Thepaleofauna of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands consists ofEarly Eocene arthropods, vertebrates, plus rare nematodes and molluscs found ingeological formations of the northwestern North AmericanEocene Okanagan Highlands. The highlands lake bed series' as a whole are considered one of the great CanadianLagerstätten. The paleofauna represents that of alate Ypresian upland temperate ecosystem immediately after thePaleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, and before the increased cooling of the middle and late Eocene to Oligocene. The fossiliferous deposits of the region were noted as early as 1873, with small amounts of systematic work happening in the 1880-90s on British Columbian sites, and 1920-30s for Washington sites. Focus and more detailed descriptive work on the Okanagan Highlands site started in the last 1970's. Most of the highlands sites are preserved ascompression-impression fossils in "shales", but also includes a rarepermineralized biota and anamber biota.
The 1,000 km (620 mi) series of lacustrine deposits are located across the CentralBritish Columbia, Canada southeast to northern centralWashington state, United States. grouped informally into "Northern", "Central", and "Southern" sites.[1] The Northern sites consist of unnamedOotsa Group formations which outcrop as the"Driftwood shales" nearSmithers, British Columbia, the "Horsefly shales", of an unnamed formation and unnamed group which outcrop aroundHorsefly, British Columbia,[1] and possibly sites now considered lost in theQuesnel, British Columbia area,[2] The Central sites representKamloops Group formations with theMcAbee Fossil Beds,Tranquille River site andFalkland site, all in theTranquille Formation, theQuichena site andStump Lake site in theColdwater Beds and outcrops of theChu Chua Formation nearBarriere, British Columbia. The Southern sites include thePrinceton GroupAllenby Formation sites surroundingPrinceton, British Columbia, such as "Nine Mile Creek", "One Mile Creek", "Pleasant Valley", "Thomas Ranch", "Vermilian Bluffs", and "Whipsaw Creek". ThePenticton GroupsKettle River,Marama andMarron Formations in theBoundary District along the Canada-United States border are closely correlated with theKlondike Mountain Formation across the border.[3] The most southerly of the Okanagan Highlands lakes, the Klondike Mountain Formation in NorthernFerry County, Washington include the "Boot Hill site", "Corner Lot site", "Gold Mountain site", "Knob Hill site", and "Mount Elizabeth site".[1]
There is debate as to the affiliation of the, potentially lost, Quesnel sites with the Greater Okanagan Highlands. Archibaldet al. (2018) in a monograph of the Highlands Hymenoptera families included them as part of the series.[4] However the certainty for the placement was questioned earlier by Eberleet al. (2017)[5] and Archibald and Cannings (2022) who opted to tentatively exclude Quesnel from the highlands while discussing the history of field collecting in the region.[2]
The Okanagan highlands represent a snapshot of lake, wetlands, and montane forest animal life which existed approximately15 million years ago after theCretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. The temperate upland lakes hosted insects, fish, birds, and mammals with the notably well preserved megafossils often retaining insect colour patterns, gnat wing membrane hairs, and whole bird feathers.[6] In some cases the fine detail preservation of soft parts allows for the preservation of internal anatomy.[7]
Archibald and Makarkin (2006) suggested thedisjunct distribution of genera between the Danishwestern Limfjord coastsFur Formation and theOkanagan highlands may have been enabled by rising crust elevations in the northern Atlantic region and subsequent increase in landmass during theLate Paleocene which linked Northern Europe with Greenland until at least theEarly Eocene.[8] Several land bridge routes may have acted as migration corridors forbiotic interchange, the northernDe Geer land bridge fromFennoscandia to North America via northern Greenland, and the southernThulean land bridge from northern Britain though the Faroe Islands and then Greenland and North America. Several insect genera share disjunct distributions between the highlands and Limfjord including themecopteranCimbrophlebia, thegiant lacewingPalaeopsychops, thegreen lacewingProtochrysa, thebull dog antYpresiomyrma.[8]
TheHat Creek Amber deposits in the central region provide evidence for small and microbiotic elements of the Okanagan Highlands forests though entombed organisms such at terrestrialnematodes andmicrowasps that otherwise would likely not be preserved in the lake environments.[9] The highlands as a whole have been described as one of the "Great CanadianLagerstätten"[6] based on the diversity, quality and unique nature of the biotas that are preserved. The highlands temperate biome, preserved across a large transect of lakes, recorded many of the earliest appearances of modern genera, while also documenting the last stands of ancient lines.[6]David Grimaldiet al. (2018) during discussion of inclusions in AlaskanChickaloon amber, noted the Okanagan Highlands record of latitudinal extinctions, specifically the modern southern hemisphere endemic groupsEomeropidae mecopterans andMyrmeciinae bulldog ants.[10]
The majority of the lake deposits arecompression fossils in lake bed sediments noted for both the paleofauna andpaleofloras, with an additional pair of important non-compression biotas. A permineralizedchert flora, thePrinceton Chert is found along the Similkameen River interbedded with coal deposits of the Ashnola shale unit, Allenby Formation known for anatomically preserved plants.[11] In the Central sites,subbituminous coal of theHat Creek Coalfield aroundHat Creek hosts an entombment biota, theHat Creek amber, which preserves highlands faunal elements that are not found in the compression biotas.[9][4] Initial discussion of the amber presented byGeorge Poinar, Jr.et al. (1999) suggested the Hat Creek amber producing tree was likely to be anaraucarian tree in the genusAgathis, based on unreportedmagnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis and earlier reports of the genus in Mesozoic Canada.[12] A purported occurrence ofAraucaria at the McAbee site was used as additional support for the ambers origin.[13] TheAgathis origin for Canadian Mesozoic amber was later called into question by Ryan McKellar and Alexander Wolfe (2010) based on a lack of any araucarian macrofossil history in the northern hemisphere[12] the McAbee fossils having been already reidentifed as from the cupressaceousCunninghamia.[13] Based onFourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis and associated amber inclusion fossils, they suggested the Mesozoic ambers of Canada to be from the extinctcupressaceous genusParataxodium.[12] The origin of the Hat Creek ambers was further noted as likely from a cupressaceous source by Grimaldiet al. (2018) who call out a primary floral component of the host coal beingMetasequoia and that the coevalPuget GroupTiger Mountain amber of Washington state is also ofMetasequoia origins. They hypothesize that the major amber producing plant of the Paleocene Pacific Northwest forests asMetasequoia, but note that further investigation of Chickaloon, Hat Creek, Coalmont, and Tiger Mountain ambers would be needed.[10]
Mollusks are a rare component of the highlands, usually being mentioned only in passing, such as by Mark Wilson (1977, 1978),[14][15] and with fossils being reported from three sites only. A series of species were described from several Allenby Formation sites around Princeton by Russell (1957), who documented 4 gastropod species, and tentatively identified to genus another gastropod and a bivalve.[16] Additional unidentified small bivalve fossils were mentioned from the Pleasant Valley site by Wilson (1977) and the Quilchena site by Wilson (1987),[17] while unidentified gastropods were briefly mentioned by Kathleen Pigget al. (2018).[18]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A hydrobiid mud snail | ||||
| A lymnaeine pond snail | ||||
| Physidae |
| An aplexine bladder snail | |||
| A physine bladder snail | ||||
| Planorbidae |
| An ancylinine ramshorn snail | |||
Indeterminate[16] |
| A possible planorbinine ramshorn snail | |||
Indeterminate[16] |
| A possible sphaeriine fingernail clam | |||
Unidentified | Unidentified |
| Unidentified freshwaterbivalves. | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[18] |
| Unidentified freshwatergastropods. |
In the initial description of Hat Creek Amber, Poinaret al. make note of nematode specimens found in the deposit, with a brief commentary regarding them as the oldest terrestrial free-living nematode fossils to have been found up to that point, but did not give any specific taxonomic identification beyond that.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| Unidentified terrestrial specimens in amber |
A single arachnid has been described fully from the Okanagan highlands, theNursery web spiderPalaeoperenethis thaleri, known from an adult male. This spider was likely aquatic as are the other members of the family, and based on morphological similarities, it was possibly closer in relation to African and Asian species in thePerenethis genus group then to the only modern genus in British ColumbiaDolomedes.[19] Another spider specimen,University of Alberta 5007 was noted by Wilson (1977) from the Kamloops area, while various spiders have been attributed to the McAbee fossil beds.[20] Undescribed male and femaleorb-web spiders were figured by Wehr (1998) from the Princeton area.[21] Unspecified spider compression fossils were mentioned as occurring in passing by David Greenwoodet al. (2005) while discussing the increasing taxonomic richness of the highlands, but without specific site information.[22] Additionally, undiscussed amber fossils were mentioned by Poinaret al. (1999) in their initial report of Hat Creek amber inclusions.[9] Other arachnid evidence has been recovered in the form of fossilhymenopterans placed in families known predate or parasitize spiders. A diverse undescribed fauna of the "parasitoid" wasp familyIchneumonidae is known, some species of which are known to parasitize eggs or adult spiders. Another family,Sphecidae, which is a documented opportunistic predator of spiders and certain insects is known from a few isolated fossils at McAbee and Republic. Lastly thevespoid familyPompilidae has been found at both McAbee and Republic. This family, known as spider wasps, are behaviorally specialized as predators of spiders and a few other arachnids, provisioning newly laid eggs with a single spider as a larder to feed on while developing.[4] Galling preserved onAcer species leaf fossils has been attributed tomites in the familyEriophyidae.[23]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified[21] |
| Anorb-weaver spider | ||
| |||||
Unidentified | Unidentified[23] |
| Trace fossils | ||
| Unidentified | Unidentified |
| Spider Compression fossils from Kamloops area locations | ||
Unidentified[24] |
| PossibleAraneidae? orTetragnathidae? fossils | |||
Unidentified[22] |
| Spider compression fossils from unspecified highlands locations | |||
Unidentified[9] |
| Spider specimens in amber |
The earliest report of Crayfish from the highlands was byWesley Wehr andLisa Barksdale (1995). In a shortWashington Geology article they reported the first identified occurrence of feathers from the Klondike Mountain Formation and crayfish from both there and the McAbee site. At that time, themoulted carapace section from Republic was not identified further than as a freshwater crayfish. The McAbee specimen was tentatively identified, from photograph, as being a possibleProcambarus species fossil bymalacologistRodney M. Feldmann.[25] Subsequently an additional series of over ten fossils were recovered from McAbee and described in 2011 asAenigmastacus crandalli by Feldmann,Carrie Schweitzer, and John Leahy.A. crandalli was placed in the southern hemisphere superfamilyParastacoidea based on several morphological characters, and they noted this species to be the only northern hemisphere member of the superfamily.[26]
At the Quilchena site, brief mention was reported in 2016 ofostracod fossils, though no further discussion or description has happened.[27]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aparastacidcrayfish. | ||||
unidentified | Unidentified | unidentified[25] |
| An unidentified crayfish | undescribed |
unidentified | Unidentified |
| Unidentified ostracod shells |
In the initial description of Hat Creek Amber, Poinaret al. make note of a single adultCorydiinae cockroach specimen found in the amber, with a brief commentary on the modern tropical-subtropical distribution of that subfamily and a lack of any native cockroach species in western Canada, but did not give any specific taxonomic identification for the specimen beyond that.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed |
| UndescribedDiplopterinecockroaches. | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[29] |
| Ablattoideancockroach | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| An undescribedcorydiine cockroach | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| Harvester termites | ||
Undescribed |
| ||||
undescribed | Undescribed | Undescribed[29] |
| Undescribedtermites of uncertain affiliation |
The order Coleoptera is divided into four major lineages,Adephaga,Archostemata,Myxophaga, andPolyphaga, with the last group being the most species diverse of the four. Hat Creek amber has provided one fully described beetle speciesPrionocerites tattriei,[30] which is known from a larval stage specimen first reported by Poinaret al. (1999).[9] The species and genus were the first North American taxon from the family to be described.[30]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carabidae |
| Asun beetle | (1890 illustration) | ||
Undescribed[27] |
| Asun beetle relative | |||
Undescribed |
| Undescribedground beetles. | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[29] |
| |||
Undescribed | Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| Acaraboid superfamily beetle |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Reticulated beetles |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentidae |
| ||||
| |||||
Undescribed |
| long-horn beetles | |||
| Chrysomelidae |
| (1895 illustration) | |||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
Caryobruchus–Speciomerus genus group | Undescribed[38] |
| palm beetles, originally identified ascf. tribeCaryopemina.[27] | ||
Undescribed |
| leaf beetles | |||
Undescribed |
| Undescribed weevils | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Pintail beetles | ||
| APrionocerid beetle | ||||
| ![]() (1890 illustration) | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Undescribedcheckered beetle relatives | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| Undescribedpleasing fungus beetle relatives. | ||
Unidentified | Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| Acucujiform beetle |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buprestidae | Buprestis |
| (1890 illustration) | ||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| Asoldier beetle | ||
| Elateridae |
| Aclick beetle | ![]() (1890 illustration) | ||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
undescribed[36] |
| ![]() (1890 illustration) | |||
Undescribed |
| undescribedclick beetles |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed |
| ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Bess beetles | ||
| ![]() (1890 illustration) | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed |
| Undescribedscarab superfamily beetles. |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ![]() (1890 illustration) | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| UndescribedOmaliinaerove beetles. | ||
Unidentified | Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| A possiblestaphylinoid beetle |
Earwig fossils were first noted from republic bypaleoentomologist Standley Lewis (1992) in his initial report of the insect diversity at Republic. He noted the fossils to be some of the oldest Eocene demapterans in North America at that time and figured one undescribed specimen consisting of a females abdomen section andcerci.[29] Lewis (1994) tentatively identified the earwigs as members of familyForficulidae based on the shape of the cerci, and illustrated four female fossils, identified as such from the simple straight nature of the cercus. Lewis also suggested two different species were present, based on the differing lengths of the female cerci.[40]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ?Forficulidae | Undescribed | "Forficulid species 1"[40] |
| Aforficulid? earwig species with long cerci | undescribed |
"Forficulid species 2"[40] |
| Aforficulid? earwig species with short cerci | undescribed | ||
Unidentified[20] |
| A possibleforficulid earwig | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| Aforficuline earwig of undetermined placement |
The most common animal fossils at many of the highlands sites arebibionidmarch flies,[22] with over twenty species from the generaPenthetria andPlecia described.[41] The modern diversity of the family is greatest in lower latitudes, andPlecia only reaches northward to the warm temperate areas of southeastern North America.[22] In the initial description of Hat Creek Amber, Poinaret al. make note of dipteran inclusions found in the deposit but did not give any specific taxonomic identification of taxa or illustrate any specimen.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed | Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | ||
| Along-legged fly | (1910 illustration) | |||
Undescribed |
| dagger flies | |||
| Pipunculidae |
| ||||
Indeterminate |
| Big headed flies, | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| snipe flies | ||
Unidentified |
| hover flies or, less likely,thick headed flies |
The highlands have been noted for the number of Bibionid taxa named in the early work on British Columbian sites. Over 25 unique species have been ascribed to the fossils, with the current count sitting at 22, but doubt has been raised as to the true number of species present and around the generic affinities. The first species was described by Scudder (1879 from the Allenby Formation, while the largest number of species were named by Handlirsch (1910). Following the practice of the time, both Scudder and Handlirsch placed their species in the genusPenthetria. Harrington Molesworth Anthony Rice (1959) reviewed the British Columbian bibionids, notably deeming the majority of species as belonging toPlecia or an undescribed extinct genus and notPenthetria.[41] This placement decision has been questioned however, with Giuseppe Gentilini (1991) asserting the majority of highlands species should be returned toPenthetria.[47] Rice, noted to be a "splitter",[14] also noted the large overlap between the morphology of two species groups and mused that larger collection samples may reveal each group to be single species. He called out in the species discussions the similarities betweenPlecia avus,P. canadensis,P. dilatata,P. pictipennis,P. pulchra, andP. transitoria, and the similarities betweenP. curtula,P. nana,P. pulla, andP. reducta.[41]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibionidae |
| A possiblepenthetrianmarch fly | |||
| Penthetria |
| Aplecianmarchfly | |||
| |||||
| Plecia |
| Aplecianmarchfly | |||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| |||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| Aplecianmarchfly | ||||
| |||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[29] |
| Amarch fly | undescribed | |
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Abolitophilid fungus gnat | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| long-bodied craneflies | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| A possiblekeroplatid fungus gnat | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| Limoniid craneflies | ||
| Mycetophilidae | Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Agnoristinefungus gnat | |
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Aleiinefungus gnat | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Amycetophilinefungus gnat | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Amycomyiinefungus gnat | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[46] |
| Asciophilinefungus gnat | ||
Undescribed |
| fungus gnats unplaced to subfamily | |||
| (1910 illustration) | ||||
Unidentified |
| dark-winged fungus gnats | |||
| Tipulidae |
| (1910 illustration) | |||
Undescribed |
| crane flies | |||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| winter craneflies | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| Unidentified dipteran specimens in amber |
Lewis (1992) listed one species ofHeptageniidae and three specimens that he did not place to family from Republic.[29] The next year Lewis and Wehr (1993) gave a slightly more detailed description of the specimens again identifying one to Heptageniidae, possibly in the generaHeptagenia orStenonema.[52] The specimens were later examined byNina D. Sinitchenkova (1999) who described one as asquaregill mayfly and the oldest member of the genusNeoephemera, confirmed the Heptageniidaeidentification but that it was unidentifiable to genus. The last specimen she confirmed as an ephemeropteran, but unidentifiable below order level.[53]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indeterminate |
| Aflat headed mayfly | |||
|
Greenwoodet al. (2005) briefly discussed the prevalence ofAphid fossils at highlands sites where the taphonomic factors allowed for fine detail preservation such as in the Driftwood shales.[22] Poinaret al. (1999) made note of hemipteran specimens found in Hat Creek Amber but did not give any specific taxonomic identification or illustrate any specimens.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphrophoridae | Aphrophora |
| Anaphrophorinespittle bug hindwing species. | (1910 illustration) | |
"Indeterminate"[54] |
| Anaphrophorinespittle bug | |||
Undescribed[29] |
| Anaphrophorid spittlebug | |||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
"Indeterminate"[50] |
| Anaphrophorinespittle bug | |||
Undescribed[29] |
| Anaphrophorid spittlebug | |||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
| Cercopidae | Cercopis |
| (1895 illustration) | ||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
| Afroghopper | ||||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
| (1895 illustration) | ||||
Undescribed |
| cercopid froghoppers | |||
| Cicadellidae |
| (1890 illustration) | |||
Undescribed |
| leafhoppers | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| True cicadas | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| Acixiid planthopper | ||
"Indeterminate"[54] |
| Anenchophorinelantern bug | |||
Undescribed |
| Aricaniid planthopper | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed | Undescribed[29] |
| Afulgoroidean hopper | |
Incertae sedis |
| A hemipteran[32] of uncertain placement | (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Relatives ofleaf-footed bugs | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| Acydnid burrowing bug | ||
| Adinidoridshield bug | ||||
| Gerridae | Undescribed[20] |
| gerrinewater striders | ||
| |||||
| †Telmatrechus |
| Agerrinewater strider | (1910 illustration) | ||
| Agerrinewater strider | (1890 illustration) | |||
Undescribed |
| AShield or stink bug | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[27] |
| Pentatomoid shield bugs of uncertain familial placement |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphididae | Undescribed |
| Aphids | ||
Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | |||
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified |
| aphidoid specimens |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| Hemipterans in amber |
Archibald,Mathewes, & Aase (2023) reported aTitanomyrma species ant queen fromAllenby Formation, and noted the range extension forFormiciinae into the highlands, as the subfamily was previously considered a strictlythermophilic ant group. Due to complications arising from preservational distortion duringdiagenesis, they were unable to determine the correct size of the queen in life. If the distortion was lateral, then compression to bilateral symmetry yielded an adult length of approximately 3.3 cm (1.3 in), placing it the same range asFormicium berryi andF. brodiei, known only from wings, and suggested as possible males. Conversely stretching the fossil to bilateral symmetry results in a larger 5 cm (2.0 in) length estimate, placing it as comparable to queens ofT. lubei andT. simillima.[58]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cephidae |
| ||||
Undescribed | "Undescribed[4] |
| |||
| Cimbicidae[4] |
| ||||
| †Leptostigma[59] |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
Unidentified | Unidentified[59] |
| Acimbicid sawfly of indeterminate subfamily. | ||
| A parasitic wasp | ||||
| Siricidae |
| ||||
| |||||
| Tenthredinidae |
| ||||
| |||||
| Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Sawflys of thetenthredinid subfamilyAllantinae | ||
Undescribed[4] |
| Sawflys of thetenthredinid subfamilyBlennocampinae | |||
Undescribed[4] |
| Sawflys of thetenthredinid subfamilyNematinae | |||
Undescribed[4] |
| Sawflys of thetenthredinid subfamilyTenthredininae | |||
Undescribed[4] |
| Sawflys of the familyTenthredinidae, unplaced to subfamily |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braconidae | Undescribed[32] |
| ABracon sensu lato species wasp. | specimen 69&78 (1890 illustration) | |
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| braconid parasitic wasps unplaced to subfamily | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | ||
Cynipidae (?) | Undescribed |
| cynipidCynipoid gallwasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| diapriiddiaprioid wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| figitidcynipoid wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| heloridproctotrupoid wasps | ||
| Ichneumonidae |
| Axoridineichneumon parasitic wasp | (1910 illustration) | ||
Undescribed |
| ichneumonid parasitic wasps unplaced to subfamily | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| ceraphronoidMegaspilid parasitic wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| monomachiddiaprioid wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| peradeniidproctotrupoid wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| proctotrupid parasitic wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| roproniid (sensu lato)proctotrupoid wasps | ||
| incertae sedis[4] | Undescribed | Undescribed |
| Chalcidoid superfamily wasps | |
Undescribed[4] |
| mymarommatoid microhymenopterans |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Chrysidoid wasps of thechrysidid subfamilyChrysidinae | ||
Undescribed |
| pompilidspider wasps | |||
Undescribed |
| Scoliid wasps of the subfamilyArchaeoscoliinae | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| trigonalid parasitic wasps | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Vespid wasps |
| subfamily | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolichoderinae | Undescribed[4] |
| Dolichoderus species ants.[4] Not described to species | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Dolichoderine ants.[4] Not described to genus/species | ||
Indeterminate[58] |
| Aformiciine titan ant. | |||
| Formicinae |
| Aweaver ant | |||
| Aweaver ant | ||||
Indeterminate | indeterminate[63] |
| Aweaver ant tribe worker | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Formicinae subfamily ants.[4] | ||
| Myrmeciinae | †Avitomyrmex |
| |||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| †Myrmeciites |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| bull dog ants | ||||
| Amyrmeciinebulldog ant, first described as arhopalosomatid wasp.[4] | ||||
| †Ypresiomyrma |
| ||||
| |||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Myrmeciinae ants.[4] Not described to species | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Myrmicine ants of eitherLeptothorax orTetramorium[4] Not described to species | ||
| Incertae sedis |
| An ant of uncertain subfamily placement[4] | |||
Undescribed |
| Ants of uncertain subfamily placement.[4] |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angarosphecidae | †Eosphecium |
| Aspheciform wasp. | ||
Undescribed[4] |
| Spheciform wasps. | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Spheciform wasps, likely notEosphecium. | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Apid bees | ||
| Halictidae (?) |
| Asweat bee of uncertain generic placement | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| sweat bees | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Megachilid leaf-cutter beeherbivorytrace fossils on leaves | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed[4] |
| Sphecid (sensu stricto) wasps |
A solitary complete adult femalelepidopteran fossil has been recovered, but no full descriptive work has been published on the specimen, aside from a single PhD dissertation.[33] Early examination placed the moth in the familyGeometridae, but later work has identified it as the oldest member of thetiger moth subfamilyArctiinae.[68] Two additional isolated wing fossils have been found with one tentatively placed withinNoctuidae based on the wing venation and structure,[33] while the second has not been placed beyond order level.[69] Laval mining and hole feeding damage on leaves has been attributed to the familiesColeophoridae,Gracillariidae,Heliozelidae,Incurvariidae, andNepticulidae[42][70]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trace fossils | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[68] |
| Anarctiinetiger moth | undescribed | |
Undescribed |
| Trace fossils | |||
Undescribed |
| Trace fossils | |||
Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | |||
Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | |||
Undescribed[42] |
| Trace fossils | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[33] |
| A possibleowlet moth | ||
Undescribed | Undescribed | Undescribed[69] |
| A lepidopteran forewing |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| hangingfly specimens | ||
| †Cimbrophlebiidae | †Cimbrophlebia |
| |||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| †Dinopanorpidae | †Dinokanaga |
| |||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| Eomeropidae | †Eomerope |
| |||
| |||||
| |||||
| †Eorpidae | †Eorpa |
| |||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[75] |
| Undescribedcommon scorpionflies |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Chrysopidae | †Adamsochrysa |
| |||
| |||||
| †Archaeochrysa |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| Acorydasialidlacewing | ||||
| Hemerobiidae |
| Ahemerobiid lacewing | |||
| |||||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Brown lacewing specimens | ||
| Ithonidae |
| An Ithonid groupmoth lacewing | |||
| †Palaeopsychops |
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | |||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
†Palaeopsychops sp. indet[85] |
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | |||
| †Polystoechotites |
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | |||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A polystechotid groupmoth lacewing | ||||
| A Polystoechotid-groupmoth lacewing[88] | (1895 illustration) | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Polystoechotid-groupmoth lacewings | ||
| Nymphidae |
| Asplit-footed lacewing, possibly sister species to †Nymphes georgei | |||
| Asplit-footed lacewing | ||||
| Osmylidae | †Osmylidia |
| |||
| |||||
Indeterminate[92] |
| Aprotosmylineosmylid lacewing, | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| osmylid lacewing specimens | ||
| A possiblepsychopsid lacewing | ||||
Undescribed | Undescribed | Undescribed[20] |
| Members of an undescribed neuropteran family |
Trace fossil evidence ofdamselflies has been recorded fromoviposition scars on various leaves from the Klondike Mountain Formation that have been placed in theichnogenusPaleoovoidus. Lewis and Carrol (1991) originally identified the damage on anAlnus parvifolia leaf as caused byleaf beetles of the genusAltica. This was later questioned byConrad Labandeira who noted the scar patterns did not match modernAltica egg laying behaviour.
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeshnidae |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| †Ypshna |
| ||||
| |||||
| †Dysagrionidae |
| ||||
| †Dysagrionites |
| A probabledysagrioninecephalozygopteranodonate | |||
| A probabledysagrioninecephalozygopteranodonate | ||||
| †Okanagrion |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| †Okanopteryx |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| A possibleDysagrionidae odonate. | ||||
| Agossamerwingdamselfly. | ||||
| |||||
| A possiblecephalozygopteranodonate |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| Catanopineshort-horned grasshopper specimens | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| Possibleleaf-rolling cricket specimens | ||
| (1910 illustration) | ||||
| †Palaeorehniidae |
| ||||
| Apalaeorehniidensiferan. | ||||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| grig specimens | ||
Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| katydid specimens |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[20] |
| stonefly specimens |
The only reported Psocodea fossils from the highlands are known from Hat Creek amber. They were mentioned, as "Psocoptera", in passing by Poinaret al. (1999) who did not give any finer taxonomic detail or illustrate any specimens.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| specimens in amber |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Raphidiidae |
| ||||
| †Megaraphidia |
| ||||
| |||||
| |||||
|
Poinaret al. (1999) illustrated aThrips specimen in Hat Creek amber and noted the presence of the order in the fossils they examined, however they did not provide any finer taxonomic details on the affinities of the fossils.[9]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | Unidentified | Unidentified[9] |
| specimens in amber |
Trichopterans are known mainly from laraval cases and occasional isolated wings.[27]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified | unidentified[29] |
| northern caddisflies | ||
Unidentified |
| giant caddisflies | |||
Unidentified | Unidentified |
| Isolated wings and larval cases |
The first fish to be described from the Okanagan Highlands were recovered from Allenby Formation shales and subsequently studied byEdward Drinker Cope who namedAmyzon brevipinne in1894. The next descriptive work for a fish came in1916 with the naming of"Lucious" rosei byLouis Hussakof from Tranquille Formation fossils collected at "Red point" on Kamloops Lake in 1914.[102]"Lucious" rosei was redescribed in 1966 by Ted Cavander, who moved the species to a new genusEohiodon placed into the mooneye familyHiodontidae. The largest body of work for fish of the Highlands was by Mark Wilson (1977) who published a monograph detailing the Canadian highlands formations fish fauna, naming four new species in three new genera, plus redescribing both"Amyzon" brevipinne and"Eohiodon" rosei. The monograph added the families Salmonidae withEosalmo driftwoodensis, Libotoniidae withLibotonius blakeburnensis, and Moronidae withPriscacara aquilonia.[24] A year later the first species from the Republic area,"Eohiodon" woodruffi was described by Wilson,[103] and the second Republic speciesLibotonius pearsoni followed in 1979.[104] in 1982 the final new fish species named from the highlands,Amia hesperia, was described, being initially placed by Wilson in the modern bowfin genusAmia.[105] This placement was later questioned by Lance Grande and William Bemis (1998), who noted that due to preservational orientation of theA. hesperia holotype, generic placement of the species was problematic. Phylogenetic analysis ofAmiidae fossils by Grande and Bemis found the fossil as a member of the amiinae subfamily, but with key mouth anatomy missing, were unable to determine ifAmia or the extinct genusCyclurus was correct.[106] In 2021 fossils of"Amyzon" brevipinne were redescribed by Juan Liu based on the holotype and additional fossils from the Allenby Formation, and based on the anatomical differences between the species and the type species ofAmyzon mentale determined that the Princeton fossils were part of a different genus. As such Liu moved the species to the new genusWilsonium.[107]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amiidae | Amia? |
| |||
| |||||
| Catostomidae | †Amyzon |
| |||
| Asucker | ||||
| †Wilsonium |
| Acatostomid sucker, | |||
| Acatostomid sucker, | ||||
| Hiodontidae | Hiodon |
| Amooneye, first described asLucious rosei (1916), | ||
| Amooneye, first described asEohiodon woodruffi.[103] | ||||
Unidentified[28] |
| Amooneye jaw. | |||
| †Libotoniidae | †Libotonius |
| Asand roller relative. | ||
| Asand roller relative. | ||||
| |||||
| Salmonidae | †Eosalmo |
| A basalSalmon | ||
| A basalSalmon |
The only reptile fossils known from the Okanagan highlands come from the Allenby Formation. A soft-shelled turtle is known from the "Ashnola shales" unit and unidentified turtle bone are known from the interbeddedPrinceton Chert. The soft shelled turtle was first discovered by James Basinger from dark shale layers above the chert and reported by Wilson (1982).[105] The unidentified turtle bones were found preserved within the chert layers and first reported by Stockey and Pigg (1994).[112] In his 1995 Masters thesis, G. Guthrie listed an isolated tooth from the Quilchena site as from acrocodile, which would have been the only instance of acrocodylian in the highlands.[28] The taxonomic affinity was later revised after further examination and Matheweset al. (2016) listed the specimen as an unidentified fish tooth.[113]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cf.Apalone orAspideretes |
| Asoft shelled turtle | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed | undescribed[112] |
| Aturtle, |
A small avifauna is known from the Okanagan Highlands, but due to the incomplete nature of the fossils, placement of studied specimens has been tentative at best.[115]Gerald Mayret al. (2019) published an initial overview of the fossils with descriptions and commentary of the material, noting the taxa identified were all previously unknown to Northwestern North American Eocene sites. Despite the tentative nature of the fossil identifications, the Highlands sites are the richestPaleogene avifauna described from Canada. Mayret al. (2019) posited that the fossils likely represent the more common species in the avifauna of the Highlands, but at the same time, include taxa that are considered rare or absent in the most studied avifaunas from the same time frame.[115] Additional evidence of birds at some sites consists of preservedegested bird pellets, which are composed of randomly grouped fish bone clumps, occasionally including multiple fish or insects.[28]
Isolated feathers are also known from several of the sites and have not described in detail.[115]
| Order/Clade | Family | Material | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
indeterminate | partial skeleton |
| a large possibleColiiform, | ||
indeterminate | left wing and partial right wing, with feathers |
| a possiblegaviiform, | ||
articulated postcranial skeleton |
| A possiblesongziid bird, | |||
complete, but poorly preserved, skeleton |
| a possiblezygodactylid, | |||
indeterminate[115] | indeterminate | partial skeletons |
| partial skeletons missing details for identification. | McAbee site |
indeterminate | feathers |
| isolated feathers |
Eocene mammals are exclusively known from sites in, or possibly in, the Okanagan Highlands. The earliest reported mammals were of teeth from the Princeton area in 1935, with one of the fossils subsequently being "lost". More recent work in 2014 and 2017 on fossils from Driftwood and Princeton have expanded the mammal families to three, possibly four, and an undescribed Quilchena fossil being identified as a "lipotyphla".[116][5] The record ofBrontotheriidae is uncertain due to the split opinion regarding inclusion of the Quesnel area sediments as part of the Highlands.[5][4][2]
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erinaceidae |
| Ahedgehog and moonrat relative | |||
| An unidentified hedgehog relative, | ||||
| Esthonychidae | †Trogosus |
| Atillodont species | ||
| An indeterminatetillodont | ||||
indeterminate[116] |
| ||||
undescribed | undescribed | undescribed[5] |
| A "lipotyphlan" |
Pellets of fish bone and other animal material which were likely eaten by larger predators and then regurgitated have been reported from the Quilchena and Republic sites. These traces, calledregurgitalites, have so far been understudied, with only a few passing mentions in Okanagan highlands literature.[115]
If the Quesnel sites are included as part of the Greater Okanagan Highlands per Archibaldet al. (2018) the fauna of the region is expanded by a number of insect taxa, an additional arachnid, and a brontothere.
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anorb-web spideregg sack. | (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ![]() (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ananthomyiid fly. | (1890 illustration) | |||
| Ananthomyiid fly. | (1890 illustration) | |||
Undescribed | Undescribed[32] |
| An undescribedrobber fly | ||
Undescribed[120] |
| An undescribedlong-legged fly. | specimen 14651 (1890 illustration) | ||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
"Lonchaea" |
| Alauxaniid fly. First placed inLonchaea[120] | (1890 illustration) | ||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| ![]() (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashield bug | (1890 illustration) | |||
Incertae sedis |
| Anaphidomorph of uncertain placement | (1890 illustration) | ||
incertae sedis |
| Anaphidoid of uncertain placement | (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amyrmicine ant, possiblynomen dubium.[122] | (1890 illustration) | |||
| Anant of uncertain placement. | (1890 illustration) | |||
| Adolichoderine ant | (1890 illustration) | |||
| Aformicine ant | (1890 illustration) | |||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) | ||||
| (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahemerobiid lacewing of uncertain subfamily placement | (1890 illustration) |
| Family | Genus | species | Sites | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
indeterminate | indeterminate[124] |
| ABrontotheriina subtribe Brontothere |