[3] Publication authorized by the Director, U. S. Geological Survey.
Cynthia and Henry Irwin excavated the rock shelter at the LoDaisKa Site
on the Otto Sanger property by Strain Gulch near Morrison, Colorado
1956-1957. The vertebrate fossils were identified by the Upper Cenozoic
Research Group: C. B. Schultz, T. M. Stout, and L. G. Tanner of the
University of Nebraska, and Edward Lewis of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Minor elements of the vertebrate fauna identified by them include 1
amphibian bone fragment, 2 lacertilian reptile vertebrae, and 16 bird
bones and fragments of undetermined genera and species. All the other
vertebrate remains were mammalian and include:
_Lagomorphs_, gen-sp. undet.
_Lepus_ sp.†
_Cynomys_ sp.†
_Citellus_ sp.†
_Tamias_ sp. or _Eutamias_ sp.
?_Thomomys_ sp.
_Castor canadensis_ Kuhl
?_Peromyscus_ sp.
Microtinae, gen. and sp. indet.
_Canis_ sp.†
_Mephitis_ sp.
_Taxidea_ sp.†
?_Felis_ (Puma) sp.
_Cervus canadensis_ (Erxleben)†
_Odocoileus_ sp.†
_Odocoileus_ sp. cf. _O. hemionus_ (Rafinesque)
?_Bos taurus_ Linnaeus[4]
_Bison bison_ (Linnaeus)†
_Ovis canadensis_ Shaw
From one to seven individuals are represented by each of these names
except _Odocoileus_, which accounts for the great majority of the
specimens. We conclude that the people who were responsible for this
deposit lived, while at this site, on a diet in which venison, probably
from the Mule Deer (_Odocoileus hemionus_), predominated. There are
surprisingly few _Bison_ bones, and just one specimen each of “Elk” and
Bighorn.
All of this fauna still lived in the same general area in historic
times; it is a Recent fauna. The symbol (†) marks genera and species
known to occur in the fauna of the Piney Creek alluvium (Hunt,
1954, p. 114-117).[5] These elements of the Piney Creek fauna have
previously been reported from the nearby Denver area by Hunt (1954, p.
118), and have been identified by the Upper Cenozoic Research Group
in the collections made by Scott[6] from the nearby Kassler area,
and by Hunt[7] from the dark-colored, sandy and silty alluvium that
occurs along Strain Gulch near the Sanger Site. It seems reasonable
to believe that the age of the main deposit in the shelter, below the
ceramic occupation layer, is approximately equivalent to the age of
the dark-colored, sandy, silty alluvium and that of the Piney Creek
alluvium.
[4] Apart from the fact that this specimen may represent _Bison bison_
rather than ?_Bos taurus_, the possibility exists that it is an
accidental, late Recent association introduced by outside agency, as
would be the case in a burial by a carnivore or man.
[5] Hunt, Chas. B., 1954, Pleistocene and Recent Deposits in the Denver
Area, Colorado: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 996-C, p. 91-140.
[6] Scott, Glenn R., Geology of the Kassler Quadrangle, Colorado;
manuscript in preparation.
[7] Hunt, Chas. B., Geology of the LoDaisKa site, p. 89, present
publication.
Classification used in this report:
Animal Kingdom
Class Amphibia
Class Reptilia
Subclass Lepidosauria
Order Squamata
Suborder Lacertilia (lizards)
Class Aves
Subclass Neornithes
Superorder Neognathae (modern flying birds)
Class Mammalia
Subclass Theria
Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals)
Order Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits, and pikas)
_Lepus_ (hares and “jack” rabbits)
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Family Sciuridae (squirrels)
_Cynomys_ (prairie “dog”)
_Citellus_ (ground squirrel)
_Tamias_ & _Eutamias_ (chipmunks)
Family Geomyidae
_Thomomys_ (pocket gopher)
Family Castoridae
_Castor_ (beaver)
Family Cricetidae
Subfamily Cricetinae
_Peromyscus_ (white-footed mouse)
Subfamily Microtinae (field mouse)
Order Carnivora
Family Canidae
_Canis_ (dog, coyote, or wolf)
Family Mustelidae
_Mephitis_ (skunk)
_Taxidea_ (American badger)
Family Felidae
_Felis_ (lynx, puma, etc.)
Order Artiodactyla
Family Cervidae
_Cervus_ (elk)
_Odocoileus_ (mule and white-tailed deer)
Family Bovidae
_Bos_ (domestic cattle)
_Bison_
_Ovis_ (bighorn sheep)