Abstract
Three species of rabbits are identified among fossil specimens from Friesenhahn Cave, Bexar Co. (late Pleistocene deposits): Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen), S. auduboni (Baird), and Lepus californicus Gray. The fossil S. floridanus are compared with Recent examples of the same species. In three of four lower-jaw characters the fossil rabbits proved to be significantly larger than representatives of the same species now occurring in the area. Much of our knowledge of North American Pleistocene vertebrate faunas is derived from the study of various cave deposits. The Friesenhahn Cave, in Bexar County, Texas, has proved to be a rich source of these materials. Fossils referable to the genus Perognathus from this site have been studied by Kennerly (1956). Milstead (1956) investigated the fossil turtles from this deposit. Both of these authors describe the physical features of the cave. Parelephas, Dinobastis, Mammut americana, Aenocyon, Bison and numerous smaller forms have been found in abundance at this site. From our present knowledge of the fauna this deposit should be referred to one or more stages of the Wisconsin of the late Pleistocene period. Hay (1921) referred several fragments collected at this site to the genus Sylvilagus, but did not designate the species. Until the present, no subsequent attempts have been made to establish the identity of these rabbits. Based upon comparisons with recent forms, three species of lagomorphs taken from this deposit are distinguishable among specimens in the Texas Memorial Museum Collection. They are Lepus californicus, Sylvilagus floridanus, and S. auduboni. METHODS AND MATERIALS All of the lagomorph fossils were obtained from zones three and four (see either Kennerly, 1956; or Milstead, 1956). Follansbee's (unpublished) work on the pocket gophers and other evidence suggests very strongly that zone four is comprised of re-worked materials from This content downloaded from 157.55.39.102 on Mon, 03 Oct 2016 05:46:28 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
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