Antrozous koopmani Orr and Silva Taboada, 1960

Orihuela, Johanset, Orozco, Leonel Pérez, Álvarez Licourt, Jorge L., Viera Muñoz, Ricardo A. & Barani, Candido Santana, 2020, Late Holocene land vertebrate fauna from Cueva de los Nesofontes, Western Cuba: Stratigraphy, chronology, diversity, and paleoecology, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 57) 23 (3), pp. 1-46 : 24-27

Antrozous koopmani Orr and Silva Taboada, 1960

Figure 10.3

Material. This taxon was represented by a partial skull (MNHNCu uncatalogued), a fragmentary braincase (MNHNCu uncatalogued), and five dentaries (MNHNCu uncatalogued, field no. 19, 20, 75, 1429, 1430), occurring in all layers between level II and IV ( Figure 10.3 ). Three of these have provided direct radiocarbon dates from beds F, G, and I, which agree with the overall late Holocene age estimates for these intervals (Orihuela et al., 2020a, 2020b).

Description. The specimens were well-preserved, often showing evidence of predation and digestion. They did not deviate quantitatively or qualitatively from other reported specimens (Orr and Silva Taboada, 1960; Silva Taboada, 1976; 1979; García and Mancina, 2011). Viera (2004) reported other specimens from surface collections in the same cave (see Orihuela et al., 2020b).

Taxonomic remarks. The Cuban pallid bat needs a detailed revision. Although it is often considered a subspecies of the continental species Antrozous pallidus from western North America ( Simmons, 2005), we consider that the differences in morphology and size warrant its retention as a distinct endemic species until further analyses are conducted (following Silva Taboada, 1976; Silva Taboada and Vela, 2009; García and Mancina, 2011). This species was undetected in Cuba until the mid-twentieth century. The first and only complete specimens preserved were two females collected by Charles T. Ramsden in 1920–1921, near Bayate, Guantanamo, eastern Cuba , but misidentified as “ Macrotus ” ( Silva Taboada, 1976). A. koopmani has been found in several “fresh” owl pellets across the island, which suggest a former wide range in the island, but has not been confirmed captured or observed live since 1956 (Orr and Silva Taboada, 1960; Silva Taboada, 1979; Borroto-Páez and Mancina, 2017), although a questionable report exists (Mancina, 2012). Moreover, it has been shown that pellet material that seems “fresh” can be several hundreds of years old (MacPhee et al., 1999), as also supported by the Solenodon material discussed. This species is extremely rare in collections, currently extremely vulnerable or already extinct.

Other Organisms

Pollen, plant seeds, phytoliths, and starch grains were detected at all intervals of the deposit but remain unstudied ( Figure 11 ). Gastropods and crabs were very common throughout the deposit. At least nine species of land snails and a land crab, Gecarcinus ruricola , were present and abundant in the assemblage. The land snails included the following preliminary taxa: Alcadia sp. cf. hispida, Farcimen cf. procer , Chondropoma cf. vespertinum , Oleacina subulata , Opisthosiphon sp. , Nescoptis sp., Liguus fasciatus , and Zachrysia auricoma . The last two and Chondropoma sp. , being the most abundant. Unidentified plant fragments such as leaves, bark, microcharcoal, and seeds were also present ( Figure 11 ).

Insect chitin was present in the matrix of the upper levels (I and II). Within the lowest levels, microscopic fragments of insect exoskeletons and fly pupae were rare but well preserved when present ( Figure 11.5 ). One of the pupae specimens was identified as a phorid fly pupa ( Figure 11.5 ). Remains of larvae were observed directly on the bones of several specimens at the level I and III.

Amphibians were represented by at least two genera, Eleutherodactylus , and Peltophryne spp. , but otherwise difficult to assign to species. The Cuban tree frog Osteopilus septentrionalis is likely also present. The reptiles were identified as lizards of the Anolis group: the smaller Anolis sagrei , the larger Anolis equestris , a similar large Anolis sp. , and A. cf. chamaeolonides (fide Nicholson et al., 2012; Rodríguez Schettino et al., 2013), this last on Figure 11.1-3 .

Taphonomic Observations

Mineralization, coloration, and evidence of predation and digestion were the most common taphonomic evidence ( Figure 12 ). Weathering was another important factor acting on the preservation of the specimens. Evidence of predation in form of scratches, claw or beak marks, indentations, fractured braincases, and digestion corrosion, were much more frequent in the upper levels (I and II), whereas most mineralization and maximum weathering levels (>level 2) were more evident in lower levels. Weathering levels or stages varied generally between 0 and 2, only rarely did specimens show stages higher than or equal to 3 ( Figure 12 ). Scavenging evidence in the form of gnawing and tooth marks by rodents and Nesophontes ( Figure 12.1-2 ) has been documented in detail from this assemblage (Orihuela et al., 2016).

Decomposition-related insect activity such as boreholes, etchings, and fungal activity was less common ( Figure 12.5 ), but likely related to the exposure of the pellets before and during the formation of the deposit. In several cases, the soft clay of the deposit invaded the empty braincase cavities of several Nesophontes specimens, creating natural endocasts (Orihuela, 2014).

Skulls and mandibles were the most common of all skeletal elements, with 476 and 1359 specimens, respectively; they contributed 14.2 % and 59.1 % to the osseous remains in the assemblage (Pit D). Thus, cranial elements, especially mandibles, dominated the assemblage at 79.8 %. Humeri (133 specimens) represented 4%, and other elements of the appendicular skeleton (398 specimens) likely constituted a total of 17.2%. It is important to note, however, that many radii and femora were fragmented and unidentifiable to species level, and thus, not counted.

Pathologic Observations

Evidence of pathologies was present in less than 1 % of the assemblage. These were evident in the bats Artibeus jamaicensis , capromyid rodents, and Nesophontes in the form of bone lesions, healed fractures, general bone deformations, and dental-alveolar lesions. Three specimens of Nesophontes major were of special note: A left adult dentary showed a markedly open premolar root with indications of an alveolar infection. Two other hemimandibles showed, as supported by radiography (not illustrated here), healed fractures or deformed coronoid processes. Mineralization, insect activity, and digestion often caused corrosion on the bones that could be mistaken for fungal or pathologic conditions (e.g., Figure 12.5-6 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Bats. 1, left hemimandible of Artibeus anthonyi (no, 1663, lower Level III). 2, ventral view of Phyllops vetus incomplete skull (no. 37, Level II). Both specimens were radiocarbon-dated (14C). 3, four hemimandibles of Antrozous koopmani (no. 20, 75, 1429, 1430 from Levels II and IV, also 14C dated). These specimens were also dated, helping corroborate the chronology discussed. The scale bar equals 10 mm.

FIGURE 11. Plant, invertebrate, and reptile remains. 1-3, Anolis cf. chamaleolis (no. 606), scale bar 10 mm (Level I). 4, unidentified insect extremity ~1 mm (Level IV). 5, photid fly pupa, scale 10 mm (Level IV). 6, fungus spore (?), scale ~50μm. 7, plant seeds, scale 5 mm (All from level II and III). 8-9, seeds, scale 5 mm. 10, leaf fragment, scale ~50 μm (Level II). 11, plant spores, likely a conifer, Pinus? (Level IV), scale ~50μm.

FIGURE 12. Taphonomic evidence. 1-2, SEM microphotographs of Nesophontes sp. tooth marks on small capromyid long bones. Note the well-rounded edges, microfractures radiating from the cortex. 3-4, Stage 3 weathering on an N. major left hemimandible (left) and stage IV on another (right). 5, Microscopic striae and notching associated with insect scavenging on the bone. The main depression is likely a tooth mark made on the bone while still fresh (note the gradual peeling features). 6, An A. jamaicensis adult skull with possible evidence of raptor predation and digestion (corrosion).