THE FORT-POLK MIOCENE TERRESTRIAL MICROVERTEBRATE SITES COMPARED TO THOSE FROM EAST TEXAS

The small mammal faunas of four Miocene sites from western Louisiana a re compared with two sites of similar age from east Texas. All sites a re Barstovian and the three most abundant categories of small mammals are the geomyoid, cricetid and heteromyid rodents. Each site differs s ignificantly from the others in the distribution of the most abundant small mammals. These relative differences are probably related to fore st/grass cover and soil wetness. Taphonomic factors and mode of fossil recovery are also partially responsible for observed differences, and slight differences in age are considered likely. At the Fort Polk sit es, squirrels, beavers, lagomorphs, bats, shrews and hedgehogs total l ess than 10% of the fauna.