Late Quaternary Mammal Fauna from the Tar Seeps of McKittrick, California
- Creators
- Schultz, John R.
- Other:
- Wilson, Robert Warren
Abstract
Because of their many unusual features vertebrate fossil occurrences in tar beds of California have aroused much interest. Rancho La Brea is perhaps the most widely known fossil locality in the world, while the work of Chaney and Mason (1933), L. H. Miller and A.H. Miller (1931, 1932), and Wilson (1933) has established for Carpinteria a well deserved place in the literature of palaeobotany and palaeontology. Although numerous short papers dealing with various aspects of the fauna of McKittrick, western Kern County, California, have appeared in times past, the mammalian assemblage as a whole has not been described, and this is the primary purpose of the present report. While major emphasis is placed upon the mammals, opportunity is taken to supplement the record of this group with a brief review of the avian and plant assemblages. The combined evidence is discussed in relation to that of Rancho La Brea and Carpinteria, and an effort is made to determine the time sequence of these three asphalt deposits.
Additional Information
© 1938 Carnegie Institution of Washington. The writer has been fortunate to carry out this work under the supervision of Dr. Chester Stock, who not only aided in every possible way but, by his unfailing interest, furnished a constant source of encouragement. R. W. Wilson gave generously of his time and knowledge in the determination of the rodents and lagomorphs in the McKittrick collection. E. L. Furlong, to whom has fallen the task of preparing much of the material, furnished many valuable suggestions which are deeply appreciated. Those portions of the present report dealing with the avifauna have been read by Dr. Hildegarde Howard, and whatever merit they may possess is largely due to her careful and critical notations. The Los Angeles Museum kindly permitted access to the Rancho La Brea collection; while the staff in charge of the Dickey collection of Recent mammals loaned important comparative material. The staff of the Museum of Paleontology, University of California, placed the McKittrick collection of that institution at the writer's disposal, and thus made possible a complete study of the fauna. I am particularly indebted for many courtesies to R. A. Stirton, V. L. Vander Hoof, and C. J. Hesse. Dr. Joseph Grinnell of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, permitted access to the collections of Recent mammals. Dr. W. S. W. Kew of the Standard Oil Company of California made available a geological map of the McKittrick area, while V. L. Vander Hoof furnished a detailed topographic and geologic map of the same area. Dr. Vander Hoof also loaned maps and photographs of the brea deposits, and furnished detailed information based upon his own studies of the McKittrick tar seeps. John L. Ridgway prepared the illustrations and retouched the photographs. Other acknowledgments of assistance are made in the text.Attached Files
Published - Schultz_1938_p113.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 109861
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20210716-143407437
- Created
-
2021-07-16Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-07-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Series Name
- Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 487
- Other Numbering System Name
- Balch Graduate School of the Geological Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 259