Harper County Research Articles

A winter outbreak of anaplasmosis in a nonendemic area of Oklahoma: a possible role for Dermacentor albipictus.

Anaplasmosis is endemic in cattle in several areas of the USA, including eastern and central Oklahoma. This rickettsia-induced hemolytic disease caused by Anaplasma marginale commonly occurs during warm months when arthropod vectors, both biological (ticks) and mechanical (biting flies), are abundant. Mechanical transmission by blood-contaminated fomites can occur any time of the year when infected reservoir hosts are present. In January 1995, clinical anaplasmosis was confirmed in a group of 117 cattle in a pasture (unit A) of a larger herd in western Oklahoma (Harper County). A cluster of 5 animals had signs of severe disease within a 2-week period. Each of the affected cattle was treated and recovered. The outbreak was surprising because January is not the usual season for vector activity in Oklahoma and neither clinical anaplasmosis nor seropositivity to the complement fixation (CF) test occur with frequency in cattle from western Oklahoma, even during vector season. The problem was investigated further because of the unusual occurrence of the outbreak and especially because the cattle were infested with the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus. The role of D. albipictus in transmission of anaplasmosis has not been well documented, especially in Oklahoma. An on-site investigation was conducted on February 1, 1995, 12 days after the first cow was observed to be ill. The herd was observed generally, and several animals were examined carefully. Clotted and unclotted blood samples were collected from 9 cows: 8 randomly selected and 1 known to have had anaplasmosis. Winter ticks (partially engorged nymphs and adults) were collected from all 9 animals. Extensive inquiry into management eventually revealed that the owner had used a nondisinfected saw to dehorn an unspecified number of animals on December 10, 1994, approximately 35 days prior to the onset of clinical anaplasmosis. Thus, the outbreak appears to have resulted from the owner’s dehorning procedure. The tight cluster of cases of disease that occurred soon after surgery suggests exposure to a common source of infection, most likely a reasonably highly parasitemic carrier. Six of the 9 cattle from which blood samples were collected were seronegative by the CF test for A. marginale, 1 was a suspect (< 1:5), and 2 were reactors (Table 1). Reactors included the 1 cow known to have been clinically affected. Randomly selected ticks collected from the 9 cows were split in half with a sharp razor blade; salivary gland from

The Waugh Site: a Folsom-Age Bison Bonebed in Northwestern Oklahoma

The Waugh site (34HP42) was discovered in January, 1991 in Harper County, Oklahoma as a concentration of bison bones eroding from a stream margin. A Folsom projectile pointwasfoundwith the bones. Professional excavation began in 1991 and continued in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, testing 100m to the south of the bone bed revealed a hearth feature which provided two radiocarbon dates of ca. 10,390 years BP. This paper summarizes the data collectedfrom the faunal remains pertaining to minimum number of individuals, skeletal element frequency, sex composition, and site formation processes.

Distribution and Status of Strecker's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri streckeri) in Kansas

Distribution and Status of Strecker's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri streckeri) in Kansas

New Locality Records for Some Kansas Fishes, with Notes on the Habitat of the Arkansas Darter (Etheostoma cragini)

New Locality Records for Some Kansas Fishes, with Notes on the Habitat of the Arkansas Darter (Etheostoma cragini)

New Herpetological Records from Kansas

The second known breeding site in Kansas of Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis (Wolterstorff) is recorded from Cherokee County; Pseudacris s. streckeri Wright and Wright, captured in Harper County is a new state record for this chorus frog; an adult male Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris Bocourt, taken in Clark County represents the eighth known occurrence of this skink in Kansas, and is an extension of range; an unusual aggregation of the New Mexican blind snake, Leptotyphlops dulcis dissecta Cope, os reported from Clark Countyp and the third authenicated record of the western cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma Troost is represented by an adult male taken in Montgomery County. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., Vol. 81:1. Extensive field work by various researchers in Kansas in 1977 resulted in several new herpetological discoveries for the state. Some of the more notable records are reported with comments as follows: Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis (Wolterstorff) On 21 July 1977 four larval central newts (KU 174691) and one eft-stage subadult were collected at a small farm pond 7.2 km S and 1.4 km E of Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas by Jan P. Caldwell (formerly of the State Biological Survey of Kansas). A more detailed habitat description of the collection site is found in another paper by one of us (Rundquist, 1977). These records establish the second known breeding site for N. v. louisianensis in the state, and the second locality in Cherokee County (Ashton, 1974). Pseudacris s. streckeri Wright and Wright Two specimens of Strecker's chorus frog (KU 174370-371) (Fig. 1) were taken at 2 km W and 0.9 km S of Anthony, Harper County, Kansas, on 30 April 1977 by three of us (ES, DG, and PG) and Ed Byrne. The specimens were taken from a breeding chorus at a small pond near Bluff Creek. Additional information on the collection is offered by Stegall (1977). Additional field work by EMR, Kelly Irwin, and Richard Plumlee

A Human Skeleton From The Anthony Site, 14Hp1, Harper County, Kansas

Measurements, indices and selected non-metric observations are presented for an adult female, the only human skeletal material recovered from the 1959-60 excavation of the Anthony Site, 14HP1. Comp...

STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF A LATE PLEISTOCENE BASIN, HARPER COUNTY, OKLAHOMA

Pleistocene (Illinoian) lake deposits are exposed in the Doby Springs area, Harper County, Oklahoma. The collapse basin in which these beds were deposited resulted from solution of salt or anhydrite in the underlying Permian strata. The rim of the basin is made up of the Permian Whitehorse group, the Pliocene Ogallala formation, and the Pleistocene (Kansan to Yarmouth) Crooked Creek formation. In Kansan time a southeastward-flowing stream cut through the Ogallala formation into the Permian strata. This stream deposited the gravels, sands, and silts of the Crooked Creek formation in its valley. During Yarmouth time a caliche formed in the top of the formation. In Illinoian time a collapse basin formed in the Doby Springs area. Lake sediments containing the Doby Springs local fauna were deposited in this basin. Settling and collapse along the southern edge imparted the present dip to the lake beds. In Sangamon time the area was drained, and a caliche formed in the upper part of the lake sediments; later, further collapse occurred to the north and imparted the northward dip to the northern part of the initial basin deposits. The present outward radial drainage results from the collapse on the margins of the initial basin. The alluvial deposits along the modern streams are of Wisconsin and Recent age. The Doby Springs local fauna contained in the Illinoian lake deposits consists of the remains of ostracods, mollusks, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The seven fishes (white sucker, creek chub, flathead chub, fathead minnow, black bullhead, green sunfish, and yellow perch) indicate a cool, upstream, lake environment with smaller streams running into the lake. Twenty-four forms of mammals from the Doby Springs local fauna are discussed, and a new species of the mammalian genus, Peromyscus, is described. The following extant small mammals indicate a marsh environment with surrounding lowland meadows and some trees: arctic shrew, masked shrew, northern water shrew, shorttail shrew, muskrat, meadow vole, and jumping mouse. The climate in the area is determined by plotting the present-day distribution of the living forms and arriving at an area of overlap. This area of overlap for the species recorded in the Doby Springs local fauna lies in southeastern North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota. The climate in Oklahoma during Illinoian time was probably similar to that in the area of overlap today. Lower summer temperatures and more effective moisture are indicated. The Doby Springs local fauna is correlated with the Berends local fauna, Beaver County, Oklahoma, and the Butler Spring local fauna, Meade County, Kansas.

Developments in Oklahoma in 1958

Exploratory drilling increased 14.4% in Oklahoma during 1958 with 24.3% success; development drilling decreased 2.3% with 67.9% success. Significant new-field discoveries include the East Goodwin of Ellis County, the North Buffalo of Harper County, the Northeast Cheyenne Valley of Major County, the North Dover of Kingfisher County, and the West Enville of Love County. Close-in outpost drilling, coupled with high-resolution structural and stratigraphic investigations, led to the unusually high exploratory success ratio. This, in turn, has encouraged additional leasing until an all-time high of approximately 60% of the state is under lease. Seismic activity decreased slightly as compared with previous years. Secondary recovery and production from unallocated stripper oil fields continue to account for more than half the oil production in the state.

Morrow Formation of Northwestern Oklahoma: ABSTRACT

Morrow sediments occupy the northwestern Anadarko basin-Hugoton embayment area southwest of a northwest-southeast diagonal line extending from north-central Harper County to the southeastern corner of Dewey County. More than 1,400 feet of Morrow has been encountered in a deep well in southern Ellis County. The formation thins to zero, due to transgressive overlap northeast. Very few of the wells that drilled the entire Morrow section have failed to encounter shows. Production now extends along a 60-mile trend. Both oil and gas have been found. At present it is felt that the gas reserves are by far the more important. Maps and cross sections illustrate the structure, distribution and thickness of the Morrow formation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 214------------

On a Stony Meteorite from Anthony, Harper County, Kansas, and a Recently Found Meteoric Iron from Mejillones, Chile

On a Stony Meteorite from Anthony, Harper County, Kansas, and a Recently Found Meteoric Iron from Mejillones, Chile