Waccasassa River 9A

University of Florida Vertebrate Fossil Locality LV040

Location

In bank of Waccasassa River about 5 miles southeast of Otter Creek, Levy County, Florida; 29.28° N, 82.74° W.

Age

Early Pleistocene Epoch; late Blancan land mammal age
About 1.7 to 2.0 million years old (estimated)

Basis of Age

Biostratigraphic correlation with other Caloosahatchee Formation sites in Southwest Florida (e.g., DeSoto Shell Pit 1); vertebrate biochronology (presence of Megalonyx leptostomus, Neochoerus dichroplax, Capromeryx arizonensis, and Hemiachenia gracilis: species only known from late Blancan localities in Florida).

Geology

Land vertebrate fossils found in sandy layers in between beds of mixed quartz sand and mollusk shells, equivalent of Caloosahatchee Formation of south Florida.

Depositional Environment

Nearshore marine/estuarine/coastal beaches and marshes.

Fossils

Excavation History and Methods

Discovery in 1993 by Steve Hutchens. Collected by Steve Hutchens from 1993 to 1997. All collected specimens donated to Florida Museum of Natural History. Matrix not screenwashed for microfossils. No grid system employed.

Discussion

Northernmost occurrence of the Caloosahatchee Formation, about 175 to 200 miles north of other such sites.

Sources

Original Author(s): Richard C. Hulbert Jr.
Original Completion Date: January 28, 2009
Editor(s) Name(s): Richard C. Hulbert Jr., Natali Valdes
Last Updated On: March 4, 2015

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number CSBR 1203222, Jonathan Bloch, Principal Investigator. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Waccasassa River 9A