UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 



GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES 



Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 9-17, 10 text figures December 22, 1921 



NOTES ON PECCARY REMAINS FROM 

 RANCHO LA BREA 



BY 



JOHN C. MEREIAM and CHESTER STOCK 



CONTENTS 



Introduction — - 9 



Platygoiius, possibly n. sp. or n. subsp 10 



Skull 10 



Dentition 13 



Limb elements 15 



Conclusion 17 



INTRODUCTION 



Study of the collections of Pleistocene mammals obtained by the 

 University of California from the asphalt deposits of Rancho La Brea 

 has revealed a single astragalus belonging to a peccary. Later exca- 

 vations at Rancho La Brea conducted by the Los Angeles Museum of 

 History, Science and Art under the direction of the late Dr. Frank S. 

 Daggett have brought to light additional remains of the dicotyline 

 group of mammals, among which are a fairly preserved skull and some 

 incomplete limb elements. These are now in the palaeontological col- 

 lections of the Los Angeles Museum and afford a better opportunity 

 than does the single astragalus to secure needed information concern- 

 ing the group in the Pleistocene of California. 



Infrequency of occurrence of peccaries in the asphalt beds lends 

 special interest to the record of their presence, and may be of greater 

 or less significance in an interpretation of problems relating to the 

 Rancho La Brea fauna. The completeness of the record of Pleistocene 

 mammalian life in western North America as offered by the collections 

 from Rancho La Brea makes it desirable to ascertain the status of the 

 more uncommon types occurring in the asphalt beds, particularly of 

 forms closely related to species met with in other Pleistocene deposits. 



