The Ancient Fauna of Nebraska (1853)

titantotherium jaw

In 1847 an amateur paleontologist Dr. Hiram A. Prout of St. Louis published an account of fossil jaw fragments and teeth belonging to a huge species of Paleotherium (a early relative of the horse previously discovered in Europe). These fossils were given to Prout by a trapper who found them in the White River Badlands of Nebraska and South Dakota. Prout's fossil, later renamed Titantotherium (1) by Leidy, was the first of many paleontological discoveries from the American West.

oreodont skull

Later that same year, Leidy described and named another mammal from the White River Badlands, Poebrotherium. As scientific interest in the White River Badlands grew, Leidy became the recipient of fossil specimens from a variety of individual collectors and geological surveys (2). The ensuing proliferation of scattered scientific notes and reports generated by Leidy prompted the publication of "The Ancient Fauna of Nebraska" in 1853 (3).

"The Ancient Fauna of Nebraska" was the first synthesis of the fossils of the White River Badlands (4). This 126 page monograph presented information on 20 new fossil species. Significantly, most of these were unique to North America and differed dramatically from known European forms. The publication that Henry F. Osborn (5) labeled "epoch making" introduced many in America and Europe to the remarkable White River paleofauna. It also served notice that many of the great discoveries to be made in paleontology would be made in the American West.

tortoise fossil

After a brief introduction of the state of American mammalian paleontology and a description of the Badlands, Leidy presented detailed descriptions and illustrations for a total of 15 mammals and 5 tortoises. Featured among these are an early camel (Poebrotherium wilsoni), an oreodont (Merycoidodon culbertsonii), two rhinos (Hyracodon nebraskensis and Subhyradocon occidentalis), and a sabertooth (Hoplophoneus primaevus).

A total of eight lithographic plates from "Ancient Fauna of Nebraska" are presented here:

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Notes:

  1. Dr. Hiram Prout sent his Paleotherium fossils to Leidy for examination in 1850. Leidy initially agreed that it was Paleotherium, but that it was much larger than the European species. He gave it the name Paleotherium proutii. Soon, however, specimens collected during the Owen Survey and Smithsonian Expedition provided additional information. By the time he wrote his 1853 monograph, Leidy was convinced that the animal was not Paleotherium. So he gave it a new name, Titantotherium proutii. It belongs to a group of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) now know as the brontotheres (or titantotheres). An Eocecene brontothere, Paleosyops, was also studied by Leidy.
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  2. The first White River Badland fossils that Leidy received were collected by Alexander Culbertson, who worked for the American Fur Company. (He had originally sent them to his family in Pennsylvania and from there they were later forwarded to Leidy.) Leidy also received fossils from two other amateurs, Dr. Hiram Prout and Captain Stewart Van Vleit (US Army).
    Leidy was also the recipient of fossils from three scientific expeditions. Thaddeus A. Culbertson was sent to the badlands by Spencer Baird of the Smithsonian, while Ferdinand V. Hayden was sent by James Hall, the State Geologist of New York. Dr. John Evans was sent to the White River Badlands by David Dale Owens as part of his geologic survey of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
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  3. The full title is: "The Ancient Fauna of Nebraska or A description of remains of Extinct Mammalia and Chelonia from the Mauvaise Terres of Nebraska". Smithonian Contributions to Knowledge Vol VI.
    French trappers were the first europeans to encounter the White River Badlands. They named the region "Mauvaise Terres" and it was this name that was used by Leidy and his contemporaries.
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  4. The White River Badlands of South Dakota and Nebraska contain the world's richest fossils beds of the Oligocene Epoch (38-23 million years ago). The area contains mixed-grass prairies interspersed with barren, dramatically eroded pinnacles and gullies. These spectacular landforms were created by the natural erosion of soft sediments which had accumulated over 75 million years. The most important portion of the White River Badlands lies protected within Badlands National Park.
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  5. Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857-1935) made several significant contributions to mammalian paleontology, including his monographs on the evolution of brontotheres and elephants. As the director of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City Osborn revolutionized museum displays and initiated numerous paleontological expeditions to the West and overseas.
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