The Pleistocene of North America by Oliver P Hay PDF
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Project Gutenberg's The Pleistocene of North America, by Oliver P. Hay This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Pleistocene of North America and its vertebrated animals from the states east of the Mississippi River and from the Canadian provinces east of longitude 95° Author: Oliver P. Hay Release Date: April 6, 2020 [EBook #61765] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA *** Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) THE PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA AND ITS VERTEBRATED ANIMALS FROM THE STATES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND FROM THE CANADIAN PROVINCES EAST OF LONGITUDE 95°. BY OLIVER P. HAY Associate of the Carnegie Institution of Washington Published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, February, 1923 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON Publication No. 322 TECHNICAL PRESS WASHINGTON, D. C. CONTENTS PAGE Preface VII–VIII Conclusions regarding the divisions of the Pleistocene 1–15 Limits of the Pleistocene 1 The Blanco Pliocene 1 Divisions of the Pleistocene 2 Elevation of Continent 3 Connections of North America with South America and Asia 3 Sources of vertebrates 4 Richness of Pleistocene life 4 Evolution during the Pleistocene 5 Extinction of species 6 The earliest Pleistocene, the Nebraskan 7 The Aftonian interglacial 10 The Yarmouth interglacial 12 The Illinois glacial 12 The Sangamon interglacial 12 The Peorian interglacial 13 The Wisconsin and the Wabash beds 13 Coastal Plain terraces 13 Conspectus of Geology and Vertebrate Palæontology of the Pleistocene 14–15 Finds of Pleistocene cetaceans in eastern North America 17–20 Ontario 17 Quebec 18 Vermont 19 New Brunswick 19 North Carolina 20 South Carolina 20 Florida 20 Finds of Pleistocene Pinnipedia in eastern North America 21–30 Grinnell Land 21 Nova Scotia 21 New Brunswick 21 Quebec 21 Ontario 23 Maine 23 New Hampshire 25 Massachusetts 25 New Jersey 26 Virginia 28 North Carolina 29 South Carolina 29 Finds of Pleistocene Xenarthra in eastern North America 31–44 New Jersey 31 Pennsylvania 31 Ohio 31 Indiana 32 Illinois 33 Virginia 34 West Virginia 34 South Carolina 35 Georgia 36 Florida 37 Alabama 40 Mississippi 40 Tennessee 41 Kentucky 43 III Finds of mastodons in eastern North America 45–128 Ontario 45 Cape Breton Island 46 Massachusetts 47 Connecticut 47 New York 48 New Jersey 63 Pennsylvania 68 Ohio 70 Michigan 80 Indiana 88 Illinois 100 Wisconsin 110 Maryland 112 Virginia 113 West Virginia 115 North Carolina 115 South Carolina 118 Georgia 120 Florida 121 Alabama 124 Mississippi 124 Tennessee 127 Kentucky 128 Finds of Elephas primigenius in eastern North America 130–146 Ontario 130 New York 131 New Jersey 132 Pennsylvania 133 Ohio 134 Michigan 137 Indiana 138 Illinois 140 Wisconsin 143 Maryland 144 Virginia 145 North Carolina 145 Florida 145 Tennessee 146 Kentucky 146 Finds of Elephas columbi in eastern North America 147–161 Ontario 147 Vermont 148 New York 149 New Jersey 149 Pennsylvania 150 Ohio 150 Michigan 151 Indiana 151 Illinois 152 Maryland 154 North Carolina 155 South Carolina 155 Georgia 157 Florida 157 Kentucky 160 Finds of Elephas imperator in eastern North America 162–164 South Carolina 162 Florida 162 Alabama 164 Finds of Elephas sp. indet. in eastern North America 166–182 Ungava 166 Ontario 166 Vermont 167 New York 167 Pennsylvania 168 Ohio 168 Michigan 171 Indiana 171 Illinois 175 Wisconsin 178 Maryland and District of Columbia 178 Virginia 178 West Virginia 179 North Carolina 179 Florida 179 Mississippi 180 Tennessee 181 Kentucky 181 Finds of Equidæ in eastern North America 183–202 Massachusetts 183 New York 183 New Jersey 184 Pennsylvania 184 Ohio 185 Indiana 186 Illinois 187 Maryland and District of Columbia 188 Virginia 189 West Virginia 190 North Carolina 190 South Carolina 191 Georgia 193 Florida 194 Alabama 200 Mississippi 200 Tennessee 201 Kentucky 202 Finds of tapirs in eastern North America 203–210 Pennsylvania 203 Ohio 203 Indiana 203 Maryland 204 Virginia 204 South Carolina 204 Georgia 206 Florida 206 Mississippi 208 Tennessee 209 Kentucky 209 Rhinoceroses in Florida 211 Finds of peccaries in eastern North America 212–223 New York 212 New Jersey 213 Pennsylvania 213 Ohio 214 Michigan 215 Indiana 216 Illinois 218 Wisconsin 219 Maryland 220 IV Virginia 221 West Virginia 221 South Carolina 221 Florida 222 Tennessee 222 Kentucky 223 Finds of camels in eastern North America 224–225 Pennsylvania 224 Florida 224 Tennessee 225 Finds of Odocoileus in eastern North America 226–234 Ontario 226 New York 226 New Jersey 226 Pennsylvania 227 Ohio 227 Michigan 227 Indiana 228 Illinois 229 Wisconsin 230 Maryland 230 Virginia 231 West Virginia 231 North Carolina 231 South Carolina 231 Florida 232 Mississippi 233 Tennessee 234 Kentucky 234 Finds of Cervus canadensis in eastern North America 235–243 Ontario 235 Vermont 235 New York 235 New Jersey 237 Pennsylvania 237 Michigan 237 Indiana 238 Illinois 239 Wisconsin 240 Maryland 242 North Carolina 242 South Carolina 242 Georgia 243 Florida 243 Tennessee 243 Kentucky 243 Finds of Rangifer in the Pleistocene of eastern North America 244–247 Grinnell Land 244 Ontario 244 Vermont 244 Connecticut 244 New York 245 New Jersey 245 Pennsylvania 246 Illinois 246 Wisconsin 247 Kentucky 247 Finds of musk-oxen in eastern North America 248–255 Grinnell Land 248 New Jersey 248 Pennsylvania 248 Ohio 249 Michigan 250 Indiana 251 Illinois 253 West Virginia 254 Mississippi 254 Kentucky 255 Finds of extinct bisons in eastern North America 256–265 Ontario 256 Pennsylvania 256 Ohio 257 Indiana 257 Illinois 259 Wisconsin 259 Maryland 259 Virginia 259 South Carolina 260 Georgia 261 Florida 262 Alabama 264 Mississippi 264 Kentucky 265 Finds of Bison bison in eastern North America 266–271 Ontario 266 Massachusetts 266 New York 266 New Jersey 267 Pennsylvania 267 Indiana 268 Illinois 268 Wisconsin 270 Kentucky 270 Finds of Castoroides in eastern United States 272–280 New York 272 Pennsylvania 272 Ohio 273 Michigan 275 Indiana 276 Illinois 278 South Carolina 279 Georgia 280 Mississippi 280 Tennessee 280 Pleistocene Geology of eastern North America and its fossil vertebrates 281–406 Ontario 281 Quebec 288 New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island 289 New England 290 New York 294 New Jersey 299 Pennsylvania 306 Ohio 324 Michigan 330 Indiana 331 Illinois 334 Wisconsin 340 Maryland and District of Columbia 344 Virginia 351 West Virginia 354 V North Carolina 355 South Carolina 361 Georgia 368 Florida 372 Alabama 384 Mississippi 385 Tennessee 393 Kentucky 400 ILLUSTRATIONS Plates. Map 1. Pleistocene cetaceans in eastern North America. 2. Pleistocene Pinnipedia in eastern North America. 3. Pleistocene Xenarthra in eastern North America. 4. Pleistocene Xenarthra in Florida. 5. Pleistocene mastodons in eastern North America. 6. Eastern New York, western Massachusetts, and Connecticut, showing relation of mastodon localities to areas of sea-level in Late Wisconsin. 6A. Pleistocene mastodons in New Jersey. 7. Pleistocene mastodons in Ohio. 8. Pleistocene mastodons in Michigan. 9. Pleistocene mastodons in Indiana. 10. Pleistocene mastodons in Florida. 11. Elephas primigenius in eastern North America. 12. Elephas columbi in eastern North America. 13. Elephas columbi in Florida. 14. Elephas imperator in southeastern United States. 15. Elephas imperator in Florida. 16. Elephas sp. indet. in eastern North America. 17. Pleistocene horses in eastern North America. 18. Pleistocene horses in Florida. 19. Pleistocene tapirs in eastern North America. 20. Pleistocene peccaries in eastern North America. 21. Pleistocene camels in eastern North America. 22. Pleistocene species of Odocoileus in eastern North America. 23. Cervus canadensis in Pleistocene of eastern North America. 24. Rangifer in Pleistocene of eastern North America. 25. Pleistocene musk-oxen in eastern North America. 26. Extinct bisons in Pleistocene of eastern North America. 27. Bison bison in Pleistocene of eastern North America. 28. Castoroides in eastern North America. 29. Castoroides in Ohio. 30. Castoroides in Indiana. 31. Areas in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont occupied by water at sea-level in Late Wisconsin stage. 32. Isobases of Late Glacial uplift. 33. J. W. Spencer’s view of preglacial drainage of the region of the Great Lakes. 34. Wisconsin glacier in New York, lakes Newberry and Maumee, and localities of mastodons. 35. Glacial map of Ohio. 36. Distribution of Pleistocene mammals in Ohio. 37. Glacial map of Indiana. 38. Glacial map of Illinois. Shows also localities of Pleistocene vertebrates. 39. Coastal plain of North Carolina, with localities of Pleistocene animals and plants. 40. Sketch map of Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia. 41. Bigbone Lick and vicinity. Text-figures. Fig. 1. Geological section of Twin Creek, near Beecher, Will Co., Illinois 108 2. Section across gully at Whitehall, Wisconsin 242 3. Region about Toronto, Ontario 282 4. Eastern Ontario, showing limit of marine and fresh-water beaches 286 5. South shore-line of the Champlain sea 287 6. Preglacial drainage of the Upper Ohio 293 7. Geologic section of Fish House beds at Camden, New Jersey 302 VI 8. Vicinity of Trenton, New Jersey, showing distribution of the Trenton gravels 305 9. Geologic sections at Trenton, New Jersey 305 10. Northern Pennsylvania, showing glaciated areas 309 11. Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of first exploration, 1871 318 12. Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of last exploration, 1896 318 13. Metatarsal of Ovis sp. indet., from Kendall Co., Illinois 338 14. Relation of the driftless area to the surrounding glaciated areas 342 15. Diagram showing the supposed terraces of the Maryland coastal plain 345 16. Section across Potomac River near Big Pool, Maryland, showing gravel-covered terraces 347 17. Generalized section across Allegheny Valley at Parkers Landing, W. Va. 349 18. Tooth of Hydrochoerus pinckneyi 365 19. Jaw and tooth of a wolf from Charleston, South Carolina 366 20. Coastal plain of Georgia 369 21. Geologic section from north to south through the phosphate deposits of Florida 377 22. Geological map of Mississippi embayment 388 23. County map of Tennessee, to show where Pleistocene fossils have been found 395 24. Vertical section of Bigbone Cave, Elroy, Van Buren Co., Tennessee 398 25. Section on bank of Tennessee River at Nashville 400 PREFACE. The writer has been engaged for several years on an investigation of the Pleistocene geology of North America and of the Vertebrata which have been discovered in the deposits of this epoch. It had been his expectation to publish the results of all his studies at the same date. However, on consultation with Dr. John C. Merriam, it was agreed that it would be better to publish immediately that part which pertains to the region lying east of the Mississippi River and, as to the country further north, that east of longitude 95°. At the outset the writer was convinced that, before just conclusions could be reached, it was necessary to know what fossil materials had been collected and under what geological and geographical conditions. He therefore made as thorough a search as possible of the literature for reports of discoveries of fossil vertebrates. Also, when in scientific journals or in newspapers the finding of fossils was recorded, recourse was had to correspondence, thus securing much exact information as to locality, kind of matrix, depth, and other important data. Often photographs have been obtained and even the materials themselves. The writer has also visited many museums and colleges throughout the country and examined their collections. Even in the smaller institutions, where perhaps only a few objects have been secured and preserved, some of these have furnished important information. Regret may be expressed that in the larger museums and colleges, as well as the smaller ones, too often there have been preserved only meager or no records regarding the history of what would otherwise be valuable specimens. In order to show the geographical distribution of the most important species that occur in considerable numbers, a series of maps has been prepared, pertaining to the following: Whales and porpoises. Seals and walruses. The edentates. Elephas primigenius. E. columbi. E. imperator. E. species undetermined. Mastodons, mostly Mammut. Horses, mostly Equus. Tapirs. Peccaries. Camels. Odocoileus. Cervus. Rangifer. Musk-oxen. Bisons, extinct. Bison bison. Giant beavers. Where the map of a State has become too crowded with numerals, a special map of that State for that species or genus has been prepared. There are maps of the edentates in Florida; mastodons of Indiana, of New York, of Ohio, of Michigan, of Florida; Elephas columbi in Florida; Elephas imperator in Florida; horses in Florida. Other maps and figures for illustration of the Pleistocene geology will be found in their proper places. The first part of the present volume is occupied by a consideration of the specimens recorded on the maps. Such information is noted as could be secured, often satisfactory, little enough sometimes; but it has been found that one can not foresee what important information a given fossil may furnish. At least, the presence of the fossil at a locality indicates the existence there of Pleistocene deposits of some kind. In cases where other species have been associated with the one mapped and described, VII VIII these are noted. When the consideration of these mapped species and genera is completed, the Pleistocene geology of the various States and provinces is taken up, so far as it is related to the vertebrate palæontology. This involved an examination of much of the literature of the Glacial period; and here one soon finds himself in face of huge tomes and endless articles and detailed maps. Only somewhat less in amount is the literature of the States beyond the glaciated area. The opportunity to misunderstand and to commit errors is unlimited, and the writer can only hope for lenient criticism. An attempt has been made in the case of all vertebrate fossils to determine their geological relations and to derive some general conclusions regarding the history of our Pleistocene vertebrates and their relation to the divisions of the Pleistocene epoch. The conclusions reached are embodied in the immediately succeeding pages. Not much attention has been given to the fossil invertebrates and plants. It is evident that neither the mollusks nor the plants have undergone any considerable change during Pleistocene times and are therefore not available as indicators of geological stages, though often useful for determining local climatic conditions. Their value can be better utilized by the palæomalacologists and palæobotanists. To the officers of museums and colleges and to the private individuals who have so freely offered the use of their materials and in other ways aided the writer, he takes pleasure in expressing his sincere thanks. Most of all, however, he is indebted to the Carnegie Institution of Washington for the generous support extended during the years of this investigation. June 1, 1922. Oliver P. Hay. THE PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA AND ITS VERTEBRATED ANIMALS. CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE DIVISIONS OF THE PLEISTOCENE. I. LIMITS OF THE PLEISTOCENE. The Pleistocene is regarded as being equivalent to what is known as the Glacial period. It began with the deployment of the ice-sheets which, proceeding from their centers of accumulation in British America, laid down in the East the Jerseyan drift and in the West the Nebraskan. The more the Glacial period is studied the more one becomes impressed with the significance of its physical effects on the northern hemisphere and with its influence on the vertebrate life. Doubtless its effects on the world in general are only beginning to be comprehended. The writer knows of no other phenomena, geological or biological, which so well characterize the Pleistocene period as do those comprehended under the term Glacial. They constitute the key to the determination of the subdivisions of the epoch and of their succession and to the history of the vertebrates which during this time occupied the continent. 1
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