LATE QUATERNARY FAUNAS FROM CAVES IN THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

ABSTRACT:

The dolomitic limestone Pahasapa Formation exposed in the Black Hills of South Dakota is well known to contain a multitude of caves and other karst features. In order to raise greater awareness of the Black Hills caves and karst fis- sures as a source of paleontologic data, we summarize the major Quaternary and Pliocene cave and karst localities which contain fossils. The Richmond Hill quarry provides at least eight fissures deposits which contain a diverse range of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils of the Pliocene. Nine caves (Don’s Gooseberry Pit, Graveyard Cave, Jewel Cave, Parker’s Pit, Persistence Cave, Rushmore Cave, Salamander Cave, Stagebarn Cave, and Wind Cave) contain late Quaternary age fossils. Many of these faunas are part of on-going study. A record of climate and environmental change is emerging from these caves which illustrates that the Black Hills have been part of the dynamic changes throughout the Quaternary.