEWIS GAZIN iPBRV UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1938 For sile by the Supeiiatendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price 25 cents (paper) ADVERTISEMENT The scientific publications of the National IMiiseum include two series, known, respectively, as Proceedings and Bulletin. The Proceedings series, begun in 1878, is intended primarily as a medium for the publication of original papers, based on the collec- tions of the National Museum, that set forth newly acquired facts in biology, anthropology, and geology, with descriptions of new forms and revisions of limited groups. Copies of each paper, in pamphlet form, are distributed as published to libraries and scientific organizations ajid to speciahsts and others mterested in the different subjects. The dates at v/hich these separate papers are published are recorded in the table of contents of each of the volumes. The Bulletin series, the first of which was issued hi 1875, consists of separate publications comprising monographs of large zoological groups and other general systematic treatises (occasionally in several volumes), faunal works, reports of expeditions, catalogs of type speci- mens and special collections, and other material of similar nature. The majority of the volumes are octavo in size, but a quarto size has been adopted in a few^ instances in wliich large plates were regarded as indispensable. In the Bulletin series appear volumes under the heading Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, in octavo form, pubhshed by the National Museum since 1902, which contain papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum. The present volume forms No. 171 of the Bulletin series. Alexander Wetmore, Assistant Secretary, Smithsonian Instiiuiion. Washington, D. C, January 25, 1938. CONTENTS Page Introduction """ History of investigation --- 2^ Location of Cumberland Cave— 3 Accumulation and preservation of material 3 Relationship of cave to physiography ° Cumberland Cave fauna Environment of the fauna 7 Age and relationships of the fauna 10 Systematic description of vertebrate fauna Order Loricata Crocodylid J" Order Serpentes Ophidian remains ^^ Order Galliformes J Family Tetraonidae 1" Bonasa umbellus (Linnaeus) 10 --- Order Insectivora. - Family Soricidae J" Sorex sp - JJ Blarina brevicauda (Say). Order Chiroptera Family Vespertilionidae (Brown) H Eptesicus cf . grandis 12 Corynorhinus alleganiensis Gidley and Gazin Order Carnivora- - Family Canidae 1° Canis armbrusteri Gidley Cams cf. priscolatrans Cope *3 Family Ursidae Euardos vitabilis (Gidley) *^ Arctodus haplodon (Cope) *^ Family Mustelidae Martes parapennanti Gidley and Gazin ^^ Mustela cf. vison Schreber ^° Gulo gidleyi Hall Lutra parvicuspis Gidley and Gazin ^1 Brachyprotnma pristina Brown 4b Spilogale marylandensis Gidley and Gazin Taxidea marylandica Gidley and Gazin ^ Family Felidae Felis cf. inexpedata (Cope) Felis near alrox Leidy m IV BULLETIN 171, UXITEl) STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Systematic description of vertebrate fauna—Continued. I'age Order Rodentia 53 J'amily Sciuridae 53 Marmola monax (Linnaeus) 53 Citellus of. tridecemlinentus (Mitchill) 54 Tamias of. slriatvs (Linnaeus) 54 Sciurus ( Tamiascuirus) tenuidens Hay 54 Glaucomys sp 56 Family Geomyidae 57 Plcsiolhomurnya polotnaceanis Gidley and Gazin 57 Family Castoridae 59 Catitor canadetisis Kuhl 59 Family Cricetidae 59 Pcroinyscvs cf. Iciicopns (Rafiuesque) 59 Neoioma ynagister Baird 59 Parahodomys spelaeus Gidley and Gazin 60 tSynaptotnys cf . cooperi Baird 62 Synoptoinys {Micto/nys) sp 63 Microtui^ (ur Pilyttiys?) cf. iiivolutus (Cope) 63 Ondatra cf . annectcns (Br( )\vn) 65 Family Zapodidae 67 Zapus sp 67 Napaeozapus cf. i)i.tiignis (Miller) 67 Family Erethizontidac 67 Ercthizvn cf . dorsalnni (Linnaeus) 67 Order Lagoniorpha 68 Family Ochotonidao 68 Odi ntona Bp 68 Family Leporidae 69 Lepus cf. americanus Frxleben 69 Order Proboscidea 70 Family Mastodontidae 70 Man/ m id cf . americanum i.Kerr) 70 Order Perissodactyla 70 Family Kqnidae 70 Equus fsp 70 Family Tapiridae 70 Ta pirns sp 70 Order Artiodactyla 71 Family Ta.yassuidae 71 Platygoniis cumberlandensis Gidley 71 Platygonus vetus{?) Leidy 82 Myloh y us exortiv us Gidley 83 Mylohyus cf . permsylvanicu-s (Leidy) 86 Family Cervidae 86 Cervus sp 86 Odocoileus cf . virginianus (Boddaert) 86 Family Bovidae 86 Euceralherium (?) americanum (Gidley) 86 Literature cited 91 Index 95 ... ILLUSTRATIONS Figures Page 1. Skull and upper dentition of Corynorhinus alleganiensis Gidley and Gazin ^* 18 2. Skull of Cams armhrusteri Gidley 19 3. Skull and lower carnassial of Canis armhruslcri Gidley 4. Skull of Canis armbrusleri Gidley 20 5. Skull of Caiiis armbrusteri Gidley 21 21 6. Left ramus of mandible of Canis armbrusteri Gidley 22 7. Right ramus of mandible of Canis armbrusteri Gidley 8. Left ramus of mandible of Canis armbrusteri Gidley 22 9. Right ramus of mandible of Cants armbrusteri Gidley 22 10. Right ramus of mandible of Catiis armbrusteri Gidley 23 11. Right ramus of mandible of Euarctos vitabilis (Gidley) 28 12. Skull and mandil.>le of Euarctos vitabilis (Gidley) 29 13. SknW o( Euarctos vitabilis (Gidley) 30 14. Skull of Euarctos vitabilis (Gidley) 31 15. Anterior portion of male skull, right rami of female mandibles, and left ramus of male mandible of Martes -parapennanti Gidley and Gazin.. 34 16. Anterior portion of skull and right ramus of male mandible of Mustela cf. vison Schreber 36 17. Anterior portion of skull and mandible of Mustela cf. vison Schreber. 37 18. Right ramus of female mandible of ^fustela cf. vison Schreber 37 19. Skull and mandible of Gtdo gidleyi Hall 38 20. Skull of Gulo gidleyi Hall 39 21. Maxillary portion of skull of Lidra parvicuspis Gidley and Gazin 42 22. Skull of Brachyprotoma pristina Brown 43 23. Left ramus of male mandible of Brachyprotoina pristina Brown 44 24. Right ramus of mandible of i?mc/i?/pro«o?«a pris/wo. Brown 44 25. Right ramus of rnandible of Spilogale maryhmdensis Gidley and Gazin. 46 26. Skull and mandible of Tasjidea marylandica Gidley and Gazin 48 27. Skull of Taxidca marylandica Gidley and Gazin 48 28. Upper carnassial and left ramus of mandible of Felis cf. inexpectata (Cope) 5^ 29. Foot Ijones of Felis near atrox Leidy ^2 30. Skull and mandil)le of Sciurus (Tumiasciurus) tenuidens Hay 55 31. Left ramus of mandible of Plesiothomomys pntomacensis Gidley and Gazin ^8 32. Left ramus of mandible of Neoioma magister Baird 60 33. Right ramus of mandible of Parahcdomys spelaeus Gidley and Gazin. 61 34. Right ramus of m.ardible of ParaJiodomys :ipelaeus Gidley and Gazin. 61 35. Right ramus of mandible of Microtus (or Pitymys?) cf. involutus (Cope). 64 36. Left ramus of mandible of Ondoira cf. annectens (Brown) 66 37. Skull and mandible of Erethizon cf. dorsatum (Linnaeus) 68 38. Last lower molar of Tapir us sp '1 39. Skull of Plafygonus cumberlandensis Gidley 73 VI BULLETIN 171, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Page 40. Skull of Platygonus cuniberlandensis Gidley 74 41. SknW oi Platygonus cuniberlandensis Gidley 75 42. Skull of Platygo7ivs cumberlandensis Gidley 76 43. Skull of Platygonus cumberlandensis Gidley 77 44. Skull of Platygonus cumberlandensis Gidley 78 45. Left hind foot of Platygonus cumberlandensis Gidley 79 46. Right ramus of mandible and cheek teeth of Mylohyus exortivus Gidley. 83 47. Cheek teeth of Mylohyus exortivus Gidley 84 48. Superior deciduous premolars and first permanent molar of right side of Mylohyus exortivus Gidley 84 49. Superior cheek teeth of Euceratherium{1) americanum (Gidley) 87 50. Left ramus of mandible and right lower premolars of EuceratheriumC!) americanum (Gidley) 88 Plates Facing page 1. Topographic map showing location of Cumberland Cave and its rela- tion to the physiography Frontispiece 2. Cut made by Western Maryland Railroad Co., which uncovered the Cumberland Cave deposit 2 3. View from opposite side of railroad cut, showing fossil deposit at bot- tom, near track, and traces of ancient opening at top of cliff 3 4. Near view of part of excavation made in fossil deposit 6 5. Later view of opening to excavation made in fossil deposit 7 6. Small portion of cave interior, showing bones sticking in clay and stalactitic material 10 7. View from spur in which cave is located, looking north across Wills Creek VaUey II 8. Mounted skeleton of bear {Euarctos mtabilis Gidley), from Cumber- land Cave, exhibited in U. S. National Museum 26 9. Mounted skeleton of wolverine (Gnlo gidleyi Hall) from Cumberland Cave, exhibited in U. S. National Museum 27 10. Mounted skeleton of peccary (Platygonus cumberlandensis Gidley) from Cumberland Cave, exhibited in U. S. National Museum 70 THE PLEISTOCENE VERTEBRATE FAUNA FROM CUMBERLAND CAVE, MARYLAND By James W. Gidley and C. Lewis Gazin INTRODUCTION Limestone caverns have played a major role in preserving a record of the Pleistocene life in the eastern region of North America.