Mammalian paleoecology of a Caverne de la Mine (Quebec, Canada): Analysis of an early Holocene cave deposit.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse a mammalian terrestrial fossil fauna in order to assess the early Holocene fauna of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa valley region. The fossils were excavated from Caverne de la Mine located on the Eardley Escarpment in Gatineau Park, western Quebec, near the city of Ottawa (45°28'18"N, 75°51'01"W). The fossil deposit dated between 5 020 +/- 70 and 8 230 +/- 80 B.P. yielded twenty-three taxa among ten mammalian families. Two species, Dicrostonyx hudsonius and Microtus pinetorum, are not part of the modern local fauna. Analysis of the fossil assemblage has shown that most species constituting the local fauna were established in the region soon after deglaciation. However, shifting community structure and the presence of extirpated taxa suggest that the local fauna underwent some adjustments since the beginning of the Holocene. The faunal adjustments mirror evolving vegetation cover in the area. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)