Late Quaternary cave excavation and specimen recovery (Cricetidae)

Knowledge graph centered on Late Quaternary cave excavation and specimen recovery (Cricetidae) with 32 nodes and 111 connections. Top connected: Marmota flaviventris, Spruce, small mammals, woody stems, browse.

Method synopsis

Systematic excavation of limestone cave deposits containing mammalian fossils spanning the late Quaternary. Involves stratigraphic excavation in controlled levels with radiocarbon dating for chronological control.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 1 paper using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Stable isotopes reflect the ecological stability of two high-elevation mammals from the late Quaternary of Colorado (2012), Quaternary Research. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Fossil specimen collection and identification
   Mammalian fossils were collected from Cement Creek Cave through excavations conducted in 1998 and 2007. A 1×1.5m pit was excavated to a depth of 2.2m below the surface, consisting of fifty 5-cm levels. Specimens from 40 cave levels spanning >45,000 years were analyzed, with radiocarbon dates obtained from cave levels using AMS facility procedures.
   Quantities: 40 cave levels analyzed, pit dimensions 1×1.5m, depth 2.2m, fifty 5-cm thick levelsDuration: Excavations in 1998 and 2007Conditions: Cave environment at 2950m elevation in Colorado limestone cave
   Equipment: excavation tools
2. Tooth specimen selection and preparation
   Teeth of M. flaviventris and N. cinerea were selected from throughout the Cement Creek Cave sequence for analysis. When sufficient material was available, both species were sampled from the same level. Post-weaning teeth (M3, P3, P4) were sampled where available while other tooth positions were used when necessary. Modern specimens were also collected from field sites and museum collections.
   Quantities: N=70 marmot teeth from 17 levels, N=79 woodrat teeth from 16 levels, plus modern specimensDuration: Not specifiedConditions: Fossil specimens from cave deposits, modern specimens from field and museum collections
   Equipment: collection tools

Typical Equipment

• excavation tools
• AMS radiocarbon dating facility

Output Measurements

• fossil specimens
• radiocarbon ages
• stratigraphic context

Papers Using This Protocol (1)

Species Studied With This Protocol