Inglis quarry

The Inglis quarry or Inglis quarry sites 1A and 1C are assemblages of vertebrate fossils dating from the Pleistocene ~1.8 Mya—300,000 years ago, located in the phosphate quarries near the town of Inglis, Citrus County, northern Florida.

Citrus County, Florida location

Florida during the Pleistocene

Inglis sites FCi-1, FCi-2, Inglis Formation, Florida Geological Survey C-11, Inglis Member, Moodys Branch Formation, and Dunnellon Phosphate Company pit no. 5 are composed of a variety of bivalves, echinoderms, gastropods, crustaceans (mud shrimp), crinoids dating from the Eocene to Early Oligocene of ~48–33.9 Mya.^[1][2]

Inglis site 1A was originally a sinkhole spanning 10 by 20 meters. From bottom to top, the sequence comprises a basal conglomerate, a thin clay bed, a lower sand unit, a second thin clay bed, an upper sand unit, and a cemented quartz sandstone.^[3]

Inglis 1A has been correlated with the earliest Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age, dated approximately 2.0 to 1.6 Mya. The assemblage includes a combination of species and fauna characteristic of both late Blancan and early Irvingtonian faunas.^[4]

The Inglis Quarry is operated by Cemex Inc., who was also fined 29,000 USD for violations against its 2005 environmental resource permit.^[5]

History

Site 1A

The site was discovered in 1967 during construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. In January 1974, staff from the Florida Museum of Natural History excavated and screened approximately 300 cubic meters of fossil bearing sediment from the sinkhole.^[6]

Site 1C

Site 1C was also uncovered during construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, although an unknown portion of the sinkhole’s sediments had already been removed. The remaining deposits were later excavated by students from Western State College. ^[7]

Species uncovered

Mammals

Bats

• Antrozous (Pallid Bat)
• Eptesicus (House Bat)
• Myotis (Mouse-eared Bat)
• Desmodus, D. archaeodaptes (Common Vampire Bat)
• Lasiurus intermedius (Northern Yellow Bat)
• Phyllostomidae (Leaf-nosed Bat)
• Pipistrellus subflavus (Eastern Pipistrelle)
• Plecotus (Lump-nosed Bat)

Carnivores

• Procyon (Raccoon)

Canidae

• †Borophagus (ancient dog)
• Canidae
• †Canis edwardii (wolf)
• †Urocyon citrinus (fox)

Bears

• †Arctodus pristinus (Lesser short-faced bear)

Feliformia

• Felinae indet.
• †Xenosmilus hodsonae^[8]
• Lynx
• †Miracinonyx inexpectatus (American cheetah)
• †Smilodon gracilis (Saber-toothed cat)

Hyena

• †Chasmaporthetes ossifragus

Mustelids

• Lontra canadensis (North American river otter)
• Spilogale (Eastern spotted skunk)
• †Trigonictis macrodon

Herbivores

Even-toed ungulates

• Bovidae indet.
• †Capromeryx (Pronghorn-like)
• †Hemiauchenia macrocephala (Llama)
• †Mylohyus floridanus(Peccary)
• Odocoileus (White-tailed deer)
• †Platygonus bicalcaratus, P. vetus (Peccary)

Odd-toed ungulates

• †Equus leidyi (Horse)
• †Tapirus lundeliusi (Tapir)

Proboscidea

• †Mammut americanum (American mastodon)

Xenarthra

• †Eremotherium eomigrans (ground sloth)
• †Megalonyx leptostomus (ground sloth)
• †Paramylodon harlani (Harlan's ground sloth)
• †Dasypus bellus (Armadillo)
• †Holmesina floridanus (Armadillo-like)
• †Glyptotherium texanum (Glyptodont)

Rabbits

• Sylvilagus (Cottontail rabbit)

Rodents

• Baiomys (New World Pygmy Mouse)
• Erethizon, E. kleini (Porcupine)
• Geomys pinetis (Pocket gopher)
• Glaucomys (Flying Squirrel)
• Neochoerus aesopi (N. American Capybara)
• Neotoma
• Ondatra idahoensis (Muskrat)
• Orthogeomys propinetis (Gopher)
• Peromyscus, P. sarmocophinus (Deer Mouse)
• Reithrodontomys H. wetmorei (harvest mouse)
• Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Grey Squirrel)
• Sigmodon, S. curtisi (Rat)

Moles and Shrews

• Blarina (American Short-Tailed Shrew)
• Blarina carolinensis (Southern Short-Tailed Shrew)
• Cryptotis parva (North American Least Shrew)
• Scalopus aquaticus (Eastern Mole)
• Sorex longirostris (Southeastern Shrew)

Birds

Cariamiformes

• †Titanis walleri (Terror bird)^[1][2]

See also

Other Citrus County sites:

• Crystal River Nuclear Plant