PLEISTOCENE VERTEBKATES FROM CUMBERLAND CAVE 



35 



specimen though exhibiting a youthful dentition has a relatively much 

 deeper ramus than in either of the youthful specimens figured by Cope. 

 Dr. E. R. Hall (1936), however, regards these differences as of only 

 age significance. 



The modifications of the upper facial region in the Cumberland 

 Cave form resemble those seen in M. nigripes, but in the latter species 

 the postorbital processes are more prominently developed and the 

 convergence backward to the postorbital constriction is more extreme. 

 The dental characters throughout are decidedly more like those of 

 M. vison. In M. nigripes the protocone of the upper carnassial and 

 the protocone shelf of M^ are more reduced, and the heel of the lower 

 carnassial is very narrow, with the talonid basin entirely lacking. 



MUSTELA cf. VISON Schreber 



Figures 16-18 



Included in the mustelid material from Cumberland Cave are six 

 skull portions and an equal number of lower jaws belonging to mink 

 (see figs. 16-18). The fossil material closely resembles the form 

 M. vison mink living in Maryland at the present time. A number of 

 differences were observed between the fossil and modern forms, but 

 the magnitude or importance of these differences is not greater than 

 that of the distinctions seen to exist between several of the subspecies 

 currently recognized. 



Table 8. 



-Measurements {in millimeters) of skull, mandible, and dentition of 

 Mustela vison 



Measurement 



Skull and superior dentition 



Distance anterior end of nasals to line between postorbital processes 



Width between orbits 



Width at postorbital processes -.- — 



Width across outer margins of canine alveoli.- - — 



Length of upper tooth series, anterior margin of canine alveolus to 



posterior surface of carnassial — - 



T*, anteroposterior diameter along outer wall 



P<, transverse diameter including protocone - -.- 



P*, transverse diameter posterior to protocone 



Mandible and inferior dentition 



Depth of lower jaw below trigonid of Mi — 



Distance from apex of coronoid to base of angle -- 



Ml, anteroposterior diameter 



Ml, transverse diameter of trigonid over anterior root 



Mi, greatest transverse diameter - 



Ml, transverse diameter of talonid -- 



Mus*ela cf . 



viaon 



U.S.N.M. 



no. 8156 



17.7 

 14.5 

 16.8 

 13.8 



19 



7.4 

 4.7 

 2.6 



6.5 

 17.7 



2.5 

 3 



2.8 



Must, la V. 



vison 



U.S.N.M. 



no. 2242 



(Biol. 



Surv.) 



15 

 14 

 16 

 12.5 



17.4 

 6.7 

 3.8 

 2.2 



6 

 17 

 7.5 

 2.4 

 3.1 

 2.9 



Mustela P. 



mink 

 U.S.N.M. 

 no. 241192 



(Binl. 



Surv.) 



16.8 

 14.7 

 16.3 

 13.6 



18.4 

 7.5 

 4.4 

 2.4 



6.7 

 18.4 

 8.2 

 2.5 

 3.2 

 3 



