THE QUATERNARY VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE STARR CHAPEL CAVE, NORTHERN VIRGINIA, USA

Bone deposits are fairly common within Virginia caves, typically consisting of local species of bats and pack rats. While these small mammals have existed in Virginia since the Pleistocene, without extensive radiocarbon dating, it is difficult to illustrate the antiquity of these bone deposits. Much rarer are bone collections with identifiable remains of extinct and extirpated fauna. The Starr Chapel Cave in northwestern Virginia was recognized as having extinct taxa in 1999; however, permitted fieldwork was not granted until 2017. Two fossil-collecting excursions resulted in a sizable collection of 368 cataloged specimens of bones and teeth.

A total of 485 bones and teeth could be identified beyond simply Vertebrata. Mammals outnumbered all other vertebrate groups combined (84.5%, n=410). Of these, rodents constituted the largest portion of identified mammals at 23.7% (n=97) followed by bats 11% (n=45). The lower percentage of bat material was surprising given the current occupation of the cave by bats. The collection includes four bat genera (Eptesicus, Lasionycteris, Lasiurus, and Myotis) and the pack rat Neotoma, which are all known to occupy Virginia caves today. However, the fauna also included several non-cave-dwelling species such as rabbit (Sylvilagus and Lepus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus), and gopher (Marmota) that are still extant in Virginia but were also present during the Pleistocene. However, a partial molar matches very well with juvenile teeth of the American Mastodon (Mammut americanum). A second partial molar matches very well with tapir (Tapirus sp.), known from other sites in Virginia. Both represent extinct Pleistocene taxa. Additional extirpated taxa are represented by partial teeth that match well with elk (Cervus sp.), caribou (cf. Rangifer), and three rodent genera that currently only live in other regions: Neofiber, Geomys, and Sigmodon. Additionally, the cave fauna includes Ordovician invertebrate fossils that eroded out from the limestone walls, the most common of which are crinoids and the brachiopod Orthorhynchula linneyi.

The cave has high potential to yield further Ice Age fauna as well as potential for direct-bone radiocarbon dating to help improve the resolution of the age of the cave fauna as well as the overall timing of Pleistocene fauna in Virginia.