Burnet Cave

Burnet Cave (also known as Rocky Arroyo Cave of Wetmore) is an important archaeological and paleontological site located in Eddy County, New Mexico, United States within the Guadalupe Mountains.

Physical details

The cave has a southern exposure and is reported as being 21m (70 feet) from the canyon floor. It has an elevation of 1402 m (4600 feet) according to Shultz and Howard (1935).

Paleontology finds

*Aves: "Aechmophorus occidentalis," "Cathartes ("C. aura" Brodkorb), "Coragyps (C. atratus, C. occidentalis), C. atratus"), "Gymnogyps (G. californianus amplus)," "Accipiter (A. cooperi)", "Buteo swainsoni", "Falco mexicanus" "Falco sparverius", "Tympanuchus pallidicinctus", "Oreortyx picta", "Meleagris gallopavo", "Meleagris (M. crassipes)", "Grus canadensis, Bubo virginianus", "Asio flammeus", "Colaptes auratus", "Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus," "Loxia curvirostra."

*Mammals: "Antilocapra americana", "Arctodus" sp., "Bassariscus astutus", "Bison antiquus", "Camelops", "Canis latrans," "Canis lupus," "Conepatus mesoleucus," "Cynomys ludovicianus," "Dipodomys (D. ordi)", Equus "(E. tau, E. francisi, E.conversidens, E. alaskae,)" "Euceratherium collinum, Felis concolor", "Lemmiscus curtatus", "Lepus" "(L. townsendii and L. alleni}," "Lynx rufus", "Marmota flaviventris," "Microtus (M. lonqicaudus)" "(M. mexicanus, M. pennsylvanicus)," "Mustela nigripes," "Navajoceros fricki", "Neotoma cinerea" "(N. lepida or N. stephensi), N. mexicana)", "Odocoileus hemionus", "(0. virginianus)," "Ovis canadensis", "Cratoqeomys" ("C. castanops"), "Peromyscus maniculatus," "Sorex," "Spermophilus varieqatus", "Stockoceros onusrosagris," "Sylvilagus audubonii", ("S. nuttallii"), "Taxidea taxus," "Thomomys bottae", "(T. umbrinus)", "Vulpes velox, (V. vulpes)."
*Reptilia: "Phrynosoma douglasii" (Rickart), "Phrynosoma cornutum" (Rickart), Crotaphytus collaris" (Rickart), "Sceloporus" (Rickart).

References

*Emslie, S. D. 1987. Age and diet of fossil California condors in Grand Canyon, Arizona. Science 237:768-770.
*Harris, A. H. 1985. Late Pleistocene vertebrate paleoecology of the West. University of Texas Press, Austin, 293 pp.
*Hester, J. J. 1960. Late Pleistocene extinction and radiocarbon dating. American Antiquity 26:58-77.
*Howard, E. B. 1932. Caves along the slopes of the Guadalupe Mountains. Texas Archeological and Paleontological Society 4:7-20.
*Howard, H. 1962. Bird remains from a prehistoric cave deposit in Grant County, New Mexico. Condor 64:241-242.
*Howard, H. 1968. Limb measurements of the extinct vulture, Coragyps occidentalis. Pp. 115-128, "in" Collected papers in honor of Lyndon Lane Hargrave (A. H. Schroeder, ed.). Papers of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico 1.
*Howard, H. 1974. Postcranial elements of the extinct condor Breagyps clarki (Miller). Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 256:1-24.
*Howard, H., and A. H. Miller. 1933. Bird remains from cave deposits in New Mexico. Condor 35:15-18.
*Rea, A. M. 1980. Late Pleistocene and Holocene turkeys in the Southwest. Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 330:209-224.
*Rickart, E. A. 1977. Pleistocene lizards from Burnet and Dark Canyon caves, Guadalupe Mountain, New Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist 21:519-522.
*Schultz, C. B., and E. B. Howard. 1935. The fauna of Burnet Cave, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 87:273-298.
*Schultz, C. B., L. D. Martin, and L. G. Tanner. 1970. Mammalian distribution in the Great Plains and adjacent areas from 14,000 to 9,000 years ago. AMQUA Abstract, 1st Meeting, 1970:119-120.
* [http://www3.utep.edu/leb/paleo/site24.htm University of Texas - El Paso, Paleo sites]
*Wetmore, A. 1931. The California condor in New Mexico. Condor 33:76-77.
*Wetmore, A. 1932. Additional records of birds from cavern deposits in New Mexico. Condor 34:141-142.