Ripplemead
Basic information
Sample name: Ripplemead
Reference: R. E. Weems and B. B. Higgins. 1977. Post-Wisconsinan vertebrate remains from a deposit near Ripplemead, Virginia. NSS Bulletin 39:106-108 [ER 3128]
Geography
Country: United States
State: Virginia
Coordinate: 37° 20' N, 80° 41' W
Basis of coordinate: based on nearby landmark
Geography comments: "in an abandoned limestone quarry adjacent to the old U.S. 460 bridge on the south bank of New River" (coordinate based on Ripplemead)
thought to be "post-Wisconsinan" based on the vertebrate assemblage, but the large mammal fauna is actually Pleistocene
radiocarbon dating was attempted but "carbon-14 in the sample was insufficient"
thought to be "post-Wisconsinan" based on the vertebrate assemblage, but the large mammal fauna is actually Pleistocene
radiocarbon dating was attempted but "carbon-14 in the sample was insufficient"
Climate and habitat
Lithology: claystone
Taphonomic context: cave
Habitat comments: "The fissures... contain red clay, limestone breccia, New River stream gravels, landsnail shells, and vertebrate remains... Bones scattered on surrounding slopes were gnawed by rodents and then were washed or fell into the fissures. Much small mammal material, as well as the fish scraps and salamander vertebrae, were probably introduced as meal remnants dropped on the slopes above the river by predatory mammals and/or birds, most probably owls"
Methods
Life forms: bats, carnivores, rodents, ungulates, other small mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, salamanders, fishes
Sampling methods: quarry, surface
Sample size: 286
Sampling comments: "Remains were collected by surficial examination of both the fissure and the fissure outwash, as well as by acid preparation of fallen, calcite-cemented blocks from the northernmost fissure"
Metadata
Sample: 3416
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2019-08-31 14:29:06
Modified: 2019-08-31 14:36:34
Abundance distribution
33 species
13 singletons
total count 286
Fisher's α: 9.640
geometric series k: 0.8639
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7990
Shannon's H: 2.2420
Good's u: 0.9547
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