News Release

Ancient hedgehog and tapir once inhabited British Columbia

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

Reconstruction of the Early Eocene (52 Million-Year-Old) Fauna

image: This is a reconstruction of the early Eocene (52 million-year-old) fauna that inhabited the rainforest around a northern British Colombia lake. The tapiroid Heptodon drinks in the shallows, while the small proto-hedgehog Silvacola acares stalks a green lacewing (Pseudochrysopa harveyi) in the foreground. view more 

Credit: Illustration © by Julius T. Csotonyi.

The Earth has experienced many dramatic changes in climate since the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago. One of the warmest periods was the early Eocene Epoch, 50 to 53 million years ago. During this interval, North American mammal communities were quite distinct from those of today. This is illustrated by a study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology that describes an ancient hedgehog and tapir that lived in what is now Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, British Columbia, some 52 million years ago.

"Within Canada, the only other fossil localities yielding mammals of similar age are from the Arctic, so these fossils from British Columbia help fill a significant geographic gap," said Dr. Natalia Rybczynski of the Canadian Museum of Nature, a co-author of the study. Other fossils of this age come from Wyoming and Colorado, some 2,700 miles to the south of the Arctic site of Ellesmere Island.

The ancient hedgehog is a species hitherto unknown to science. It is named Silvacola acares, which means "tiny forest dweller," since this minute hedgehog likely had a body length of only 2 to 2.5". The delicate fossil jaw of Silvacola was not freed from the surrounding rock as is typical for fossils. Rather, it was scanned with an industrial, high resolution CT (computed tomography) scanner at Penn State University so it could be studied without risking damage to its tiny teeth. Modern hedgehogs and their relatives are restricted to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The other mammal discovered at the site, Heptodon, is an ancient relative of modern tapirs, which resemble small rhinos with no horns and a short, mobile, trunk or proboscis.

"Heptodon was about half the size of today's tapirs, and it lacked the short trunk that occurs on later species and their living cousins. Based upon its teeth, it was probably a leaf-eater, which fits nicely with the rainforest environment indicated by the fossil plants at Driftwood Canyon," said Dr. Jaelyn Eberle of the University of Colorado, lead author of the study.

Most of the fossil-bearing rocks at Driftwood Canyon formed on the bottom of an ancient lake and are well-known for their exceptionally well-preserved leaves, insects, and fishes. But no fossils of mammals had ever before been identified at the site. The fieldwork that resulted in these discovered was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

"The discovery in northern British Columbia of an early cousin to tapirs is intriguing because today's tapirs live in the tropics. Its occurrence, alongside a diversity of fossil plants that indicates a rainforest, supports an idea put forward by others that tapirs and their extinct kin are good indicators of dense forests and high precipitation," said Eberle.

Fossil plants from the site indicate the area seldom experienced freezing temperatures and probably had a climate similar to that of Portland, Oregon, located roughly 700 miles to the south.

"Driftwood Canyon is a window into a lost world - an evolutionary experiment where palms grew beneath spruce trees and the insects included a mixture of Canadian and Australian species. Discovering mammals allows us to paint a more complete picture of this lost world," said Dr. David Greenwood of Brandon University, a co-author of the study. "The early Eocene is a time in the geological past that helps us understand how present day Canada came to have the temperate plants and animals it has today. However, it can also help us understand how the world may change as the global climate continues to warm."

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The fieldwork that resulted in these discoveries was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

About the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,300 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators, and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology.

For complimentary access to the full article, visit: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ujvp20/current

The article appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(4) published by Taylor and Francis

Citation: Eberle, J.J., N. Rybczynski, and D.R. Greenwood. 2014. Early Eocene mammals from the Driftwood Creek beds, Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, northern British Columbia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(4): 739-746.

Journal Web site: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: http://www.vertpaleo.org

AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Jaelyn Eberle, Associate Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, and Curator of Fossil Vertebrates, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History; (303) 492-8069, (cell) 303-819-6914, jaelyn.eberle@colorado.edu

Dr. Natalia Rybczynski, Research Scientist, Palaeobiology, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4, Canada, NRybczynski@mus-nature.ca

Dr. David R. Greenwood, Professor, Department of Biology, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6A9, Canada, GreenwoodD@BrandonU.ca

OTHER EXPERTS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THE STUDY

Dr. Bruce Archibald, Simon Fraser University
Expert on fossil insects, including fossil insects from these sites (and other B.C. sites)
sba48@sfu.ca

Dr. Craig Scott, Royal Tyrrell Museum
Expert on extinct hedgehogs and relatives
craig.scott@gov.ab.c

Dr. Gregg Gunnell, Duke University
Expert on extinct hedgehogs and relatives as well as other Eocene mammals
gregg.gunnell@duke.edu

Dr. Mark Wilson, University of Alberta
Expert on fossil fishes, including fishes from this fossil site
mark.wilson@ualberta.ca
(780) 492-5408 (cell)

Mr. John Howard, Babine Area Supervisor
MOE, BC Parks, Northern Region - Skeena Section
BC Parks and Conservation Officer Service Division
Bag 5000, Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0
*Ph (250) 847-7565 Fax (250) 847-7728
John.Howard@gov.bc.ca


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