H Gregory Mcdonald
Biographic Data
| ID | 371410 |
|---|---|
| NAME | H Gregory Mcdonald |
| GIVEN NAMES | H Gregory |
| FAMILY NAME | Mcdonald |
| SIGNATURE | MCDONALD H G |
| AFFILIATIONS | National Park Service |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6916-7237 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 19 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Possible Coevolution of Vampire Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Desmodus) and Large Xenarthrans (Cingulata, Pilosa) in North America and South America During the Quaternary
Vampire bats likely first appeared in South America in the early Miocene (~20 Ma) and evolved to feed upon the blood of native South American mammals of medium to large body size, in particular, xenarthrans–ground sloths, armadillos, pampatheres, and glyptodonts, and native ungulates–notoungulates and litopterns. Following the formation of the Panamanian Isthmus (~5 Ma), vampire bats immigrated into North America as participants in the Great Amer…
Late Pleistocene Paramylodon harlani (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) from Térapa, Sonora, Mexico
While the North American mylodont sloth, Parmylodon harlani, has been identified in multiple localities in Mexico, most of these records are from the southern part of the country. Consequently, there is a large geographic gap between its distribution in Mexico and the more northern records of the species in the United States. The recovery of the remains of multiple individuals of Paramylodon harlani, as part of a late Pleistocene fauna in San Cle…
Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph depositional patterns in Kaziranga National Park, India: Implications for palaeoecology and palaeoherbivory analysis
The main aim of this study is to produce a modern analog for pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) preserved in soil in relation to the different vegetation types and herbivore impact in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The pollen data obtained reflects both the extant vegetation types in each habitat as well as landuse, but some site-by-site variation was observed with respect to the coprophilous fungal spores present in the palynoassembla…
Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Lehi Horse: Implications for Early Historic Horse Cultures of the North American West
Although recognized as one of the most significant cultural transformations in North America, the reintroduction of the horse to the continent after AD 1492 has been rarely addressed by archaeological science. A key contributing factor behind this limited study is the apparent absence of equine skeletal remains from early historic archaeological contexts. Here, we present a multidisciplinary analysis of a horse skeleton recovered in Lehi, Utah, o…
First record of the extinct ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii, (Xenarthra, Megalonychidae) from New York and contributions to its paleoecology
Coprophilous fungi from dung of the Greater One-Horned Rhino in Kaziranga National Park, India and its implication to paleoherbivory and paleoecology
Fungal spores, especially those of coprophilous fungi, are present in dung middens of Rhinoceros unicornis (greater one-horned rhinoceros) in both forest and grassland areas of the Kaziranga National Park, India. The presence of coprophilous fungi on rhino dung, chiefly Sporormiella , Saccobolus , Ascodesmis , Cercophora , and Sordaria , is documented for the first time. The Sporormiella – Ascodesmis – Saccobolus assemblage is abundant and charac…
Mammoths in Central America: New records from Guatemala
Mandibular osteopathy in a Hagerman horse, Equus simplicidens (Equidae, Mammalia), from Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (Idaho, USA)
Youngest Radiocarbon Age for Jefferson's Ground Sloth, Megalonyx Jeffersonii (Xenarthra, Megalonychidae)
A partial skeleton of the extinct ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii , recovered from a farm near Millersburg, Ohio in 1890, was radiocarbon dated for the first time. The ungual dated is part of a skeleton mounted for exhibit at the Orton Geological Museum at Ohio State University and was the first mounted skeleton of this animal. From its initial discovery the bones were treated with multiple organic compounds that had the potential to compromi…
Partial Skeleton of an Elk-moose, Cervalces scotti , from Chippewa Lake, Medina County, Ohio
A partial skeleton of an elk-moose, Cervalces scotti, was excavated at a depth of about 5 m below the surface near Chippewa Lake, Medina County, OH. A total of 44 bones and bone fragments were recovered from a male animal judged to be between 4.5 and 5.5 years old, based on comparison with Alces americanus and Cervus elaphus. Bone from the Cervalces was radiocarbon dated at 11,695 ± 35 14C yr BP. Peaty and calcareous muck from the level of the bo…
High-elevation late Pleistocene (MIS 6–5) vertebrate faunas from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
The vertebrate record at the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site (ZRFS) near Snowmass Village, Colorado ranges from ~140 to 77 ka, spanning all of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The site contains at least 52 taxa of macro- and microvertebrates, including one fish, three amphibian, four reptile, ten bird, and 34 mammal taxa. The most common vertebrate is Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander), which is represented by >22,000 elements representing t…
Summary of the Snowmastodon Project Special Volume A high-elevation, multi-proxy biotic and environmental record of MIS 6–4 from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA
In North America, terrestrial records of biodiversity and climate change that span Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 are rare. Where found, they provide insight into how the coupling of the ocean–atmosphere system is manifested in biotic and environmental records and how the biosphere responds to climate change. In 2010–2011, construction at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado (USA) revealed a nearly continuous, lacustrine/wetland…
Taxonomy, paleoecology and taphonomy of ground sloths (Xenarthra) from the Fairmead Landfill locality (Pleistocene: (Irvingtonian) of Madera County, California
The Fairmead Landfill locality contains a diverse middle Irvingtonian, (0.78–0.55 Ma), vertebrate fauna that includes three sloths, Megalonyx wheatleyi , Nothrotheriops shastensis and Paramylodon harlani . The co-occurrence of these three genera in a single fauna is relatively rare in both the Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean and this is only the fourth documented Irvingtonian fauna to contain all three sloth genera. The presence of the three diffe…
New evidence for Late Pleistocene human exploitation of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from northern Ohio, USA
The nature and extent of early human exploitation of late Pleistocene mega-mammals of North America have been vigorously debated; however, direct evidence of predation has been established for a small number of taxa. Until now, evidence of butchering and human utilization of ground sloths has been limited to South America. Osteological and taphonomic analyses of one curated collection of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from north…
Species-specific responses of Late Quaternary megafauna to climate and humans
Pre-Clovis Mastodon Hunting 13,800 Years Ago at the Manis Site, Washington
Further dating of the Manis site shows that people were hunting mastodons in North America by 14,000 years ago.
Exploring faunal dynamics and extinction in the Quaternary
Modeling Pleistocene local climatic parameters using macrophysical climate modeling and the paleoecology of Pleistocene megafauna
Mammoths and mylodonts: Exotic species from two different continents in North American Pleistocene faunas
Latest Pleistocene paleoecology of Jefferson's ground sloth ( Megalonyx jeffersonii ) and elk-moose ( Cervalces scotti ) in northern Illinois
New records of Jefferson's ground sloth ( Megalonyx jeffersonii ) and elk-moose ( Cervalces scotti ) from Lang Farm provide the first precise temporal correlation of these taxa with the specific environments inhabited by them near the time of their extinction. Six AMS 14 C measurements establish an age of 11,405 ± 50 14 C yr B.P. for Lang Farm Cervalces and an age of 11,430 ± 60 or 11,485 ± 40 14 C yr B.P. for the Megalonyx . These measurements r…
Phylogeny, diet, and habitat of an extinct ground sloth from Cuchillo Curá, Neuquén Province, southwest Argentina
Advancements in ancient DNA analyses now permit comparative molecular and morphological studies of extinct animal dung commonly preserved in caves of semiarid regions. These new techniques are showcased using a unique dung deposit preserved in a late glacial vizcacha ( Lagidium sp.) midden from a limestone cave in southwestern Argentina (38.5° S). Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial DNA show that the dung originated from a small ground slo…
The Ground Sloth, Megalonyx , from Pleistocene Deposits of the Old Crow Basin, Yukon, Canada
The bear-sized ground sloth Megalonyx, endemic to North America, was widespread during the Pleistocene, reaching as far north as Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. Twenty-two specimens collected from 10 localities in the Old Crow Basin, northern Yukon, include several bones that can be referred to Jefferson's ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) on the basis of the distinctive morphology of the upper and lower caniniform teeth. All of the …
Spatial Response of Mammals to Late Quaternary Environmental Fluctuations
Analyses of fossil mammal faunas from 2945 localities in the United States demonstrate that the geographic ranges of individual species shifted at different times, in different directions, and at different rates in response to late Quaternary environmental fluctuations. The geographic pattern of faunal provinces was similar for the late Pleistocene and late Holocene, but differing environmental gradients resulted in dissimilar species composition…
New evidence for Late Pleistocene human exploitation of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from northern Ohio, USA
The nature and extent of early human exploitation of late Pleistocene mega-mammals of North America have been vigorously debated; however, direct evidence of predation has been established for a small number of taxa. Until now, evidence of butchering and human utilization of ground sloths has been limited to South America. Osteological and taphonomic analyses of one curated collection of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from north…
Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Lehi Horse: Implications for Early Historic Horse Cultures of the North American West
Although recognized as one of the most significant cultural transformations in North America, the reintroduction of the horse to the continent after AD 1492 has been rarely addressed by archaeological science. A key contributing factor behind this limited study is the apparent absence of equine skeletal remains from early historic archaeological contexts. Here, we present a multidisciplinary analysis of a horse skeleton recovered in Lehi, Utah, o…
Spatial Response of Mammals to Late Quaternary Environmental Fluctuations
Analyses of fossil mammal faunas from 2945 localities in the United States demonstrate that the geographic ranges of individual species shifted at different times, in different directions, and at different rates in response to late Quaternary environmental fluctuations. The geographic pattern of faunal provinces was similar for the late Pleistocene and late Holocene, but differing environmental gradients resulted in dissimilar species composition…
The Ground Sloth, Megalonyx , from Pleistocene Deposits of the Old Crow Basin, Yukon, Canada
The bear-sized ground sloth Megalonyx, endemic to North America, was widespread during the Pleistocene, reaching as far north as Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. Twenty-two specimens collected from 10 localities in the Old Crow Basin, northern Yukon, include several bones that can be referred to Jefferson's ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) on the basis of the distinctive morphology of the upper and lower caniniform teeth. All of the …
Phylogeny, diet, and habitat of an extinct ground sloth from Cuchillo Curá, Neuquén Province, southwest Argentina
Advancements in ancient DNA analyses now permit comparative molecular and morphological studies of extinct animal dung commonly preserved in caves of semiarid regions. These new techniques are showcased using a unique dung deposit preserved in a late glacial vizcacha ( Lagidium sp.) midden from a limestone cave in southwestern Argentina (38.5° S). Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial DNA show that the dung originated from a small ground slo…
Latest Pleistocene paleoecology of Jefferson's ground sloth ( Megalonyx jeffersonii ) and elk-moose ( Cervalces scotti ) in northern Illinois
New records of Jefferson's ground sloth ( Megalonyx jeffersonii ) and elk-moose ( Cervalces scotti ) from Lang Farm provide the first precise temporal correlation of these taxa with the specific environments inhabited by them near the time of their extinction. Six AMS 14 C measurements establish an age of 11,405 ± 50 14 C yr B.P. for Lang Farm Cervalces and an age of 11,430 ± 60 or 11,485 ± 40 14 C yr B.P. for the Megalonyx . These measurements r…
Mammoths and mylodonts: Exotic species from two different continents in North American Pleistocene faunas
Exploring faunal dynamics and extinction in the Quaternary
Modeling Pleistocene local climatic parameters using macrophysical climate modeling and the paleoecology of Pleistocene megafauna
Species-specific responses of Late Quaternary megafauna to climate and humans
Pre-Clovis Mastodon Hunting 13,800 Years Ago at the Manis Site, Washington
Further dating of the Manis site shows that people were hunting mastodons in North America by 14,000 years ago.
New evidence for Late Pleistocene human exploitation of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from northern Ohio, USA
The nature and extent of early human exploitation of late Pleistocene mega-mammals of North America have been vigorously debated; however, direct evidence of predation has been established for a small number of taxa. Until now, evidence of butchering and human utilization of ground sloths has been limited to South America. Osteological and taphonomic analyses of one curated collection of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) from north…
Taxonomy, paleoecology and taphonomy of ground sloths (Xenarthra) from the Fairmead Landfill locality (Pleistocene: (Irvingtonian) of Madera County, California
The Fairmead Landfill locality contains a diverse middle Irvingtonian, (0.78–0.55 Ma), vertebrate fauna that includes three sloths, Megalonyx wheatleyi , Nothrotheriops shastensis and Paramylodon harlani . The co-occurrence of these three genera in a single fauna is relatively rare in both the Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean and this is only the fourth documented Irvingtonian fauna to contain all three sloth genera. The presence of the three diffe…
High-elevation late Pleistocene (MIS 6–5) vertebrate faunas from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
The vertebrate record at the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site (ZRFS) near Snowmass Village, Colorado ranges from ~140 to 77 ka, spanning all of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The site contains at least 52 taxa of macro- and microvertebrates, including one fish, three amphibian, four reptile, ten bird, and 34 mammal taxa. The most common vertebrate is Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander), which is represented by >22,000 elements representing t…
Summary of the Snowmastodon Project Special Volume A high-elevation, multi-proxy biotic and environmental record of MIS 6–4 from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA
In North America, terrestrial records of biodiversity and climate change that span Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 are rare. Where found, they provide insight into how the coupling of the ocean–atmosphere system is manifested in biotic and environmental records and how the biosphere responds to climate change. In 2010–2011, construction at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado (USA) revealed a nearly continuous, lacustrine/wetland…
Youngest Radiocarbon Age for Jefferson's Ground Sloth, Megalonyx Jeffersonii (Xenarthra, Megalonychidae)
A partial skeleton of the extinct ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii , recovered from a farm near Millersburg, Ohio in 1890, was radiocarbon dated for the first time. The ungual dated is part of a skeleton mounted for exhibit at the Orton Geological Museum at Ohio State University and was the first mounted skeleton of this animal. From its initial discovery the bones were treated with multiple organic compounds that had the potential to compromi…
Partial Skeleton of an Elk-moose, Cervalces scotti , from Chippewa Lake, Medina County, Ohio
A partial skeleton of an elk-moose, Cervalces scotti, was excavated at a depth of about 5 m below the surface near Chippewa Lake, Medina County, OH. A total of 44 bones and bone fragments were recovered from a male animal judged to be between 4.5 and 5.5 years old, based on comparison with Alces americanus and Cervus elaphus. Bone from the Cervalces was radiocarbon dated at 11,695 ± 35 14C yr BP. Peaty and calcareous muck from the level of the bo…
Mandibular osteopathy in a Hagerman horse, Equus simplicidens (Equidae, Mammalia), from Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (Idaho, USA)
Coprophilous fungi from dung of the Greater One-Horned Rhino in Kaziranga National Park, India and its implication to paleoherbivory and paleoecology
Fungal spores, especially those of coprophilous fungi, are present in dung middens of Rhinoceros unicornis (greater one-horned rhinoceros) in both forest and grassland areas of the Kaziranga National Park, India. The presence of coprophilous fungi on rhino dung, chiefly Sporormiella , Saccobolus , Ascodesmis , Cercophora , and Sordaria , is documented for the first time. The Sporormiella – Ascodesmis – Saccobolus assemblage is abundant and charac…
Mammoths in Central America: New records from Guatemala
First record of the extinct ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii, (Xenarthra, Megalonychidae) from New York and contributions to its paleoecology
Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Lehi Horse: Implications for Early Historic Horse Cultures of the North American West
Although recognized as one of the most significant cultural transformations in North America, the reintroduction of the horse to the continent after AD 1492 has been rarely addressed by archaeological science. A key contributing factor behind this limited study is the apparent absence of equine skeletal remains from early historic archaeological contexts. Here, we present a multidisciplinary analysis of a horse skeleton recovered in Lehi, Utah, o…
Late Pleistocene Paramylodon harlani (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) from Térapa, Sonora, Mexico
While the North American mylodont sloth, Parmylodon harlani, has been identified in multiple localities in Mexico, most of these records are from the southern part of the country. Consequently, there is a large geographic gap between its distribution in Mexico and the more northern records of the species in the United States. The recovery of the remains of multiple individuals of Paramylodon harlani, as part of a late Pleistocene fauna in San Cle…
Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph depositional patterns in Kaziranga National Park, India: Implications for palaeoecology and palaeoherbivory analysis
The main aim of this study is to produce a modern analog for pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) preserved in soil in relation to the different vegetation types and herbivore impact in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The pollen data obtained reflects both the extant vegetation types in each habitat as well as landuse, but some site-by-site variation was observed with respect to the coprophilous fungal spores present in the palynoassembla…
Possible Coevolution of Vampire Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Desmodus) and Large Xenarthrans (Cingulata, Pilosa) in North America and South America During the Quaternary
Vampire bats likely first appeared in South America in the early Miocene (~20 Ma) and evolved to feed upon the blood of native South American mammals of medium to large body size, in particular, xenarthrans–ground sloths, armadillos, pampatheres, and glyptodonts, and native ungulates–notoungulates and litopterns. Following the formation of the Panamanian Isthmus (~5 Ma), vampire bats immigrated into North America as participants in the Great Amer…
Geography (18 works) · Biology (16 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (15 works) · Evolution and Paleontology Studies (14 works) · Pleistocene (14 works) · Paleontology (11 works) · Archaeology (10 works) · Paleontology (10 works) · Ecology (9 works) · Paleoecology (8 works)