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Description
ABSTRACT
Fossil vertebrae of an amphiumid salamander (Amphiuma sp.) are reported from a late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean NALMA) site of coastal Georgia. A suite of vertebral characters that identify the fossils to Amphiuma is given, as well as illustrations of important vertebral characters that distinguish the genus from sirenid salamanders. The presence of Amphiuma in the paleofauna indicates an aquatic habitat was present during the time of deposition.
Keywords: Amphiuma, Pleistocene, coastal Georgia.
INTRODUCTION
The Clark Quarry local fauna of Glynn County, coastal Georgia, has yielded a diverse Pleistocene (Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age [hereafter NALMA]) vertebrate fauna (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Recent radiocarbon ([.sup.14.C]) dating of bison (Bison latifrons) bone collected at the fossil site yielded an age of 12,350 [+ or -] 70 YBP for the fauna (6). Although the locality is best known for its megafauna, important microfossils have recently been discovered by screen washing in situ sediments from the site. These efforts have yielded fossils of small vertebrates including amphibians, reptiles, and rodents. Here we describe two relatively well-preserved Amphiuma vertebrae from the site, and illustrate and discuss vertebral characters and structures that clearly separate this taxon from those of the other North American aquatic eel-like salamanders of the family Sirenidae. We also discuss problems with the identification of isolated Amphiuma vertebrae to the species level. In these discussions we follow the vertebral terminology of Gardner (7). Institutional abbreviations include GCVP, Georgia College and State University Vertebrate Paleontology Collections; GC-H, Georgia College and State University Recent Herpetological Skeletal Collections.
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY
Class Amphibia Linnaeus, 1758
Order Caudata Scopoli, 1777
Family Amphiumidae Gray, 1825
Genus Amphiuma Garden, 1821
Amphiuma sp. indet.
Fossil History of Amphiuma -- Although the fossil record of the paedomorphic salamander genus Amphiuma is limited, it dates back to the late Paleocene (8),... |
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