The University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame
Platygonus compressus and Associated Fauna from the Laubach Cave of Texas
Author(s): Bob H. Slaughter
Source: American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 75, No. 2 (Apr., 1966), pp. 475-494
Published by: The University of Notre Dame
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2423406 .
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and AssociatedFauna
compressus
Platygonus
fromthe LaubachCave of Texas
BOB H. SLAUGHTER
Shuler Museum of Paleontology, Southern Methodist
University,Dallas, Texas 75222
ABSTRACT:
Exploration of a sealed cave discovered in the process of
highway construction in Georgetown, Texas, produced remains of a
number of individuals of the extinct peccary, Platygonus compressus.
Measurements of this material average larger than that of the series of
the species previously reported and this extended size range overlaps
with several other species. The associated fauna include.s jaguar, bobcat, elephant, camel, -and a coyote that is probably extinct. The age of
the material is estimated at 45,000 to 25,000 B.P.
INTRODUCTION
In the fall of 1963 the Texas HighwayDepartmentwas drilling
4" core holes in the Edwards Limestoneof Lower Cretaceousage in
forthe footingof a proposed
Texas, seekinginformation
Georgetown,
overpass,when theyencounteredhollowsat a depth of about 30 feet.
A 24-inchcore was drilledto allow engineersto descendand investithe Dallasgate what appearedto be a sealed cave. Shortlythereafter
Fort Worth Grotto (a speleologicalsociety) and the Universityof
Texas SpeleologicalSocietywent into the cave for explorationand
mapping. Pete Lindsley and Norman Robinson of the Dallas-Fort
Worthgrouplocatedsomefossilbones (Fig. 1) near the sealed original
entranceand the Universityof Texas group found anothergroup of
bones in a nearby area. Realizing how fragilethe material was,
Lindsley photographedthe specimensand reportedto the Shuler
Museum. The other bone deposit was broughtto the attentionof
the Departmentof Paleontologyat the Universityof Texas. As Dr;
ErnestLundelius of that departmentwas out of the countryat the
time and the recoveryhad to be made immediatelydue to construction schedules,the, Shuler Museum was allowed to collect both
deposits.
The rubble cone that had filled the original sinkholeentrance
was located; a fewisolatedbones of elephant,camel, and Platygonus
were recoveredfromits base. For the mostpart,however,
compressus
the bones were scatteredin pocketsand tunnelsadjacent to the cone
(Figs. 2-3). Most of the bones seem to have reached theirposition
as a resultof water transport;in only two cases were any bones of
the same individualfoundin positiveassociation.The fossilslocated
were located at a cave level
by the Universityof Texas speleologists
lower than those found by the Dallas-Fort Worth group and were
of chimneys,
apparentlywashed in from
largelycontainedin infillings
above. Among these, the associated bones of a single individual
suggestthat the animal had foundits way to thispoint of the cave
475
476
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
NATURALIST
75(2)
small numberof postcranialelementswere
in life. A surprisingly
recoveredrelativeto the numberof skull and jaw fragments.Probably manyof the smallerbones workedtheirway down betweenthe
largerbouldersof the rubblewhen waterwas floodingthe thenopen
sinkentrance.
Fig. 1.-View
Fig. 2.-Laubach
of bone bed near the blocked original
entrance of Laubach Cave.
Cave. Map modified from Russell et al.,
(1964). Bone area framed.
1966
477
SLAUGHTER: PLATYGONUS FROM LAUBACH CAVE
Areas away from the entrance produced only the bones of animals
known to frequent caves- peccaries, jaguars, wolves, coyotes, and
batsor animals often brought into, caves by carnivorous mammals and birds: rabbits, prairie dogs, and wood rats. Unless the elephant and camel were brought into the mouth of the cave by a
jaguar, these animals must have fa.llen into the almost vertical cave
entrance; the latter is believed to be the case as, their bones were
found only in the cone of rubble. The lack of stratigra.phiccontrol
within the cave precludes absolute proof that the animals,repre-sented
inhabited the area contemporaneously. However, the size range of the
peccary remains is consistentlylarger than other known series of the
same species and thereforeprobably representsa population separated
.
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map of bone area showing rubble-filled
0 3.-Enlarged
original entrance.
indicate
Numerals
Plus-marks
indicate
lo-cations of fossils.
ceiling height.
478
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
NATURALIST
75(2)
in time or space from other reported finds. One tiny sink that has
been re-excavated by a small animal burrow in a distant portion of
the cave produced modern small animal bones. These are easily
recognized by their preservation and the fact that they smoke and
emit an odor when heated. None of the bones in the other bone area
react in that way when subjected to the same test.
The fact that the slopes and edge of the rubble cone blocking the
original entrance contain bones of the same extinct species as those
represented by fossilsadjacent to the cone indicates the same animals
were living in the area when the entrance was blocked. In addition,
the almost total lack of sedimentation adjacent to the cone suggests
the opening was closed shortlyafter the sink collapsed.
Catalog numbers are those of the Shuler Museum of Paleontology,
Southem Methodist University.
AGE
OF THE
FOSSILS
There are no faunal elements that aid in assigning an age to, the
is known to range
assemblage. The peccary, Platygonus comnpressus,
throughout the late Pleistocene at least as far back as the Sangamon
and up to the end of the Wisconsin. I know of no, reports of this
species fromdeposits predating the Illinoian. Brown (1908), Slaughter
(1961), and Lundelius (1960) have pointed out that Platygonus was
probably a prairie-plains type of peccary during the Pleistocene, while
Mylohyus preferredmore wooded areas. Mylohyus is largely restricted
to the eastern part of the country,whereas Platygonus is found all the
way to the West Coast. In areas near the present woodland-prairie
boundary, as in this part of Texas, Mylohyus is more common in
Pleistocene assemblages of glacial age (Freishahn Cave, Ben Franklin
and Conrad Fissure local faunas) and Platygonus is the more common in deposits known to represent interglacials or interstadials
(Lewisville, Moore Pit, and Ingleside local faunas). Considering the
growing evidence that much of our present topography was produced
after 25,000 B.P., I am not inclined to ascribe great antiquity to the
cave assemblage, and suspect the fauna belongs to the last major
interglacial or interstadial, i.e., 25,000-45,000 B.P. This, of course,
is purely conjectural.
FAUNAL LIST
Myotis sp.
Neotoma sp.
Cynomysludovicianus (Ord)
Sylvilagus sp.
Canis latrans Say
Canis cf. C. dirus Leidy
Lynx rufus (Schreber)
Panthera onca augusta (Leidy)
Platygonus compressusLe Conte
Camelops sp.
Proboscidean
Extinct mouse-eared bat
Wood rat
Black-tailed prairie dog
Rabbit
Coyote
Dire wolf
Bobcat
Jaguar
Peccary
Extinct camel
1966
SLAUGHTER:
PLATYGONUS
FROM LAUBACH
CAVE
479
Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord)
The black-tailed prairie dog is represented in the collection by
numerous specimens associated with bones of Platygonus cormpressus.
The eastern edge of the prairie dog's currentrange is almost 100 miles
west of Laubach Cave. It has generally been considered that eastward extension of its range is restricted by moisture. The species
occurs in some fossil faunas, however, where such arid climates are
not necessarily indicated. The reason for the decreased range may
be something other than available moisture. 'The soil mantle of the
surrounding countryside is now rather rocky, not an ideal prairie
dog environment. Perhaps during the period of fossil accumulation
in Laubach Cave the soil was sandier and deeper, better suited for
support of prairie dog burrows. Lundelius (personal communication)
suggests that a lower water table may be more favorable to such
burrowingrodents. Even so, if Platygonus was a prairie-plains animal,
as suggested above, the association of the prairie dog with this prairieplains peccary may indicate that there was then at least no more
moisture than is now available in the area.
Sylvilagus sp.
A small rabbit is represented in the collection by a single left
lower jaw containing P4-M3 (61356). It is comparable in size to an
adult specimen of S. auduboni but also falls just within the size range
of S. floridanus. No characters present were found with which to
distinguishthe two. S. floridanus lives in the area today and S. auduboni is present a short distance to the west.
Canis latrans Say
(Fig. 5)
A fine skull of a medium-sized coyote is in the Laubach Cave!
collection (no. 61269). It differsfrom all Recent specimens I have
examined in that the face is relatively wider. All measurements fall
within the range of the Recent series at hand except for the width
across the maxillary at the posterior edge of the carnassial (P4) and
this too doubtless would be within the range if a larger sample representing all North American subspecies were available. Even so, a
face-width to length-of-the-palateratio exists that I have not found
in Recent coyotes (Fig. 4). This same character was used in distinguishingCanus andersoni Merriam of the Rancho La Brea deposits.
Giles (1960) compared the holotype (the only known specimen) of
C. andersoni with several living subspecies of C. latrans. He found
it most similar to a Recent series of C. latrans eclipticus from the San
Diego, California area, but, assuming that the fossil represented a
rather young individual, he withheld any suggestion of affinities. I
feel that Giles' reluctance to assign affinitiesto C. andersoni on the
basis of the wider face, because of the youth of the individual, was
justified. Of the Recent specimens I measured, the younger animals
rather consistentlyhad relativelywider faces due to the greater speed
480
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
75(2)
NATURALIST
of lateral growth of the skull. Even so, C. andersoni falls outside of
the range of the Recent sample from Texas with regard to this ratio.
C. caneloensis Skinner from the Papago Springs Cave in Arizona
(late Pleistocene) also is said to have a relativelygreater face-width.
However, when compared with ratios found in my Recent sample,
it was found to fall just within the range of variation (Fig. 4). If
the Arizona specimen also representsa rather young animal, its wider
face-widthloses importance. An additional character of C. caneloensis,
the weaker development of the hypocone of M2, was not observed in
my Recent sample.
Another late Pleistocene coyote that may be considered is C. latrans
harriscrookiSlaughter. This fossil race is represented by a lower jaw
from the Lewisville Site in Denton County, Texas, with an age in
excess of 40,000 years B.P. The skull is unknown and thereforenot
directly comparable with the Laubach Cave coyote. However, C.
andersoni, C. caneloensis and the Laubach skull are all rather wolflike in the greaterwidth of the face. Several verywolflikecharactersare
also present in the lower jaw of C. latrans harriscrooki- the presence
of posterior accessory cusps on all lower premolars other than P1 and
a more vertically ascending ramus. Although the face length-width
ratio of C. andersoni is comparable to that of the Laubach skull the
e5
86
87
Se
89
90
91
92
PALATE LENGTH
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
4
5
94
95
92
90
I
59
I-
9
*
a
~59
*
55
*9.
54
53
*
*
*
9
*
*
52
501
Fig. 4.-Scatter diagram demonstratinglength-widthratio of the face of
coyotes. Length measurement taken from anterior edge of premaxillary to
posterioredge of palate. Width measurementtaken across maxillary at the posterior edge of P4. Solid circles - Canis latrans texensis; solid triangle
Canis latrans caneloensis; open square - Canis andersoni; double square
Canis latrans from Laubach Cave.
1966
SLAUGHTER: PLATYGONUS FROM LAUBACH CAVE
481
overall size is decidedly smaller and so, assignment to that species is
not considered seriously for this Texas fossil. The face length-width
ratio in C. caneloenis is, within the range of Recent subspecies of C.
latrans, but the formerdiffersin the possession of a less well-developed
hypocone on M2. An isolated M2 in a collection from the Moore Pit
local fauna from Dallas County, Texas, can be duplicated in Recent
specimens. The Moore Pit locality is in the same terrace of the
Trinity River as the type locality of C. latrans harriscrooki,but 40
miles downstream. It is from a slightly lower horizon, but the age
differenceis slight, and it seems probable that both the Moore Pit
and Lewisville Site specimens represent the same form. Therefore,
C. latrans harriscrookiis distinct from C. caneloensis. The Laubach
Cave coyote cannot be deifinitelyassigned to any of the known subspecies, living or extinct, but may belong to C. latrans harriscrooki.
Only a similar skull associated with lower jaws can verifyits affinities.
Measurements of Laubach Cave coyote skull (in mm) are as
follows:
Basal length measured from anterior edge of
premaxilla to inferiornotch between condyles
Maxillary width at posterioredge of P4
Length of palate
Anteroposteriordiameter of P4
Transversediameterof P4
Anteroposteriordiameter of M2
Transverse diameter of M2
171.5
63.2
96.0
21.6
9.7
7.7
13.0
Canis cf. C. dirus Leidy
A large wolf is represented in the Laubach Cave local fauna bv
a left humerus (61173) and left femur (61172). The specimens were
found together and are assumed to represent a single individual.
Merriam (1912 ), when describing Canis dirus specimens from Rancho
La Brea, said that the humeri were more massive than those of the
gray wolf and commonly the deltoid ridge and tuberositieswere more
strongly developed. Our fossils are slightly larger than comparable
material of the living species but are doubtless within its size range;
no other characters were noted that might distinguish them. Galbreath (1964) recently reported a partial skeleton of a large wolf
from the Powder Mill Creek Cave in Missouri which he also had
difficultyassigning to C. dirus or C. lupus. He found no characters
in individual bones that he felt could be relied on in distinguishing
the two species. He did refer his specimens to the extinct species,
however, on the basis of relative sizes of differentelements. Although
he considered his specimen a female, it is just within the upper size
range of the Rancho La Brea series of C. dirus. This might suggest
males of the Missouri population were outside the size range of the
West Coast population. This in turn may be a reflectionof temporal
or geographic subspecific differences. Galbreath hastened, however,
to add that he considered the material available inadequate to pursue
the problem further. Dire woilfmaterial from Texas does not aid the
482
THE AMERICANMIDLAND NATURALIST
75(2)
solution- ratherit complicatesit. The humeruslength (233 mm)
and femurlength (256 mm) of the Laubach Cave wolf is between
the one Rancho La Brea specimenI have examined (humerus227;
femurlength255) and the measurements
given by Merriamfor anotherRancho La Brea specimen(humerus240; femur260). On the
otherhand our fossilhumerusis smallerthan one in the Ingleside
local fauna (San PatricioCo., Texas) which has an overall length
of 251 mm. An ulna reportedby Slaughteret al., (1962), fromthe
Moore Pit local fauna in Texas is well withinthe size range forthis
elementin the Rancho La Brea series,but somewhatsmallerthan
the Missourispecimens.The Moore Pit local fauna dates to approximately45,000 B.P. and the Inglesidelocal fauna is probablyslightly
younger.A radiocarbontestmade on ribsof the Missouriwolfindicates an age of 13,170-+- 600 B.P. Therefore,wolf bones occur in
Texas thatare closerin age to each otherthan to eitherthe Rancho
La Brea or Powder Mill Cave occurrences,but, nonetheless,
have a
greatersize range. As Galbreath warned, material known at this
timeis inadequateforformalproposalsof the geographicaland temporal races that doubtlessexist. It is hoped that futurediscoveries
Fig. 5.-Canis
latrans (61269). Ventral view of skull showing
relativelywide face. x'/2.
1966
SLAUGHTER: PLATYGONUSFROM LAUBACH CAVE
483
of samples adequate for a statistical approach will clarify the relationships of these fossilpopulations.
Lynx rufus (Schreber)
A humerus of a medium-sized cat (61174) from the cave was
compared with several modern specimens of the bobcat from Texas.
It is slightlylarger than any of these but doubtless within the size range
of the living species. It may also be within the size range of Lynx
canadensis with which it was not compared, but the southern limit
of the range of this species is far to the north, and in the absence of
other northern species!, our specimen is referred to the bobcat with
confidence.
Panthera onca augusta (Leidy)
A large feline is represented by various skull fragmentsand limb
elements in the collection of the Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas (BEG-UT 40673-45 to 40673-80). This material
differsfrom pumas and is like the modern jaguar in the following
characters: the mastoid is larger, especially in its outward projection;
the bulla is less elongate and not ridged anteroposteriorly;the anterointernal process of the entotympanic is flattened; and the fringe of
the ectotympanicextends fartherforward. The juncture of the bicipital crest and the deltoid ridge is lower on the humerus shaft (about
midlength). All of these characters are shared with P. atrox but our
material is below the size range for that species; the ulna olecranon
in our specimen rises higher above the sigmoid notch and is straighter
along its posterioredge.
There is one character, however, that does not fit the published
data on jaguars; p4 is smaller relative to M1 than in P. atrox and
modern jaguars. This differenceis not considered important enough
to outweigh the many other totally jaguar-like characters, however,
and referenceto the living species is made with confidence.
Simpson (1941), when reviewing the large Pleistocene felines from
North America, demonstrated that much of the material is indistinguishable from the living species, P. onca. Like the Laubach Cave
specimen and one described by Semkem (1961) from Longhorn
Cavern in Texas, most of Simpson's specimens are slightlylarger than
modern specimens of P. onca milleri, the subspecies currentlyliving
closest to the United States, but probably within the size range of P.
onca palustrus of South America. Even so, Simpson felt it convenient
and justifiable to refer these large jaguars to an extinct race, P. o.
augusta (Leidy).
Measurements of Panthera onca augusta. from Laubach Cave are:
Dentition
Anteroposteriordiameter of I
Anteroposteriordiameter of J2
Anteroposteriordiameter of J3
Anteroposteriordiameter of C1
Anteroposteriordiameter of P3
Transverse diameter of P3
Left
8.1
8.6
12.5
21.0
Right
8.7
12.3
21.8
21.7
11.2
484
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
Anteroposteriordiameter of P4
Transverse diameter of P4
Anteroposteriordiameter of 13
Anteroposteriordiameter of C,
Anteroposteriordiameter of P4
Transverse diameter of P4
Anteroposteriordiameter of M1
Transverse diameter of M1
100 x P4
=
P4
-ML
75(2)
NATURALIST
33.0
16.2
8.0
20.8
23.1
11.9
25.5
12.2
index
21.4
23.4
12.0
25.3
12.4
90
Ml
Humerus
Length
Transverse diameter at midlength
Anteroposteriordiameter at midlength
Greatest transversediameter at distal end
Least anteroposteriordiameter of articulating
surface for ulna
Ulna
Length
Greatest width of olecranon
Greatest width of sigmoid cavity
Anteroposteriordiameter measured at coronoid
Anteroposteriordiameter at upper end of
tendon scar
Metacarpal IV
Length
Transverse diameter at proximal end
Anteroposteriordiameter at midlength
Transverse diameter at midlength
Transverse diameter at distal end
Femur
Length
Transverse diameter-outer face of greater
trochanterto inner edge of head
Anteroposteriordiameter of head
Transverse diameter at midlength
Anteroposteriordiameter at midlength
Greatest width at distal end
Greatest anteroposteriordiameter at distal end
Greatest width of rotular surface
Greatest width of intercondylarnotch
Greatest width of articular surface of inner condyle
271.1+
28.8
40.0
79.9
24.5
290.0
28.0
41.4
54.4
18.2
89.0
17.5
12.2
11.9
19.9
311.3
80.4
37.2
29.2
27.7
67.5
62.9
31.4
15.0
25.2
80.1
36.0
Platygonus compressusLe Conte
(Fig. 7)
Peccary remains are by far the most abundant in the cave collection. Comparison with the better inaterial referredto P. compressus
shows no differencesother than a larger average size; the Laubach
1966
SLAUGHTER:
PLATYGONUS
FROM LAUBACH
CAVE
485
Cave material is referredto this species with confidence. When Simpson (1949) described a series of remains from a cave near St. Louis,
Missouri, he referredthem to P. compressus and gave a short review
of the genus. Measurements of his specimens averaged slightlylarger
than those of material previously referred to this species. The new
material from Laubach Cave extends the size range even farther.
Considering the significance of this size range extension as regards
the creation of additional synonymies,it seems well to brieflyreview
the more pertinent literature once again.
Soon after Le Conte's description of P. compressus, the generotype, several other formswere proposed in rapid succession. Le Conte
himself added Hyops depressifrons (1848a), Prochoerus prismatica
(1848b), and Dicotyles costatus (1852). Leidy (1853) recognized
all of Le Conte's forms and proposed the name Euchoerus macrops
for a fine skull collected in Kentucky. Upon studying variation in
peccaries, Leidy (1857) believed all of these belonged to the living
genus Dicotyles (= Tayassu) but later recognized Platygonus as a
distinctgenus containing but a single species. Almost all later workers
have followed Leidy in this although Simpson (1949) preferred to
retain Prochoerus as a nomen vanumrstating that from the fragmentary type specimen he could not be certain of synonymy.
Williston (1894) described a series of associated specimens from
Kansas, assigning the name P. leptorhinus, but admitted uncertainty
as to whetherit was trulydistinctfromP. compressus. Wagner (1903)
referreda skull from Michigan to P. compressus,discussed the Kansas
material, and considered P. leptorhinus a synonym of that species.
Peterson (1914) preferredto keep the two separate, stating that the
Kansas form differedfromP. compressus in having more robust lower
jaws, greater mandible depth, a more protruding chin, and a wider
face. Measurements of Simpson's St. Louis cave sample, presumably
representinga single population of P. compressus, not only included
the range of variation of all previously refelred P. compressus specimens, including the type, but also overlapped considerably with the
Kansas measurements and extended the size range beyond what had
been known. Although he supported Wagner's proposal of synonomy
of P. leptorhinuswith P. compressus,he demonstrated that there were
Kansas specimens with mandibles of a depth greater than any in his
collection while the St. Louis dentition averaged somewhat larger.
He attributed this to variation between two populations of the same
species and suggested that it may reflectsubspecific rank, either temporal or geographical. As the intermediate specimens of both localities could not be readily distinguished, he declined to propose a
trinomial nomenclature.
Measurements of the Laubach Cave specimens average even greater
than those of the St. Louis sample, and several measurements of teeth
do not overlap with those of the Kansas fossils. Even so, the size
range demonstrated by the St. Louis material adequately bridges the
gap, giving a constant size gradient when all of the material is con-
486
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
75(2)
NATURALIST
sidered (Fig. 6). The development of the zygoma below the orbit
of Williston's male specimen exceeds that of Simpson's illustrated
specimens, or any of the specimens from Laubach Cave. However,
there is no assurance that we have recovered skulls of any mature males
at Laubach Cave.
P. vetus was proposed by Leidy (1882) for upper and lower jaw
fragmentsfrom P'ennsylvania,the distinguishingcharacters being lack
of intermediarylophs between the anterior and posterior lobes of the
molars, and somewhat greater size (a length of 97 mm for upper
cheek-tooth row). Gidley (1921) based P. cumberlandensis and P.
zntermediatuson material recovered from the Cumberland Cave in
Pennsylvania. P. cumberlandensis has dentition slightlysmaller than
that of P. vetus (length of 87-94 mm for upper cheek-tooth rows)
and was said to be larger than P. cormpressus. This measurement now
overlaps that of P. cornpressus as extended by the Texas material.
One very striking difference,however, is the extreme development
of the zygoma below the orbit. In males it is two or more times
deeper than the diameter of the orbit. P. intermediatusalso has this
curious development. Gidley and Gazin (1938) belieived the differences between P. cumberlandensis and P. intermediatus were not
25
24
/
22
20
18
16/
14
6
..........
. MISSWRI $StE
E
g
p2
KS5^$ .........
p3
p4
KANSS SAPLE
M'1
M2
M3
p2
ISSOJRISAMPLE
t
p3
$
p4
4TEXAS
-.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
$<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.....
MI
M2
M3
SAMPLE
Fig. 6.-Graph comparing the size;range of cheek-toothlength for series of
Platygonus compressus. Kansas sample; Williston (1894). Missouri sample;
Simpson (1949). Texas sample; Laubach Cave.
1966
SLAUGHTER:
PLATYGONUS
FROM LAUBACH
CAV1E
487
Fig. 7.-Platygonus compressusLe Conte (SMP-SMU 61266). A.
Lateral view of skull and jaws. B. - Dorsal view of skull. C. - Ventral view of
skull. All x slightlyunder 1/3.
488
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
NATURALIST
75(2)
great enough to warrant specific separation and proposed synonomy
for the two Cumberland Cave species. There is one specimen in the
Cumberland Cave assemblage which has an M2 transverse diameter
greater than any of the other material. Gidley (1921) had referred
this specimen to P. vetus. Later Gidley and Gazin (1938) discussed
the possibilityof its actually belonging to the same species represented
by the other material in the cave, but nonetheless retained the assignment tentatively. If the Cumberland Cave material does represent a
single species, the extended size range may reach the size of P. vetus,
possibly indicating synonymy of P. cumberlandensis (including P.
intermediatus) with P. vetus. The lack of intermediarylophs in the
molars, said to distinguishP. vetus, seems less important now that we
know both types of molars occuLrin the earlier species, P. bicalcara:tus
Cope of Blancan and Rexroad faunas. Whether or not P. cumberlandensis eventually becomes a synonymof P. vetus, it is now evident
that there are at least two well-distinguishedtypes of Platygonus in
the last half of the Pleistocene in the United States; P. compressus, a
highly variable type with little more than normal development of the
zygoma; and the other distinguished by the extreme development of
the zygoma.
P. alemanii Duges (1887) is based on partial upper and lower
jaws from Mexico. Leidy (1889) considered it a synonymof P. vetus
but this has not been followed by many workers. Skinner (1942)
referred several skulls from the Papago Springs Cave in Arizona to
P. alernanii, stating that his material was smaller than P. cumberlandensis or P. leptorhinus. The Arizona specimens do not have the
extreme zygoma development of P. cumberlandensis, but the tooth
row is somewhat smaller than that of P. alemanii and well within the
range of P. compressus. There seems to be no reason for considering
the Papago Cave peccaries anythingother than average individuals of
P. compressus. Simpson (1949) felt that published comparisons of
P. vetus, P. cumberlandensis, and P. alemanii had not excluded
synonomyof any or all of these species. If future discoveries should
extend the size range of the dentition of P. vetus down to that of
P. alemanii it would also overlap with P. cumberlandensis and P.
compressus, and unless it was then distinguished by characters not
now used to separate species of the genus, it would either become a
synonymof P. compressus or incorporate P. cumberlandensis,depending on the development of the zygoma. For the present, it seems best
to compare the fossilsaccording to known size. P. alemanii falls within
the size range of both P. cumberlandensis and P. compressus, but is
distinguished from the former by its short diastema and wider face,
demonstrated by the width between the posterior edge of the M3's.
This same face width and diastema length, as well as length of the
tooth row of the type of P. alemanii, can be almost duplicated by
several specimens in the Laubach Cave collection. I therefore am
inclined to equate the Mexican species with P. compressus. However,
if the three overlapping size ranges of P. compressus material (repre-
1966
SLAUGHTER: PLATYGONUS FROM LAUBACH CAVE
489
sented by the Kansas sample P. leptorhinus), the smallest (the St.
Louis sample) and the largest (Laubach Cave sample), should come
to be considered differentsubspecies, the largest size should be known
as P. compressus alemanii.
Tooth measurements of the Laubach Cave and other series of
P. compressus are given in Tables 1-3.
Camelops sp.
A single anterior cervical vertebra (61171) was recovered fromn
the rubble at the base of the cone. It is fairly small for the genus
but the same may be said for Camelops material collected in Dallas
County, Texas, referredto C. huerfanensisdallasi Lull. 'The specimen
is hardly adequate for specific assignment.
mm
Length of centrum
Dorsoventral diameter of centrum at posterior end
Transverse diameter of centrum at posteriorend
198.9
51.1
65.1
Proboscidean
Several metacarpals (61176) of a single elephant were collected
scattered at the base of the rubble cone. These are smaller but in
every other detail match metacarpals from Dallas County, Texas,
belonging to Elephas columbi. Considering the smaller size, however,
the possibilityremains that the Laubach Cave material belongs to a
mastodon.
SUMMARY
A sealed cave was opened for a short time in the process of highway construction in the town of Georgetown, 'Texas. The cave was
explored by speleological groups from Austin. Dallas, and Fort Worth,
Texas, and fossil bones were reported. All of the fossils recovered
were in and adjacent to the rubble cone that blocked the original
entrance and are believed to represent a single local fauna; the same
species were found in the rubble representingthe final blocking of the
cave and the lack of sedimentation within the cave indicates the
sink entrance was not open for a long period. Most of the fossil
material represents the extinct peccary, Platygonus compressus, and
averages slightly larger than specimens previously referred to this
species. The extended size range for the species overlaps with almost
all other proposed species in the genus but can be separated from
P. cumberlandensison characters of the skull. One species, P. alemanii
cannot be distinguishedfromthe new material, however, and synonymy
of this species with P. compressus is proposed.
A coyote skull in the collection is referred to the living species,
Canis latrans but probably belongs to an extinct race, possibly C.
latrans harriscrooki.
A humerus and femur are referred provisionally to Canis dirus
and fall within the size range of both fossilsof this species fromRancho
La Brea and material of the living species C. lupus.
490
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1966
SLAUGHTER:
PLATYGONUS
FROM LAUBACH
491
CAVE
TABLE 2.-Lower
tooth measurementsof Platygonus compressus fromLaubach Cave
P2
L
P2
Wa
---9.8
6.8
P2
Wp
P3
L
12.1
10.7
61141
61142
7.2
61143
61145
9.1
6.9
7.9 11.5
61257
11.2
6.7
8.2 12.5
61258
10.9
5.6
8.0 11.9
61266
10.3
6.3
7.0 12.3
61303
11.0
61329
---61359
11.0
61364
----61366
---11.0
61377
9.1
6.7
7.4
61381 -------8.8
61392
5.9
6.3 10.1
61395
10.8
61443
--------15.0
61450
9.0
7.9
8.5 11.1
61718
11.8
6.9
8.1 12.2
Wa
8.2
8.5
P3
P3
Wp
8.5
8.7
P4
L
12.2
12.0
P4
Wa
8.9
9.3
P4
Wp
9.8
10.2
M1
L
14.3
15.3
M1
Wa
10.5
11.0
7.9
8.3
7.4
7.5
8.5
9.0
10.0
9.2
9.0
9.0
11.6
13.1
11.9
11.5
9.3
9.6
9.6
9.0
10.3
11.3
10.5
10.1
14.5
15.5
15.9
14.6
11.1
10.5
10.2
9.8
9.4
8.8
9.9
---
12.1
12.1
12.4
9.5
9.4
9.7
----
11.1
10.5
10.9
7.0
7.4
7.7
8.7
10.3
12.9
8.4
9.3
9.1
10.4
13.1
15.1
14.1
15.4
15.7
13.5
10.0
10.5
10.8
10.3
10.2
9.5
8.3
7.4
9.0
9.2
11.7
12.7
9.7
10.1
10.3
10.7
7.5
10.3
16.3
10.5
TABLE 2.- (continued)
m1
61141
61142
61143
61145
61257
61258
61266
61303
61329
61359
61364
61366
61377
61381
61392
61395
61443
61450
61718
Wp
11.8
11.2
11.5
11.9
11.5
11.0
11.0
11.6
10.8
10.7
11.4
10.5
10.8
11.8
M2
L
18.3
17.2
17.5
19.2
18.5
18.5
18.4
17.5
19.4
16.9
17.3
17.2
17.8
19.6
16.9
18.3
17.6
16.9
18.2
M2
Wa
13.0
12.9
12.3
13.8
13.5
11.9
12.1
11.6
12.2
11.8
12.5
12.7
12.5
13.5
11.4
12.4
12.8
12.0
12.0
M2
Wp
13.6
12.9
13.0
13.9
14.5
12.6
12.9
12.2
13.6
12.8
13.5
12.8
12.8
13.8
12.2
12.6
14.1
12.7
12.9
M3
L
25.9
22.7
22.7
M3
M3
Wa
13.8
13.2
12.8
---25.2 14.6
25.4 13.1
23.6 12.5
13.5
13.5
13.5
27.3
23.9
21.6
23.1
13.4
13.0
13.3
13.7
13.7
13.0
13.1
14.0
23.2 12.0
24.4 14.6
23.8 12.3
24.8 13.0
Wp
13.8
13.0
12.7
13.0
14.6
13.1
13.4
diast.
MD
P2-M3
48.8
48.1
43.1
37.7
50.5
50.1
45.7
52.5
43.0
41.6
43.8
42.8
54.9
44.2
39.4
84.4
83.9
86.2
44.1
41.2
43.0
44.5
80.1
82.5
51.2
53.5
89.0
86.9
83.2
92.9
91.5
86.5
84.9
492
THE
AMERICAN
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1966
SLAUGHTER:
PLATYGONUS
FROM LAUBACH
CAVFE
493
Skeletal material of a large jaguar is referredto the extinct rac.e,
Panthera onca augusta.
The age of the deposit is estimated at 25,000-45,000 B.P.
Acknowledgments.-I should like to express my appreciation to Dr. W. W.
Laubach, owner of the land, for allowing recovery of the fossil material and
extending other courtesies.
Among the Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto members who aided the recovery
are Pete Lindsley, Norman Robinson and George Yeary. The most helpful of
the University of Texas spelunkers were William Akerston, Jim Duke, Mike
Erickson and Bud Frank. I am also grateful to Dewy Blackmon, Reed
Hoover, George Nyland, Paul Frost and Ronald Ritchie for assistance in the
recovery.
Dr. Ernest Lundelius, University of Texas, kindly loaned the jaguar
material recovered by spelunkers from that institution. Dr. Walter Dalquest,
Midwestern University,and Drs. E. R. Hall and J. K. Jones, University of
Kansas, loaned comparative material and offered helpful suggestions. Dr.
Donald Savage, Universityof California, furnishedmeasurementsof the holotype of C. andersoni.
Miss Kay McNulty and Mr. Julio Estrada, Southern Methodist University,
prepared the specimen illustrations.
REFERENCES
B. 1908. The Conard Fissure, a Pleistocene Bone Deposit in Northern
Arkansas: With Description of Two New Genera and Twenty New
Species of Mammals. Amer. Mus. Natur. Hist., Mem., 9:157-208.
DUGEs, A. 1887. Platygonus alemanii, Nobis, Fosil Quaternario. La Naturaleza (ser. 2), 1:16-18.
GALBREATH,
E. C. 1964. A dire wolf skeleton and Powder Mill Creek Cave,
Missouri. Trans. Illinois Acad. Sci., 57:224-242.
GIDLEY,
J. W. 1921. Pleistocene peccaries from the Cumberland Cave deposit.
Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus., 57:651-678.
- AND C. L. GAZIN. 1938. The Pleistocene.vertebrate fauna from Cumberland Cave, Maryland. Bull. U. S. Natl. Mus., no. 171. 99 p.
GILES,
E. 1960. Multivariate analysis of Pleistocene and Recent coyotes !(Canis
latrans) from California. Univ. Calif. Publ. Geol. Sci., 36:369-390.
LE CONTE, J. L. 1848a. Notice of five new species of Mammalia from Illinois.
Amer. J. Sci., (ser. 2), 5:102-106.
. 1848b. On Platygonus compressus: a new fossil pachyderm. Mem.
Amer. Acad. Arts, Sci., 3:257-274.
. 1852. Notice of a fossil Dicotyles from Missouri. Proc. Acad. Natur.
Sci. Phila., 6:5-6.
LEIDY,
J. 1853. A memoir on the extinct Dicotylinae of America. Trans.
Amer. Phil. Soc., n. s., 10:223-243.
. 1857. Observations on the extinct peccary of North America. Ibid.,
11:97-105.
. 1882. On an extinct peccary. Proc. Acad. Natur. Sci., Philadelphia,
1882:301.
. 1889. On Platygonus, an extinct genus allied to the peccaries. Trans.
Wagner Free Inst. Sci. Philadelphia, 2: 41-50.
LUNDELIUS,
E. L. 1960. Mylophus nasutus, Long-nosed Peccary of the Texas
Pleistocene. Texas Memorial Mus., Bull., 1 :1-38.
BROWN,
494
THE
AMERICAN
MIDLAND
75(2)
NATURALIST
J. C. 1912. The fauna of Rancho La Brea, Pt. II, Canidae. Mem.
Univ. California, 1:215-272.
1932. Felidae of Rancho la Brea. Carnegie Inst.
AND C. STOCK.
Wash., Publ. no. 422. 231 p.
PETERSON,
0. A. 1914. A mounted skeleton of Platygonus leptorhinus in the
Carnegie Museum. Ann. Carnegie Mus., 9:114-117.
H. A. 1961. Fossil vertebrates from Longhorn Cavern, Burnet
SEMKEM,
County, Texas. Texas J. Sci., 13:290-310.
G. G. 1941. Large Pleistocene Felines of North America. Amer.
SIMPSON,
Mus. Novitates, no. 1136. 27 p.
. 1949. A fossil deposit in a cave in St. Louis. Ibid., no. 1408. 48 p.
M. F. 1942. The fauna of Papago Springs Cave, Arizona. Bull.
SKINNER,
Amer. Mus. Natur. Hist., 80:143-220.
B. H. 1961. A new coyote in the Late Pleistocene of Texas. J.
SLAUGHTER,
Mammal., 42:503-509.
1962.
, W. W. CROOK, R. K. HARRIS, D. C. ALLEN AND M. SEIFERT.
The Hill-Shuler local faunas of the Upper Trinity River, Dallas, and
Denton Counties, Texas. Bur. Econ. Geol., Univ. Texas, Rept. of Investigations,no. 48. 75 p.
WAGNER, G. 1903. Observations on Platygonus compressusLe Conte. J. Geol.,
1 1: 777-782.
S. W. 1894. Restoration of Platygonus. Kansas Univ. Quart., 3:
WILLISTON,
23-39.
MERRIAM,
SUBMITTED
8
MARCH
1965
ACCEPTED
29
APRIL
1965