Late Pleistocene fauna from Zesch Cave, Mason County, Texas

Abstract

The Zesch Cave local fauna is one of the most diverse fossil vertebrate localities from central Texas, and one of the only three sites on the Edwards Plateau juxtaposed to the Llano Uplift. At least 70 vertebrate taxa are identified in this local fauna including fish, four lissamphibians, six sauropsids, eight birds, and fifty-one mammal species. A largely granitic structural dome, the Llano uplift differs from the rest of the predominantly carbonate Edwards Plateau in geology, soils and ecology. This is reflected in the Zesch Cave local fauna as well, which has greater similarity to high plains faunas than those recorded 80 km or more to the south. Notably, this local fauna contains the first record of Sorex hoyi (pygmy shrew) and Pica pica (magpie) from central Texas, which indicates similarity or connection with a Rocky Mountain fauna. The Zesch Cave vertebrates provide a more complete picture of faunal zones as they existed in the Rancholabrean.