LATE PLEISTOCENE PINE MARTEN (MARTES; MUSTELIDAE) FROM THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

Abstract

Two species of pine martens (Mustelidae, Martes americana, M. caurina) inhabit northern North America, with both species overlapping their distributions in the northwest of the USA and Canada. One extinct form (M. nobilis), larger than extant species, is known predominantly from Late Pleistocene cave deposits in the Intermountain West. Here we report on the skeletal remains of pine marten recovered from 2 caves in Wind Cave National Park, Black Hills, southwestern South Dakota. Only introduced marten populations occur in the region today, highlighting the significance of the records for understanding the biotic history of the region. One complete skeleton of Martes recovered from Wind Cave radiocarbon dates to approximately 11,100 calibrated years BP, whereas the other fossil remains from the nearby Persistence Cave date to between 12,000 and 42,000 y old based on associated 14C dates. These remains represent the 1st fossil record of Martes from the Black Hills. Both forms of recovered pine martens, characterizing extinct and extant morphologies, were recovered in the caves but as yet are not understood to be sympatric in the local community.