Iron Canyon Site
Encyclopedia
The Iron Canyon Site is a Miocene
assemblage of vertebrate
fossils located in Kern County
, California
within the Dove Spring Formation dating from ~23.03—5.33 Ma.
Rhinocerotidae
Equidae
Amphicyonidae
Canidae
Artiodactyla
Lipotyphla
Lagomorpha
Rodentia
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
assemblage of vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
fossils located in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
within the Dove Spring Formation dating from ~23.03—5.33 Ma.
Specimens located
Proboscidea (Gomphotheriidae)- GomphotheriumGomphotheriumGomphotherium is an extinct genus of proboscid which evolved in the Early Miocene of North America from 13.650—3.6 Ma, living about .The genus emigrated into Asia, Europe and Africa after a drop in sea level allowed them to cross over...
Rhinocerotidae
- PeracerasPeracerasPeraceras is an extinct genus of rhinoceros endemic to North America during the Miocene, living from 20.6—10.3 mya and existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Peraceras was named by Cope . Its type is Peraceras superciliosum...
- SerbelodonSerbelodonSerbelodon is an extinct genus of African and European Proboscidean. It was a gomphothere "shovel-tusker." It had tusks and a trunk. It lived during the Miocene Epoch, and may have evolved from Amebelodon....
S. burnhami
Equidae
- DinohippusDinohippusDinohippus , is an extinct herbivorous mammal belonging to the tribe Equini, subfamily Equinae, which was endemic to North America from the late Hemphillian stage of the Miocene through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene and in existence for approximately .-Taxonomy:Dinohippus was named by Quinn...
- PliohippusPliohippusPliohippus is an extinct genus of Equidae, the "horse family". Pliohippus arose in the middle Miocene, around 12 million years ago, probably from Calippus. It was similar in appearance to Equus, but had two long extra toes on both sides of the hoof, externally barely visible as callused stubs...
P. tantalus - MegahippusMegahippusMegahippus is an extinct equid genus belonging to the subfamily Anchitheriinae. As with other members of this subfamily, Megahippus is more primitive than the living horses. Fossil remains of Megahippus have been found across the U.S., from Montana to Florida.-References:* *...
M. matthewi
Amphicyonidae
- IschyrocyonIschyrocyonIschyrocyon is an extinct genus of large, mostly carnivorous mammals known as bear dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae, subfamily Amphicyoninae, which inhabited North America during the Miocene living from ~16.3—10.3 Ma and existed for approximately .-Taxonomy:Ischyrocyon was named by Matthew and...
I. mohavensis
Canidae
- EpicyonEpicyonEpicyon is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae , native to North America. It lived from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene to the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene Epicyon ("near dog") is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"),...
E. saevus
Artiodactyla
- Alluvisorex A. chasseae
- Paracosoryx P. furlongi
- MerychyusMerychyusMerychyus is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivore of the family Merycoidodontidae , endemic to North America during the Oligocene-Pliocene subepochs existing for approximately ....
Lipotyphla
- Limnoecus
- ErinaceidaeErinaceidaeErinaceidae is the only living family in the order Erinaceomorpha, which has recently been subsumed with Soricomorpha into the order Eulipotyphla...
Lagomorpha
- Hesperolagomys
Rodentia
- Thomomys
- Cupidinimus C. avawatzensis, C. tertius
- PerognathusPerognathusPerognathus is a genus of pocket mouse. Like other members of their family they are more closely related to pocket gophers than to true mice.-Characteristics:...
P. minutus - Geomyidae
- Eucastor
- Copemys C. dentalis, C. longidens, C. russelli