Vertebrates of the Last Interglaciation in Canada: A Review, with New Data

Abstract

Vertebrate fossils and faunas that are reasonably inferred to be of last (Sangamonian) interglacial age are considered in geographic order from east to west to north in Canada. Data on localities, vertebrate taxa, stratigraphy, geochronology, paleoenvironment and paleoclimate are considered. Information on key faunas from Toronto, Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatoon. Medicine Hat and Old Crow River is supplemented by data on smaller faunas and, in some cases, individual specimens. New data are included for several localities. Fishes, such as whitefish (Coregonus sp.) and pike (Esox sp.). had broad distributions from eastern to northwestern Canada. Except for a turtle (Emydoidea blandingi) from lnnerkip, Ontario, amphibians and reptiles have not yet been reported from Canada during the Sangamon Interglaciation. Several species of grouse-like birds (Tetraonidae) are known from western Canada. Among the mammals. American mastodons (Mammut americanum), mammoths (Mammuthus sp.), beavers (Castor canadensis), giant beavers (Castoroides ohioensis), muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), voles (Microtus sp.). white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), stag moose (Cervalces sp.), bison [perhaps mainly giant bison (Bison latifrons)\ and muskoxen (Ovibovini) were evidently most widespread during the last interglacial interval. The western plains had a characteristic large mammal fauna that included Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi), Scott's horses (Equus scotti), small horses (Equus conversidens), western camels (Camelops hesternus). pronghorns (Antilocapridae), giant bison (Bison latifrons) and helmeted muskoxen (Sy m bos cavifrons).

American mastodon extirpation in the Arctic and Subarctic predates human colonization and terminal Pleistocene climate change

“…(28)(29)(30). Furthermore, our data are consistent with the small number of previously published nonfinite (or effectively nonfinite) ages from northern, glaciated regions of Canada (7,8) (Fig. 1) that demonstrates the presence of …”

Osteological Assessment of PleistoceneCamelops hesternus(Camelidae: Camelinae: Camelini) from Alaska and Yukon

“…This interpretation correlates well with interpretation of the similar, but more extensive, radiocarbon dataset for arctic and subarctic American mastodons (Mammut americanum) (Zazula et al, 2014). Other taxa known to be very rare in high-latitude faunas, such as Jefferson's ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) and giant beavers (Castoroides ohioensis) (Harington, 1990), may have been similarly constrained ecologically to interglacial forests and shrublands (Muhs et al2001), although this would need to be tested with appropriately large radiocarbon and stratigraphic datasets.…”

Reframing the mammoth steppe: Insights from analysis of isotopic niches

“…Lakes area (Harington, 1990). The boundaries of mammoth skeletal remains, linked to time periods during the Pleistocene, were mapped by Kahlke (2015).…”