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The time range represented is from over 28,400 year BP. Not all taxa are found throughout this long period, but they can be divided into three main groups (Table 10.3). Group I (Holocene and Pleistocene) is formed by those species that occur through most of the stratigraphic sequence, accounting for more than half of the identified of the identified species (n = 39, 57.3 percent). Group 2 (n = 18 species, 26.5 percent) is composed of those species found only in the Holocene sediments. Species that occurred only in the Pleistocene strata constitute Group 3.
Table 10.3 Mammal Species from Loltun Cave Divided According to Their Temporal Record in the Excavation.
Group 1- Holocene and Pleistocene
Didelphis marsupialis, Marmosa canescens,M. Mexicana, Cryptotis, Cryptotis mayensis, Peropteryx macrotis, Pteronotus parnellii, Mormoops megalophylla, Chrotopterus auritus, Glossophaga soricina, Stumira lilium, Artibeus jamaicensis, hiroderma villosum, Desmodus rotundus, Diphylla ecaudata,Eptesicus furinalis, Lasiurus ega I. Intermedius, Nyctinomops laticaudatus, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Leopardus pardalis, L. wiedii, Puma concolor, Panthera onca, Conepatus semistriatus, Spilogale putorius, Nasua narica, Mazama sp, Odocoileus virginiamus, Pecari tajacu, Sciurus deppei, S. yucatanemis, Orthogeomys hispidus, Heteromys gaumeri, Oryzomys couesi, Ototylomys phyllotis, Peromyscus leucopus, P. yucatanicus, Sigmodon hispidus, Sylvilagus floridanus.
Group 2 – Holocene Only
Philander opposum, Pteronotus davyi, Carollia brevicauda, Centurio senex, Natalus stramineus, Myotis keaysi, Eumops bonariensis, E. underwoodi, Promops centralis, Molossus rufus, Dasypus novemcinctus, Canis familiaris, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Bassariscus sumichrasti, Procyon lotor, Mustela frenata, Coendou mexicanus, agouti paca
Group 3 – Pleistocene Only
Marmosa lorenzoi, desmodus cf. D draculae, Canis dirus, C. latrans, C. lupus, mephitis sp, Cuvieronius sp, Equus Conversidens, Bison sp, Hemiauchenia sp, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
Note that the only horse bones mentioned are listed as Pleistocene only. Also note the bison bones, which is probably what was originally thought to be cattle bones.
Now, where were the Pleistocene animal remains found? The next citation makes it very clear:
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The Pleistocene mammal fauna from Loltun Cave consist of those remains from the bottom of Level VII downward and is represented by fifty species (Groups 1 and 3) in forty genera, twenty-three families, and nine orders. This variety is one of the largest from the late Pleistocene of Mexico (Arroyo-Cabrales et al, in press; Kurten and Anderson 1981). Furthermore, it is the most diverse fossil mammal fauna for the Neotropical region of North and CentralAmerica (Fernasquia-Villafranca 1978; Webb and Perrigo 1984).
There was only one citation that made the dating of the horse bones seem questionable, and it certainly wasn’t placing them up in level V. This citation does not contradict the above citations, because we already know the scientists say that the demarcation between the Pleistocene era and the Holocene era could be in the bottom of Level VII. This would be around 9,500 BC.
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To date, a comprehensive publication on the site has not been produced; however, several studies have reported on some of the important findings from the excavations by INAH. These findings include layers with ceramics and lithics, and layers with only lithics in association with extinct animals. These ceramic lithic layers are important for assessing the purpose and lifestyle of the first human beings that occupied the Yucatan Peninsula. Other studies cover lithic morphology and typology (Konieczna 1981), and biological remains, such as mammal bones (Alvarez and Polaco 1972; Alvarez and Arroyo-Cabrales 1990; Arroyo-Cabrales and Alvarez 1990), mollusk shells (Alvarez and Polaco 1972), and plants (Montufar 1987; Xelhuanzi-Lopex 1986).
It is clear that Loltun Cave is an important site because of the presence of lithic tools and Pleistocene fauna, though doubts still exist about the stratigraphic and temporal associations. The presence of Pleistocene Equus conversidens in ceramic layers has been interpreted as possible proof of the survival of the extinct horse into the Holocene (Schdmit 1988).
Level VII is a ceramic level, and we already know that the animals were at the bottom of Level VII. There is uncertainty as to whether the demarcation between the Pleistocene and Holocene eras would be in Level VIII or at the bottom of Level VII. The rest of the citations in this book accept the placement of the demarcation in Level VII.
Now could this be evidence of the horse in the Book of Mormon time period? Nonsense. This is like Sorenson’s earlier statement that supposedly finding pockets of extinct animals surviving into 8,000 BC would constitute evidence for the Book of Mormon. We are still talking about many thousands of years prior to the Book of Mormon time period.
Now I have no idea what Sorenson read in Schmidt that made him think there were horse remains in Level 5 and above, but I sure would like to see it, because the authors of THIS book, who obviously also had access to Schmidt's research, certainly did not draw that conclusion.