TABLE 5. Representation of rodent (other taxa not included) skeletal elements in a modern and a fossil owl pellet accumulation collected from approximately equal areas (0.25 m2; see text). MNI is estimated from a count of cranial elements (maxillae), dentaries, and cheek teeth.
Modern Owl Pellets (MNI=56)
Skeletal
element
Nib per
skeleton
Expected
Nib
Observed
NISP
% Representation
cranium
1
56
318
567.9
dentary
2
112
108
96.4
cheek teeth
16a
784d
290
37.0
12b
incisor
4
224
210
93.7
malleus
2
112
4
3.6
incus
2
112
5
4.5
vertebra
56
3136
1325
42.2
rib
26
1456
431
29.6
sternebra
6
336
28
8.3
baculume
0.5
28
7
25.0
scapula
2
112
73
65.2
clavicle
2
112
40
35.7
humerus
2
112
149
133.0
radius
2
112
103
92.0
ulna
2
112
127
113.4
pelvis
2
112
166
148.2
femur
2
112
135
120.5
patella
2
112
13
11.6
tibiofibula
2
112
157
140.2
astragalus
2
112
116
103.6
calcaneus
2
112
150
133.9
carpal/tarsalc
26
1456
51
3.5
metapodial
20
1120
596
53.2
phalanx
56
3136
518
16.5
ageomyoids
bcricetids
cother than calcaneus and astragalus
dbased on a mean of 14 cheek teeth per rodent skull
eexpected numbers of bacula per skeleton is based o n a 1:1 sex ratio
TABLE 5
(continued)
Pliocene Owl Pellets
Quarried Specimens (MNI=16)
Screened Specimens (MNI=15)
Skeletal
Expected
Observed
% Repre-
Expected
Observed
% Repre-
element
Nib
NISP
sentation
Nib
NISP
sentation
cranium
16
17
106.2
15
8
53.3
dentary
32
16
143.7
30
17
56.7
cheek teeth
224
58
25.9
210
184
87.6
incisor
64
12
18.7
60
212
353.3
malleus
32
1
3.1
30
5
16.7
incus
32
1
3.1
30
4
13.3
vertebra
896
24
2.7
840
156
18.6
rib
416
6
1.4
390
6
1.5
sternebra
96
0
0.0
90
0
0.0
baculume
8
1
12.5
7.5
1?
13.3
scapula
32
1
3.1
30
7
23.3
clavicle
32
2
6.2
30
0
0.0
humerus
32
14
43.7
30
17
56.7
radius
32
7
21.9
30
12
40.0
ulna
32
17
53.1
30
48
160.0
pelvis
32
3
9.4
30
22
73.3
femur
32
11
34.4
30
51
170.0
patella
32
0
0.0
30
1
3.3
tibiofibula
32
12
37.5
30
31
103.3
astragalus
32
6
18.7
30
15
50.0
calcaneus
32
3
9.4
30
26
86.6
carpal/tarsalc
416
0
0.0
390
27
6.9
metapodial
320
7
2.2
300
108
36.0
phalanx
896
34
3.8
840
120
14.3
ageomyoids
bcricetids
cother than calcaneus and astragalus
dbased on a mean of 14 cheek teeth per rodent skull
eexpected numbers of bacula per skeleton is based o n a 1:1 sex ratio
TABLE 6. Paleohabitats plausibly occupied by small vertebrate taxa at MNA locality 318, based on habitat selection by living relatives. Available plant paleocommunities based on palynological and other data compiled by Nations et al. (1981).
Vertebrate Taxa in
Shallow, Open
Marshy
Deciduous
Open
Order of Relative
Lake/Algal
Lake
Riparian
Oak-Juniper
Abundance
Beds
Margin
Gallery Forest
Grasslands
Savanna
Prodipodomys idahoensis
X
?
Geomys (Nerterogeomys) minor
X
X
Bensonomys arizonae
X
?
X
Sigmodon minor
X
X
X
Emberizidae/Fringillidae
X
X
X
Perognathus strigipredus
X
X
Onychomys bensoni
X
X
Reithrodontomys
cf. R. wetmorei
X
X
Neotoma vaughani
X
X
Postcopemys
sp.
?
X
X
X
Jacobsomys verdensis
X
Soricidae
X
X
X
Lasiurus
cf. L. blossevillii
X
Prosigmodon holocuspis
X
X
X
Urodela
X