104 Gary S. Morgan 



Discussion. — Lasiurus intermedins roosts almost exclusively in trees 

 and appears to be closely associated with Spanish moss (Barbour and 

 Davis 1969). Although the yellow bat is known from more fossil sites 

 (six) in Florida than any other bat species except Myotis austroriparius, 

 it is uncommon in the sites where it occurs, generally being represented 

 by only one or two specimens. The rarity of L. intermedins remains in 

 fossil sites is not difficult to explain, because the majority of fossil chi- 

 ropteran faunas in Florida are derived from deposits formed in caves, 

 fissures, or sinkholes. Yellow bats are not known to enter caves, so 

 apparently their presence in cave foss*il deposits results from being 

 brought into caves by predators, most likely the Barn Owl, Tyto alba. 

 According to Jennings (1958), L. intermedins commonly feeds over 

 water, thus providing a possible explanation for the presence of the spe- 

 cies at Vero, based on WeigeFs (1962) interpretation of the site as a 

 pond or marsh. The two elements of L. intermedins identified from Stra- 

 tum 3 represent one individual. 



Lasiurus cf. seminolus (Rhoads, 1895) 



Referred material. — Stratum 3-V7204, nearly complete right humer- 

 us; V7205-7206, proximal ends of right humeri; V7207, distal end of 

 left humerus. 



Recent distribution. — Lasiurus seminolus occurs primarily in the 

 southeastern United States from North Carolina to Texas. The Seminole 

 bat is found throughout most of Florida, as far south as Lee County on 

 the Gulf Coast and Broward and Dade counties on the east coast. 



Fossil record. — This is the first fossil record of Lasiurus seminolus, 

 assuming the identification is correct. In general, the small species of 

 Lasiurus have a poor fossil record. Lasiurus borealis has been reported 

 from only five fossil sites: Reddick IA, Florida (although this could just 

 as easily represent L. seminolus); Bat Cave, Missouri; Natural Chimneys 

 and Clark's Cave, Virginia; and Organ-Hedricks Cave, West Virginia 

 (Kurten and Anderson 1980). 



Description and comparisons. — The proximal humeri referred to 

 Lasiurus cf. seminolus are readily distinguished from all Florida vesper- 

 tilionids, except Lasiurus, by the elliptical humeral head oriented at a 

 45° angle to the shaft. They can be separated from the proximal humer- 

 us of Tadarida brasiliensis, the only similar-sized molossid in Florida, 

 by the relatively smaller humeral head, reduced greater and lesser tu- 

 berosities, and less expanded pectoral and medial ridges. The single distal 

 humerus agrees with Lasiurus and differs from all other Florida bats in 

 the presence of a deeply excavated olecranon fossa. In addition, the 

 fossil and Lasiurus can be separated from other Florida vespertilionids 

 by the prominent distal spinous process. Unlike Tadarida and most 

 other molossids in which the spinous process is free, the spinous process 



