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An associated partial skeleton of Symbos cavifrons (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) from Montezuma County, Colorado

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Jerry N. Mcdonald ,
Sarah W. Neusius  and
Vickie L. Clay
Jerry N. Mcdonald
Affiliation:
P.O. Box 4098, Newark, Ohio 43055
Sarah W. Neusius
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana 15705
Vickie L. Clay
Affiliation:
Archaeological Research Services, P.O. Box 701, Virginia City, Nevada 89440
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Abstract

A partial cranium and axial skeleton of an individual Symbos cavifrons were excavated in 1983 from the Mesa Verde Loess on Grass Mesa, Montezuma County, Colorado. Parts of at least 24 bones were recovered, including the first complete set of cervical vertebrae known for Symbos cavifrons. This individual, radiocarbon dated at 15,970 ± 155 yr B.P. (SI-6137), contributes to the definition of the southwestern edge of the range of the species and provides new information about the nature of the vertebral column. Pathologic constriction of the transverse canals is evident in the third and seventh cervical vertebrae. The pattern of bone distribution suggests that carnivores consumed part of this animal. The radiocarbon date also establishes the last major episode of loess deposition in the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 61 , Issue 4 , July 1987 , pp. 831 - 843
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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