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Published June 27, 1940 | Published
Book Section - Chapter Open

A New Miocene Mammalian Fauna from Caliente Mountain, California

Abstract

Fossil mammalian remains from the Caliente Mountain region, San Luis Obispo County, California (fig. 1), were first found by John B. Stevens in 1928 in red beds associated with basalt flows near Padrones Spring. The material, fragments of an antilocaprid jaw, was presented to the California Institute of Technology at that time. The importance of the Caliente Mountain marine section is emphasized by Reed and Hollister. In their discussion of the Caliente Miocene they state: "The great difference in facies of these beds permits the determination of the interrelation of mammalian, mollusk, and foraminiferal zones, a task that is not easy in many districts." The present study was undertaken, therefore, with a view to obtaining a mammalian fauna from the region and establishing its relations to the Miocene molluscan and foraminiferal zones. Furthermore, the discovery of the original material gave promise of finding additional types by which the relation of the vertebrate and invertebrate time scales for at least this stage of the Miocene might be established. Field work and further collecting were carried on by the author during the fall, winter, and spring months of 1938-1939. For suggesting this problem and for valuable assistance and encouragement, the author is greatly indebted to Dr. Chester Stock. E. L. Furlong and Dr. R. W. Wilson have kindly tendered many helpful suggestions during the course of study. The author wishes to acknowledge gratefully the courtesy of J. E. Eaton, Dr. U. S. Grant IV, and Harry Allen of the University of California at Los Angeles, and their kind permission to use valuable data obtained by them in a study of the fossil molluscan faunas from this area. Dr. R. M. Kleinpell and W. D. Kleinpell furnished important information bearing on the correlation of the known foraminiferal zones with the vertebrate horizon. Dr. W. S. W. Kew gave helpful suggestions concerning the field mapping. The illustrations have been prepared by David P. Willoughby. The aerial photographs (plates 1-3) were taken by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. During the progress of the investigation kind permission was granted by Mr. Washburn to carry on field work within the boundaries of the Washburn Ranch.

Additional Information

© 1940 Carnegie Institution of Washington.

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