Early Blancan Mammals of the Beck Ranch Local Fauna of Texas

The Beck Ranch local fauna was recovered from 65 tons of sand and clay sediments from a quagmire in Scurry County, Texas. Of the 58 taxa identified, members of the genera Perognathus, Peromyscus, Nasua and Spilogale(?) are described as new species; Lasionycteris and Nasua are recorded from the Blancan age of North America for the first time; and the characters of Brachyopsigale dubius Hibbard are reassessed. The Beck Ranch local fauna is rich in small forms but larger mammals, other than Nannippus beckensis, are rare. The local fauna is thought to be younger than the Fox Canyon local fauna of Kansas, but slightly older than the Rexroad local fauna of Kansas, the Benson local fauna of Arizona, and the Blanco local fauna of Texas.