Cordilleran Section (104th Annual) and Rocky Mountain Section (60th Annual) Joint Meeting (19–21 March 2008)

Paper No. 26
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

NORTH AMERICAN LAND MAMMAL DESIGNATION OF THE CENTENNIAL VERTEBRATE FOSSIL SITE WITHIN THE BRULE FORMATION (OLIGOCENE), WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA


BROWN, Rachel A.1, HOLTE, Sharon E.2, HORROCKS, Rodney D.3 and SCHNEIDER, John M.1, (1)Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E. St. Joseph Street, Rapid City, SD 57701, (2)Geology and Geological Engineering, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37604, (3)Wind Cave National Park, National Park Service, 26611 US Highway 385, Hot Springs, SD 57747, rachel.brown@mines.sdsmt.edu

White River sediments are abundant throughout the northeastern portion of Wind Cave National Park. Located within the southeastern flank of the Black Hills, these high-elevation deposits contain Oligocene fossil remains. In 2003, a paleontological site was discovered within the Park that was named the Centennial Site. Oligocene taxa such as, Subhyracodon sp., Mesohippus sp., Palaeolagus sp., Leptomeryx sp., Hyaenodon sp., and Merycoidodon sp., were discovered at the site that is composed of pinkish siltstones. The Centennial Site is positioned to the west and at similar elevation with the Klukas sites; a series of seven paleontological sites occurring in pink siltstones located 900 meters to the east of the Centennial Site. The Klukas sites were determined to be from the Orellan Land Mammal Age (Martin, 1994) and contain assemblages similar with that from the Centennial Site. The Klukas sites occur at 1,280 meters in elevation and the Centennial Site is located at an elevation of 1,213 meters. Preliminary analysis suggests that the Centennial Site is identical in age and depositional environment as the Klukas sites.