From one to seven individuals are represented by each of these names except Odocoileus, which accounts for the great majority of the specimens. We conclude that the people who were responsible for this deposit lived, while at this site, on a diet in which venison, probably from the Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), predominated. There are surprisingly few Bison bones, and just one specimen each of “Elk” and Bighorn.
All of this fauna still lived in the same general area in historic times; it is a Recent fauna. The symbol (†) marks genera and species known to occur in the fauna of the Piney Creek alluvium (Hunt, 1954, p. 114-117).[5] These elements of the Piney Creek fauna have previously been reported from the nearby Denver area by Hunt (1954, p. 118), and have been identified by the Upper Cenozoic Research Group in the collections made by Scott[6] from the nearby Kassler area, and by Hunt[7] from the dark-colored, sandy and silty alluvium that occurs along Strain Gulch near the Sanger Site. It seems reasonable to believe that the age of the main deposit in the shelter, below the ceramic occupation layer, is approximately equivalent to the age of the dark-colored, sandy, silty alluvium and that of the Piney Creek alluvium.
Classification used in this report:
- Animal Kingdom
- Class Amphibia
- Class Reptilia
- Subclass Lepidosauria
- Order Squamata
- Suborder Lacertilia (lizards)
- Class Aves
- Subclass Neornithes
- Superorder Neognathae (modern flying birds)
- Class Mammalia
- Subclass Theria
- Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals)
- Order Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits, and pikas)
- Lepus (hares and “jack” rabbits)
- Order Rodentia (rodents)
- Family Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Cynomys (prairie “dog”)
- Citellus (ground squirrel)
- Tamias & Eutamias (chipmunks)
- Family Geomyidae
- Thomomys (pocket gopher)
- Family Castoridae
- Castor (beaver)
- Family Cricetidae
- Subfamily Cricetinae
- Peromyscus (white-footed mouse)
- Subfamily Microtinae (field mouse)
- Order Carnivora
- Family Canidae
- Canis (dog, coyote, or wolf)
- Family Mustelidae
- Mephitis (skunk)
- Taxidea (American badger)
- Family Felidae
- Felis (lynx, puma, etc.)
- Order Artiodactyla
- Family Cervidae
- Cervus (elk)
- Odocoileus (mule and white-tailed deer)
- Family Bovidae
- Bos (domestic cattle)
- Bison
- Ovis (bighorn sheep)
TABLE VII—Faunal Remains, LoDaisKa
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 72 | 84 | 95 108 | ||||
| Amphibian | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| Reptile | 2 | ||||||||||
| Bird | 3 | 2 | 11 | ||||||||
| Lagomorphs, sp. undet. | 4 | 1 | |||||||||
| Lepus | 18 | ||||||||||
| Rodentia, undet. | 2 | ||||||||||
| Cynomys | 4 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 1 | |||||
| Citellus | 3 | 1 | |||||||||
| Tamias and Eutamias | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Thomomys | 2 | ||||||||||
| Castor (canadensis) | 2 | ||||||||||
| Peromyscus | ?3 | ||||||||||
| Microtine | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| Carnivore, undet. | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Canis | 1 | ||||||||||
| Mephites | 1 | ||||||||||
| Taxidea | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Felis | 3 | ||||||||||
| Cervus | 1 | ||||||||||
| Odocoileus | 26 | 18 | 32 | 42 | 44 | 70 | 17 | ||||
| ?Bos | 6 | ||||||||||
| Bison (bison) | 4 | 5 | 7 | 11 | |||||||
| Ovis (canadensis) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
Plant Remains from the LoDaisKa Site
By Walton C. Galinat
(Below Dr. Galinat has identified key specimens from the site from which data table was completed).
- Area I 82-108 inches
- Gramineae
- Grass fragments—glumes and stems—S/F10/109-113
- (numbers refer to stratigraphic position)
- Liliaceae
- Allium (cernuum?)—wild onion seed—S/G11/103-107
- Fagaceae
- Quercus spp.—acorn S/L11/102-106
- Chenopodiaceae
- Grayia Brandegei—carbonized fruits—S/L11/108-112
- Rosaceae
- Crataegus spp.—partially decayed fragments of hawthorn
- fruits—S/JK11/80-84
- Area II 72-82 inches
- Musci
- Polytrichum (commune?)—S/J11/78-82—this large
- hair-cap moss may have
- been used as padding or insulation.
- Gramineae
- Zea Mays L.—S/G10/75-79—decayed corn cob of 14
- rows and medium diameter similar to that
- of Chapalote maize.
- —S/G10/78-82—fragments, the same as
- above.
- Paspalum spp.—grain—S/K11/78-82
- glumes—S/K11/78-82
- stem—S/L11/78-82
- Cyperaceae
- Scleria spp.—grain—S/L11/78-82 } These sedges
- } indicate the
- } presence of a
- } permanent source
- } of water in
- Carex spp.—grain—S/L11/78-82 } the area.
- Chenopodiaceae
- Chenopodium spp.—fruit—S/L11/78-82
- Leguminoseae
- Lupinus perennis L.—carbonized immature beans—S/L11/78-82
- —May have been roasted as a green vegetable.