the amazing life history of the porcus boriphoricus as per the recent dig in the cuyahoga valley...
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The Amazing Life History of the Porcus boriphoricus
As per the recent dig in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Teacher Excavation Program
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Why this dig?
• Professor Maxwell Monter from Akron University has proposed the existence of Porcus boriphoricus from the existence of other Ohio Ice Age remains and fossils.– Plants: spruce, fir, hemlock, tamarack, cedar and
larch. (same plants in N. Canada today) – Animals: mammoth, mastadon, muskox, caribou,
short-faced bear, ground sloth, and giant beaver
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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4Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational
Materials
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Why this dig?
• Pigs and pig-like species typically exist in these types of ecosystem– (when humans are not present)
• Professor Monter hypothesized that the Dire Wolf and Smilidon would have feasted on the Porcus boriphoricus
• NO bones available for research….HUGE need to find tangible evidence of this animal
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The CVNF Dig
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
• Cuyahoga Valley National Forest (CVNF) asked high school teachers to sign up for a dig.– 1 week in June 2012
• Ice age location recently unearthed due to Erie canal maintenance.– Identified by evidence of lack of previous glaciated
topsoil.• Teachers brought in to help unearth evidence.– (free labor from enthusiastic workers!)
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The CVNF Dig
• Mark & Ginny-Athens• Clyde and Philip-Hudson• Professor Monter
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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The CVNF Dig
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
• Teachers given background in proper dig procedure
• Classes in mammalian anatomy, ice age ecosystems, paleoartistry and deciphering ground clues
• Reconstructed presumed replica fossils to take to classrooms.
• Required to present to current Biology classes
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The CVNF Dig• During maintenance of Erie
canal, a pre-Pleistocene strata un-earthed.
• Construction was halted until a digging team was called in.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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The CVNF Dig
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
• What did I do?– Lots of digging!!– Comparative snout mark analysis– Helped with articulating hypothesized skeleton• Made molds from others models
– Got tired….often
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The CVNF Dig• No tangible evidence was found.• Not a total loss!• Presumed pig rooting marks– Under a few layers of topsoil.– Pig snout marks
• Maybe some pig hoof prints• Somewhat comparable to current
wild boar markings.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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The CVNF Dig
• Only from presumed snout marks, skull determined.
• Size of skull led to overall body plan– Based on current pigs / hogs– Nothing to make measurements of except marks in
soil
• No physical evidence found!• But some info might be
available
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The CVNF Dig• Rest of skeleton assumed from assumptions of skull• Presumed Porcus boriphoricus skeleton (below).• About 4-5 feet tall
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Paleoartists rendering of the Porcus boriphoricus
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The CVNF Dig• Hypothesized teeth positively identify P.
boriphoricus as omnivore that favored mosses, grasses, earthworms, root vegetables and snails.
• From presumed skelton, P. boriphoricus had a top speed of 25 mph
• This suggests large previously unknown predatator that used speed to hunt P. boriphoricus– Work next summer?
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Team examining reconstrucuted Porcus boriphoricus
• Team examining final fleshed-out model• Trying to deduce behaviors from hypothesized
model
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Porcus boriphoricus
• Body structure– 4 feet tall at the shoulders– About 200-450 pounds (males larger)– 4 toes• 2 large & 2 small
– Black or dark brown with thick short hair• Males had a mane• Piglets had a mottled appearance for camouflage• Females bare on undersize for nursing
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Porcus boriphoricus
• Habitat– Evergreen forests gathering funguses growing on
dead and decaying woods– Rooted around under trees for grubs, worm and
tubers.– Nested in pine needle beds or thick brush in and
around pine forests
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Porcus boriphoricus
• Diet– As most pigs are omnivores, P. boriphoricus, also
presumed to be an omnivore– Therefore teeth sharp in front and grinding in back• Many pig species males have large canines so those
were included in our model as P. boriphoricus
– No fossilized poop or other remains found
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Porcus boriphoricus
• Mating – Since males had large canines they MUST have been
fighting one another.– Males had dramatic winking to alert rival males of
intent to challenge– Very loud call to gather females (males had large
chest cavities)– Males had harems of 4-7 sows– Sows had 6-10 piglets (sow age dependent)– With most pigs, piglets stay for a max of 6 months
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Educational Materials
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Porcus boriphoricus
• Any questions?
• Quiz tomorrow??