Dove Spring Formation

{{Short description|Geologic formation in the Mojave Desert, California, U.S.}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Dove Spring Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| age = Miocene
~{{Fossilrange|13.5|7.3}}

| period = Neogene

| prilithology =

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = California

| country = United States

| coordinates =

| unitof = Ricardo Group

| subunits =

| underlies =

| overlies = Cudahy Camp Formation

| thickness = 1,800 meters

| extent =

| area =

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| map_caption =

}}

The Dove Spring Formation (formerly the Ricardo Formation) is a geologic formation in the western Mojave Desert of California.{{Cite journal |last1=Whistler |first1=David P. |last2=Burbank |first2=D. |date=1992 |title=Miocene biostratigraphy and biochronology of the Dove Spring Formation, Mojave Desert, California, and characterization of the Clarendonian mammal age (late Miocene) in California |journal=Geological Society of America Bulletin |language=en |volume=104 |issue=6 |pages=644–658|doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1992)104<0644:MBABOT>2.3.CO;2 |bibcode=1992GSAB..104..644W |s2cid=130575409 }} It preserves fossils dating back to the Miocene epoch of the Neogene period.

Fossil content

=Mammals=

==Bats==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" \| Bats reported from the Dove Spring Formation
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Chiroptera \|Gen. et. sp. undetermined \| Kern County, California. \| \| A bat. \|

class="wikitable" align="center"

colspan="6" align="center" | Bats reported from the Dove Spring Formation

Genus

Species

Presence

!Material

Notes

Images

Chiroptera

|Gen. et. sp. undetermined

| Kern County, California.

| A bat.

==Carnivorans==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" \| Carnivorans reported from the Dove Spring Formation
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
rowspan="3" \|Barbourofelis \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|B. osborni \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Kern County, California. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\| \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Junior synonym of B. whitfordi. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|
B. whitfordi \|Red Canyon & other localities, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal \|last1=Tseng \|first1=Zhijie J. \|last2=Takeuchi \|first2=Gary T. \|last3=Wang \|first3=Xiaoming \|date=2010-01-29 \|title=Discovery of the upper dentition of Barbourofelis whitfordi (Nimravidae, Carnivora) and an evaluation of the genus in California \|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236961603 \|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology \|volume=30 \|issue=1 \|pages=244–254 \|doi=10.1080/02724630903416001 \|s2cid=21713508 \|issn=0272-4634\|doi-access=free }} \|Teeth & mandible. \|A barbourofelid. \|File:Barbourofelisdigitalreconstruction.jpg
B. sp. \|LACM localities 6260 & 1108, Kern County, California. \|Left partial humerus (LACM 140853) & left distal humerus (LACM 59336). \|A barbourofelid also found in the Green Valley Formation. \|
Bassariscus \|B. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A procyonid. \|
Borophagus \|B. littoralis \|Red Rock Canyon, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal \|last1=Wang \|first1=Xiaoming \|last2=Tedford \|first2=Richard H. \|last3=Taylor \|first3=Beryl E. \|date=1999 \|title=Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae). \|url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/1588 \|journal=Bulletin of the AMNH \|language=en-US \|issue=243 \|pages=9–391\|hdl=2246/1588 }} \|Left maxillary (LACM 143520). \|A borophagine dog also found in the Green Valley, Santa Margarita & Chanac formations. \|File:Borophagus littoralis.jpg
Carpocyon \|C. robustus \|Kern County, California. \|Partial skeleton (UCMP 33569). \|A borophagine dog. \|
cf. Eomellivora \|cf. E. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A large mustelid similar to the honey badger. \|File:Eomellivora piveteaui mandible - Batallones 3 fossil site, Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain.jpg
rowspan="3" \|Epicyon \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|E. aphobus \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Kern County, California. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\| \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Junior synonym of E. haydeni. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|
E. haydeni \|Ricardo Fauna, Kern County, California. \|Skull elements. \|A borophagine dog. \|File:Epicyon haydeni.jpg
E. saevus \|Ricardo Fauna, Kern County, California. \|Ramal elements. \|A borophagine dog. \|File:Epicyon saevus mandible.jpg
"Felis" \|"F." sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A small felid. \|
rowspan=2\|Ischyrocyon \|I. gidleyi \|Last Chance Gulch, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal \|last=Hunt \|first=Robert \|date=1998-01-01 \|title=Amphicyonidae \|url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/museummammalogy/275 \|journal=Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum \|pages=196–227}} \| \|A bear-dog. \|
style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|I. mohavensis \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Kern County, California. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\| \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Junior synonym of I. gidleyi. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|
Leptocyon \|L. vafer \|Kern County, California (lower & upper parts of the formation).{{Cite book \|last1=Tedford \|first1=Richard H. \|url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/5999 \|title=Phylogenetic systematics of the North American fossil Caninae (Carnivora, Canidae). (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 325) \|last2=Wang \|first2=Xiaoming \|last3=Taylor \|first3=Beryl E. \|date=2009 \|publisher=[New York] : American Museum of Natural History. \|hdl=2246/5999 \|language=en-US}} \|Skull elements. \|A canine dog. \|File:Leptocyon head restoration.jpg
rowspan=2\|Martinogale \|M. faulli \|Red Rock Canyon, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal \|last1=Wang \|first1=Xiaoming \|last2=Whistler \|first2=David P. \|last3=Takeuchi \|first3=Gary T. \|date=2005 \|title=A New Basal Skunk Martinogale (Carnivora, Mephitinae) from Late Miocene Dove Spring Formation, California, and Origin of New World Mephitines \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4524520 \|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology \|volume=25 \|issue=4 \|pages=936–949 \|doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0936:ANBSMC]2.0.CO;2 \|jstor=4524520 \|s2cid=21747985 \|issn=0272-4634\|url-access=subscription }} \|A nearly-complete skull (LACM 56230). \|A skunk. \|
M. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A skunk. \|
"Mephitis" \|"M." sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A skunk. \|File:Striped Skunk - Desert Museum - Tucson - AZ - 2015-10-12at10-56-241 (22241714622).jpg
Metalopex \|M. macconnelli \|Red Rock Canyon, Kern County, California. \|Skull elements. \|A fox also found in the Milk Creek Formation & Malheur County, Oregon. \|
Mustela \|?M. buwaldi \|Kern County, California. \| \|A weasel. \|
style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Osteoborus \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|O. diabloensis \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Kern County, California. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\| \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|Junior synonym of Borophagus littoralis. \|style="background:#E6E6E6;"\|
Pseudaelurus \|P. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A felid. \|
rowspan=2\|Tomarctus \|style="background:#fbdddb;"\|T. robustus \|style="background:#fbdddb;"\|Kern County, California. \|style="background:#fbdddb;"\| \|style="background:#fbdddb;"\|Moved to the genus Carpocyon. \|style="background:#fbdddb;"\|
T. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A borophagine dog. \|
"Vulpes" \|"V." sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A fox. \|

class="wikitable" align="center"

colspan="6" align="center" | Carnivorans reported from the Dove Spring Formation

Genus

Species

Presence

!Material

Notes

Images

rowspan="3" |Barbourofelis

|style="background:#E6E6E6;"|B. osborni

|style="background:#E6E6E6;"|Kern County, California.

|style="background:#E6E6E6;"|

|style="background:#E6E6E6;"|Junior synonym of B. whitfordi.

|style="background:#E6E6E6;"|

B. whitfordi

|Red Canyon & other localities, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal |last1=Tseng |first1=Zhijie J. |last2=Takeuchi |first2=Gary T. |last3=Wang |first3=Xiaoming |date=2010-01-29 |title=Discovery of the upper dentition of Barbourofelis whitfordi (Nimravidae, Carnivora) and an evaluation of the genus in California |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236961603 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=244–254 |doi=10.1080/02724630903416001 |s2cid=21713508 |issn=0272-4634|doi-access=free }}

|Teeth & mandible.

|A barbourofelid.

|File:Barbourofelisdigitalreconstruction.jpg

B. sp.

|LACM localities 6260 & 1108, Kern County, California.

|Left partial humerus (LACM 140853) & left distal humerus (LACM 59336).

|A barbourofelid also found in the Green Valley Formation.

Bassariscus

|B. sp.

colspan="6" align="center" \| Proboscideans reported from the Dove Spring Formation
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Gomphotherium \|G. sp. \|Kern County, California. \| \|A gomphothere. \|
Serbelodon \|S. burnhami \|Ricardo, Kern County, California.{{Cite journal \|last1=Osborn \|first1=Henry Fairfield \|last2=Blick \|first2=John C. \|last3=Frick \|first3=Childs \|date=June 1933 \|title=Serbelodon burnhami, a new shovel-tusker from California. \|url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/2061 \|journal=American Museum Novitates \|language=en-US \|issue=639 \|pages=1–5\|hdl=2246/2061 }} \|Anterior portion of a mandible (F:AM 18228) & 2 tusk fragments (F:AM 18228A & 18228B). \|An amebelodontid. \|

Dove Spring Formation

Fossil content

=Mammals=

==Bats==

==Carnivorans==

==Eulipotyphlans==

==Lagomorphs==

==Proboscideans==

==Rodents==

==Ungulates==

=Reptiles=

==Birds==

==Squamates==

==Testudines==

=Amphibians=

=Fish=

=Plants=

See also

References