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Paleobiogeographic Changes at the Pleistocene–Holocene Boundary near Pintwater Cave, Southern Nevada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Bryan Scott Hockett
Bryan Scott Hockett*
Affiliation:
Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada, 89801
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Abstract

In 1996, approximately 70,000 mammal and lizard bones were recovered from Pintwater Cave in the northern Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. These bones date between 32,000 and 7350 14C yr B.P. Between 32,000 and 10,100 14C yr B.P. the local fauna consisted of a mix of xeric- and cool/mesic-adapted species. Ochotona princeps and Thomomys talpoides then occupied the region, although these animals were extirpated by the onset of the middle Holocene. Sauromalus obesus and Dipodomys deserti probably migrated to the region during the latest Pleistocene. Dipsosaurus dorsalis entered the Pintwater Cave record after 8000 14C yr B.P. Consistent with climatic interpretations for the northern Great Basin, these data suggest a cool and moist latest Pleistocene climate for the northern Mojave Desert. In contrast to the northern Great Basin, however, this region experienced predictable summer precipitation coupled with increasingly warmer winters by 10,100 14C yr B.P. In both regions, the warm middle Holocene began ca. 8300 14C yr B.P. However, whereas the northern Great Basin probably experienced warm and dry conditions at that time, the northern Mojave Desert remained warm with relatively predictable summer precipitation. The modern northern Mojave Desert biota probably was not established until after 8300 14C yr B.P.

Keywords

paleobiogeographyPleistocenemammalslizardsMojave Desert
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 53 , Issue 2 , March 2000 , pp. 263 - 269
Copyright
University of Washington

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