Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
The Calera cave system in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with a large Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage is described. Hundreds of fossil bones have been found throughout the 1324 m of mapped galleries. The fossils are well preserved resulting from partial permineralization by manganese oxide. A prelimina...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/1828 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850161328346365952 |
|---|---|
| author | Ramón Espinasa-Pereña Sofía Espinasa-Diamant Ruth Diamant Gregory H. McDonald José Antonio Soriano Luis Espinasa |
| author_facet | Ramón Espinasa-Pereña Sofía Espinasa-Diamant Ruth Diamant Gregory H. McDonald José Antonio Soriano Luis Espinasa |
| author_sort | Ramón Espinasa-Pereña |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The Calera cave system in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with a large Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage is described. Hundreds of fossil bones have been found throughout the 1324 m of mapped galleries. The fossils are well preserved resulting from partial permineralization by manganese oxide. A preliminary taxonomic identification of the recovered specimens indicates Equus sp. is the most abundant taxon. Other groups include mammoths, gomphotheres, cervids, bovids, camelids, sloths, glyptodonts, felids, canids, lagomorphs, and testudines. It has been estimated that the cave would have started to form between 1.17 and 0.29 Ma. Since the fossils are found on top of or form part of the fluvial sedimentary deposits inside the cave passages, fossil deposition is much younger and probably occurred during the latest stage of cave formation and the fauna represents a time-averaged accumulation. A few specimens are covered with secondary calcite incrustations. The locality described in this study stands out because it contains one of the largest Pleistocene megafaunal assemblages of the region.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af0d9f515ef4468d91ce4841008f6d9f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1026-8774 2007-2902 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas |
| spelling | doaj-art-af0d9f515ef4468d91ce4841008f6d9f2025-08-20T02:22:54ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas1026-87742007-29022024-12-0141310.22201/igc.20072902e.2024.3.1828Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, MexicoRamón Espinasa-Pereña0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3619-3954Sofía Espinasa-Diamant1Ruth Diamant2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0321-3146Gregory H. McDonald3José Antonio Soriano4Luis Espinasa5Sociedad Mexicana de Exploraciones Subterráneas, Ingenieros No. 29, Col. Escandón, Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo. 11800, Mexico City, Mexico.Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacioal Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.Laboratorio de Óptica Cuántica, Depto. de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Leyes de Reforma 1ra Secc, Iztapalapa, 09340, Mexico City, Mexico.3309 Snowbrush Court, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States of AmericaSociedad Mexicana de Exploraciones Subterráneas, Ingenieros No. 29, Col. Escandón, Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo. 11800, Mexico City, Mexico.School of Science, Marist College, 3399 North Rd, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America. The Calera cave system in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with a large Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage is described. Hundreds of fossil bones have been found throughout the 1324 m of mapped galleries. The fossils are well preserved resulting from partial permineralization by manganese oxide. A preliminary taxonomic identification of the recovered specimens indicates Equus sp. is the most abundant taxon. Other groups include mammoths, gomphotheres, cervids, bovids, camelids, sloths, glyptodonts, felids, canids, lagomorphs, and testudines. It has been estimated that the cave would have started to form between 1.17 and 0.29 Ma. Since the fossils are found on top of or form part of the fluvial sedimentary deposits inside the cave passages, fossil deposition is much younger and probably occurred during the latest stage of cave formation and the fauna represents a time-averaged accumulation. A few specimens are covered with secondary calcite incrustations. The locality described in this study stands out because it contains one of the largest Pleistocene megafaunal assemblages of the region. https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/1828fossilmegafaunacaveequidmammothgomphothere |
| spellingShingle | Ramón Espinasa-Pereña Sofía Espinasa-Diamant Ruth Diamant Gregory H. McDonald José Antonio Soriano Luis Espinasa Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas fossil megafauna cave equid mammoth gomphothere |
| title | Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| title_full | Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| title_short | Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| title_sort | discovery of a pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in sierra de el abra san luis potosi mexico |
| topic | fossil megafauna cave equid mammoth gomphothere |
| url | https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/1828 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ramonespinasaperena discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico AT sofiaespinasadiamant discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico AT ruthdiamant discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico AT gregoryhmcdonald discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico AT joseantoniosoriano discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico AT luisespinasa discoveryofapleistocenemegafaunalassemblageinacaveinsierradeelabrasanluispotosimexico |