Yellowstone's Northern Range - Greater Yellowstone Science ...

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THE NORTHERN RANGE 24 Figure 2.7. Archeological excavation in J 996 of a cutbank alollg the Yellowstone River ill northern Yellowstone National Park revealed a bed of butchered ungulate bones. Recent archeological investigations are exposing numbers of ungulate bones left by prehistoric hunters at several locations. NPSphoto. today" (Hadly 1990). Wagner et al. (l995a) claimed that Hadly's (1990) evidence supported a recent increase in elk numbers in the Lamar Valley, because the majority of the elk bones were found in the top layers of the cave excavation, but this claim is apparently the result of ignorance of the taphonomy of such collections, in which the sample size of the larger bones is insufficient to make such specific interpretations ( E. Hadly, Mont. State Univ., pers. commun.). The Lamar Cave study does not provide us with the means to comparing elk numbers at some prehistoric time with elk numbers now; it only allows us to establish that elk were present prehistorically, and that they used the site much as they use it now. Other paleontological studies have addressed issues of vegetation community persistence, climate, erosion, and fire history, and will be covered below. THE ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORD The archeological record, though still comparatively slight, agrees with the paleontological record that a large variety of native fauna used the northern range prehistorically. Human occupation of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem began more than 10,000 years ago, and the existing archeological record indicates that humans have at times used the area's resources in many ways, from hunting and gathering to mining obsidian and other materials for use in weapons and tools (Haines 1977). Archeology in Yellowstone dates to the park's first decade, when Superintendent Norris noted many remains of Indian structures, some used for hunting ungulates, but professional archeological work in the park is a much more recent development. Malouf (1958) and Hoffmann (1961), in early surveys of park archeological sites, reported elk bones of unknown age at a wickiup site on Lava Creek. Hoffmann (1961) suggested that the lack of bones in the sites he studied might be the result of soil conditions; "the sites where such bone was found are mainly in the northern part of the Park along the Lamar, Gardner and Yellowstone Rivers." He also collected "stone gravers, tools used to incise bone, from sites along the Yellowstone River in the area where it leaves the northern park boundary." Taylor (1964) expanded on the work of Malouf and Hoffmann, reporting few bones but many hunting-related tools, such as scrapers and projectile points. The presence of such tools indicates that these early residents were in fact hunters, and further suggests that a native fauna must have been present. Wright (1984) regarded elk as rare prehistorically in southern Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. At sites on Swan Lake Flat, south of Mammoth Hot Springs, Wright found mule deer remains, and along the Gardner River near Mammoth Hot Springs he found ungulate and beaver bones (Wright 1982). Since these preliminary studies, most of which investigated only surface finds, more recent work has begun to reveal a more complete portrait of prehistoric fauna in and near present Yellowstone National Park (Figures 2.7 and 2.8). Cannon (1992) summarized archeological investigations along the shore of Jackson Lake in 1986- 1988 that identified bison bones common at several locations, as well as elk, moose, mule deer, and
PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC SETTING several predator species. These sites date within the past 1,500 years. Cannon (1992) also reported on a prehistoric (about 800 years ago) bison kill site recently excavated along the north shore of , Yellowstone Lake, and an archeological investigation near Corwin Springs that revealed elk, bison, deer, and a canid of unknown species. He found a variety of ungulate bones, including elk and bighorn sheep, at sites in excess of 1,000 years old along the Yellowstone River near Gardiner, Montana. Allen (U.S. For. Serv., pel's. commun.) reported a variety of ungulate bones at a site on Sphinx Creek, in Yankee Jim Canyon north of Yellowstone National Park. More recently, analysis of blood residue on prehistoric stone artifacts collected in Yellowstone National Park has revealed blood from bison, deer, elk, sheep, and rabbit, as well as from ursids, canids, and felids, at a) b) 25 various dates over the past 9,000 years, further proof of human lise of faunal resources (Figure 2.9) (Cannon and Newman 1994, Cannon 1995, Yellowstone Science 1995). It appears, then, considering the preliminary stage of our understanding of Yellowstone archeology, and considering the appearance of ungulate bones in a number of sites on the northern range, that prehistoric large ungulate presence is further established by the archeological record. Additional paleontology and archeology would be useful, however, because another interesting and longstanding archeological issue is the relative abundance of large mammals in greater Yellowstone prehistorically. Several archeologists who have worked in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem have stated that elk were rare there prehistorically (Frison 1978, Cassells 1983, Wright 1984). More broadly, a number of paleontologists, archeologists, and other investigators have pointed out that elk are relatively rare in sites in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho (Walker 1987, Hadly 1990, Kay 1990, Cannon 1992). It is uncertain, however, if rarity in archeological sites is proof of actual rarity during the times the sites were actively used by humans. Kay (1990) argued that rarity in archeological sites reflected actual rarity of elk in the region. Connor d) e) Figure 2.8. Archeologists excavating bison skull from a site near that shown in Figure 2.7, along the Yellowstone River in nonhe/7/. Yellowstone National Park. NPS photo. Figure 2.9. Five Yellowstone lLlke-area projectile poillls that tested positive for variOIlS mammal species' blood antisera: a) Late Paleoindian obsidian point, 9,000 years BP (Before PreselZl), tested positive for bear; b) Late Paleoindian chalcedony point, circa 9,000-10,000 years BP, tested positive for rabbit; c) chert Cody knife, about 9,000 years BP, tested positiveforbison; d) basalt Oxbow-like point, about 5,000 years BP, tested positive for deer; and e) obsidian cornernotched point, 1,380- 1,500 years BP, tested positive for canid. Dashed lines along bases of first two poilZls indicates extent of grinding where points were reworked at some time following their original construction. Drawings by Janet Robertson, COllrtesy of Kenneth Canlloll, Midwest Archeological Center.
Page 1: YELLOW"STONE'S NORTHERN RANGE COMPL
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Page 32 and 33: THE NORTHERN RANGE 16 Northern rang
Page 34 and 35: Figure 2.3. Sum ot rotal annual riv
Page 36 and 37: THE NORTHERN RANGE 20 Figure 2.4 Tr
Page 38 and 39: THE NORTHERN RANGE 22 dendrochronol
Page 42 and 43: THE NORTHERN RANGE 26 et al. (1991)
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Page 60 and 61: Figure 4.1. Northern range, showing
Page 62 and 63: Figure 4.2. Willow distribution in
Page 64 and 65: THE NORTHERN RANGE 48 Figure 4.4. I
Page 66 and 67: THE NORTHERN RANGE 50 public lands,
Page 68 and 69: THE NORTIlERN RANGE 52 Figure 4.5.
Page 70 and 71: THE NORTHERN RANGE 54 able uncertai
Page 72 and 73: THE NORTHERN RANGE 56 to confirm an
Page 74: THE NORTHERN RANGE 58 RESEARCH RECO
Page 77 and 78: SOIL, EROSION, SEDIMENTS, AND WATER
Page 79 and 80: SOIL, EROSION, SEDIMENTS, AND WATER
Page 81 and 82: ated with ungulate winter ranges. T
Page 83 and 84: ELK POPULATION ISSUES IS YELLOWSTON
Page 85 and 86: ange grazing issue, Yellowstone man
Page 87 and 88: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 71 ... Other
Page 89 and 90: ELK POPULATION ISSUES 73 1996d), so
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ELK POPULATION ISSUES 75 the northe
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ELK POPULATION ISSUES 77 It has evo
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 82 Competition t
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Figure 7.3. Bison winter range. Sin
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THE NORTHERN RANGE Figure 7.7. Envi
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 88 not aware of
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 90 tion size, an
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 92 activity (95
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 94 pursue the su
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 96 factors were
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THE NORTHERN RANGE Figure 7.13. Num
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 102 complex set
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 104 practically
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THE NORTHERN RANGE 106 appear suppr
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AppendixA. Conferences, Meetings, a
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lJO Year Estimate Comment Source 19
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lJ2 , Estimated # of Elk Year Date
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lJ4 Winter Total Count 1967-68 397
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116 Year Date of Count Parkwide Par
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118 Counts and estimates of mule de
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120 Northern Yellowstone winter ran
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122 Population estimates and reduct
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124 Actual count Inside Outside Est
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Pronghorn counted during spring sur
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128 Year 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1
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Ground and aerial counts of bighorn
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REFERENCE LIST NOTES ON THIS REFERE
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Pages 199-210 in Carbyn, L.N., S.H.
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Yellowstone National Park. Technica
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mammal mortality in the 1988 Yellow
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National Park. International Journa
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Mehus, C.A. 1995. Influences ofbraw
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__ , and __ . 1996a. Preburn root b
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Pages 127-138 in F.J. Singer, ed. E
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some northern Yellowstone elk. M.S.
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I I I I I
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