UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 



GEOLOGY 



Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 21-24, 1 text-figure 



Issued October 3, 1W6^ 011 



A NEW MUSTELID FROM THE THOUSAND 

 GREEK PLIOCENE OF NEVADA 



BY 



EMERSON M. BUTTER WORTH 



The collections made by the University of California expedition to 

 the Thousand Creek region of Nevada in the summer of 1915 include 

 a mustelid form differing markedly from previously known types. 

 It is desirable to place on record a description of this addition to the 

 Great Basin fauna in order that the information may be available 

 for studies involving the whole faunal assemblage of the Thousand 

 Creek Pliocene. 



The writer wishes to express his appreciation for the kind criticism 

 and guidance of Professor John C. Merriam, under whose direction 

 this work has been executed. 



Taxidea nevadensis, n.sp. 



Type specimen an imperfectly preserved mandible, with P 4 , M„ and M 2 ; 

 no. 22290, Univ. Calif. Col. Vert. Palae.; from the Thousand Creek Pliocene of 

 Thousand Creek, Nevada. 



Diagnostic characters: teeth robust, P 4 with accessory cusp posterior and 

 external to the protoconid; protoconid, paraeonid, and metaconid of M, forming 

 an approximately equilateral triangle, with the cutting shear poorly developed; 

 heel of Mj large, with peg-like hypoconid, and well-developed entoconid; M 2 

 nearly circular in cross-section, but with four imperfectly developed tubercles. 



The new mustelid form is known by a single mandible, specimen 

 22290, representing an animal intermediate in size between the Recent 

 badgers and the martens. Due to the fragmentary nature of the 

 material, discussion of generic and specific characters must be con- 

 fined to the dentition. Imperfect preservation also precludes the 



