Fish remains from Homestead Cave and lake levels of the past 13,000 years in the Bonneville basin
Quaternary Research
By: J.M. Broughton, D.B. Madsen, and Jay Quade
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Abstract
A late Quaternary ichthyofauna from Homestead Cave, Utah, provides a new source of information on lake history in the Bonneville basin. The fish, represented by 11 freshwater species, were accumulated between ~11,200 and ~1000 14C yr B.P. by scavenging owls. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of Lake Bonneville varied with its elevation; 87Sr/86Sr values of fish from the lowest stratum of the cave suggest they grew in a lake near the terminal Pleistocene Gilbert shoreline. In the lowest deposits, a decrease in fish size and an increase in species tolerant of higher salinities or temperatures suggest multiple die-offs associated with declining lake levels. An initial, catastrophic, post-Provo die-off occurred at 11,300-11,200 14C yr B.P. and was followed by at least one rebound or recolonization of fish populations, but fish were gone from Lake Bonneville sometime before ~10,400 14C yr B.P. This evidence is inconsistent with previous inferences of a near desiccation of Lake Bonneville between 13,000 and 12,000 14C yr B.P. Peaks in Gila atraria frequencies in the upper strata suggest the Great Salt Lake had highstands at ~3400 and ~1000 14C yr B.P. (C) 2000 University of Washington.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Fish remains from Homestead Cave and lake levels of the past 13,000 years in the Bonneville basin |
| Series title | Quaternary Research |
| DOI | 10.1006/qres.2000.2133 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Year Published | 2000 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Quaternary Research |
| First page | 392 |
| Last page | 401 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |