Paleontology Commons^™

A Multi-Isotope Investigation Of Mammoth Diet, Habitat, And Movement Patterns In The Central Great Plains, U.S.A., Jacob Mccloskey

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Great Plains in Nebraska consisted of wooded parklands and grasslands, whereas spruce (Picea) forests, parklands, and steppe grasslands dominated east of the Missouri River. I analyzed bulk carbon (δ¹³C), oxygen (δ¹⁸O), and strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotopes from tooth enamel in isolated mammoth (Mammuthus) molars to compare diet and movement patterns in two late Pleistocene assemblages: one in Nebraska (n = 24), and one in western Iowa and Missouri (n = 17). Furthermore, I identified a morphometric subset of molars as …

Temporal Trends And Dental Metric Variation In The Macaca Sylvanus Lineage, Cristina Stan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The extensive collection of fossil macaques from Europe, spanning from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene period, is believed to be of the species Macaca sylvanus. However, there has been a prolonged discussion regarding the classification of these specimens into a single taxonomic group as the existing dental sample exhibits a large amount of morphological and metric variation. Specifically, researchers have attempted to identify multiple subspecies based on chronological data of the paleontological locality and, secondly, based on dental metric variation. In this study, I assess temporal trends in the fossil record of Macaca sylvanus and compare overall variation …

Landscape And Paleoenvironmental Change In Stream Valleys Of The Central Great Plains, North America During Marine Isotope Stage 3 (Ca. 59-27 Ka)., T. Layzell, K. Andrzejewski, R. D. Mandel, P.R. Hanson

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Shark Paleoecology Of Coastal Georgia From The Miocene And Pliocene Epochs, Joshua Lee Clark, Benjamin Angalet

Georgia Journal of Science

The field of shark paleoecology often yields indecisive conclusions based on the limited fossilization of their anatomical structures, with the exception of their teeth. The majority of the Atlantic coast has been studied regarding the presence of certain prehistoric shark species from the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene epochs. However, information pertaining to the Georgia coast and understanding its potential community structure is relatively understudied. This study was conducted in which thousands of fossil shark specimens and subsequent marine fauna were collected from dredge spoils created by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Savannah District. A total of 5,127 fossil …

Field Guide To Big Bone Lick, Kentucky: Birthplace Of American Vertebrate Paleontology, Glenn W. Storrs, H Gregory Mcdonald, Eric Scott, Robert A. Genheimer, Stanley E. Hedeen, Cameron E. Schwalbach

Special Publication--KGS

Big Bone Lick is the birthplace of vertebrate paleontology in the Western Hemisphere and has a long and celebrated history in the exploration of the American colonial frontier and of the early United States. Notable European scientists of the 18th century such as Buffon, Cuvier, and Hunter discussed the fossils found there. Prominent Americans of the time, such as Boone, Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson are also part of the site’s history. It is the type locality for several extinct late Pleistocene megafaunal mammals, most notably the iconic American Mastodon, who were attracted to the area by salt licks dictated by …

Geometric Morphometric Analysis Of Modern Viperid Vertebrae Facilitates Identification Of Fossil Specimens, Lance D. Jessee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Snake vertebrae are common in the fossil record, whereas cranial remains are generally fragile and rare. Consequently, vertebrae are the most commonly studied fossil element of snakes. However, identification of snake vertebrae can be problematic due to extensive variation. This study utilizes 2-D geometric morphometrics and canonical variates analysis to 1) reveal variation between genera and species and 2) classify vertebrae of modern and fossil eastern North American Agkistrodon and Crotalus. The results show that vertebrae of Agkistrodon and Crotalus can reliably be classified to genus and species using these methods. Based on the statistical analyses, four of the …

New Reports Of Smilodon And Panthera From North American Cave Sites With Reviews Of Taxonomy, Biogeography, And History, Matthew Bushell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, three new reports of large felids from the Pleistocene are presented and discussed. A single partial left dentary from Jawbone Cave represents the first confirmed presence of S. fatalis in east Tennessee and was sampled for radiocarbon dating. Wind Tunnel and Chilly Bowl Cave are among the first records of P. onca to be identified confidently from Arkansas. Chilly Bowl Cave also produced two trackways attributable to Panthera sp., one set potentially belonging to P. atrox. In addition to the description of these remains and the caves they were found in, taxonomic histories for both S. fatalis …

Analysis Of Fossil Pollen From A Pleistocene Cypress Forest Preserved On The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Continental Shelf, Kathryn Joyce Garretson

Master's Theses

This study presents the findings of fossil pollen analysis performed on terrestrial sediments preserved on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf (site hereafter known as the Underwater Forest or DF). This research aims to establish vegetation composition on a continental shelf glacial refuge and provide a better understanding of vegetation response to sea-level rise. Two cores (15DF1 and 15DF3B) located at different locations within the forest were recovered and analyzed. Pollen results from both cores were similar, with high percentages of Taxodium and Nyssa pollen in the lowermost sections reflecting an assemblage typical of contemporary baldcypress swamps. Pollen assemblages …

Case 3847 – Simopithecus Oswaldi Andrews, 1916 (Currently Theropithecus Oswaldi; Mammalia, Primates, Cercopithecidae), Proposed Conservation By Reversal Of Precedence With Cynocephalus Atlanticus Thomas, 1884., Eric Delson, David M. Alba, Stephen R. Frost, Dagmawit Abebe Getahun, Christopher C. Gilbert

Publications and Research

The purpose of this application, under Articles 23.9.3 and 81.1 of the Code, is to conserve the usage of the species-group name Simopithecus oswaldi Andrews, 1916 by giving it precedence over its senior subjective synonym Cynocephalus atlanticus Thomas, 1884. Theropithecus is a common to dominant member of the extinct primate community across Africa after 4 million years ago (Jablonski & Frost, 2010) and often co-occurred with extinct humans (Hominini); fossils are also known rarely across Eurasia (Roberts et al., 2014). Most fossil samples are currently included in Theropithecus oswaldi (Andrews, 1916), which is often divided into chrono-geographic subspecies. Cynocephalus atlanticus …

Isotopic Analysis And Mobility Mapping Of Mammuthus Columbi From The Mammoth Site In South Dakota, Matthew Harrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, South Dakota preserves a unique death assemblage of sub-adult and adult male Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi). Extensive work on the site has led to a detailed understanding of the taphonomy of the assemblage; yet the life histories and ecology of these mammoths remain relatively unknown. Tooth enamel from four Mammoth Site mammoth individuals were bulk sampled with one of the individuals (MSL 742) also serially micro-sampled for 𝛿¹³C, 𝛿¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Isotopic results indicate that MSL 742 remained within the southern and western Black Hills …

Diatoms And Their Response To Tectonic Gateway Changes: Case Studies From Southern Hemisphere Sites, Jason James Coenen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation covers three major transitions in Earth's climate system throughout theCenozoic (the past 65 million years of Earth's history). The progressive breakup of the super continent Pangea and the ultimate change in ocean circulation (and redistribution of heat) as a result of tectonic events dating back to the Mesozoic, primed Earth's climate system for cooling and ultimately bipolar glaciation. Climate transitions in three distinct environments were studied using absolute diatom abundance, diatom assemblages, and geochemical tracers of diatoms (i.e., biogenic silica weight%). Two geographic regions are the focus of this dissertation work. Region one is the Ross Embayment of …

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of Quaternary Saltville, Virginia, Using Ostracode Autecology, Austin Gause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville valley in southwestern Virginia is home to Quaternary localities containing paleontological and archaeological remains. Historically the valley has been mined for salt and the small lakes, ponds and springs along the valley floor have a brackish signature. A preliminary report on the site’s ostracode fauna suggested that the site’s water was not always saline. This study analyzed modern and Quaternary ostracodes to understand the valley’s hydrologic and chemical evolution. Sediments contained primarily freshwater species, including the environmentally sensitive Candona crogmaniana. The presence of Pelocypris tuberculatum and a new Fabaeformiscandona species throughout a vertical section spanning the latest Pleistocene …

An Unusual Mastodon Revisited: Providing A Regional Focus For Mammut Americanum (Proboscidea, Mammutidae) In The Southeast, Matthew Inabinett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A century ago, two large American mastodon Mammut americanum specimens from coastal South Carolina were mounted for display at Amherst College. Their robust build, broad and pentalophodont third molars, and well-developed mandibular tusks were noted as unusual. Here, these specimens are redescribed; three additional mastodon mandibles from the same region of South Carolina are also described. Though collection information on these specimens is sparse, they appear to span >150 ka in the Middle to Late Pleistocene, and probably include the first report of Mammut from the earliest-Rancholabrean Ten Mile Hill Formation. Some “unusual” features — moderately to extremely broad third …

Identifying Dietary And Migratory Patterns Of Illinois Woolly Mammoth Populations Using Isotope Analysis Of Carbon, Oxygen, And Strontium, Matthew Harrington, Chris Widga, Al Wanamaker, Doug Walker

Celebration of Learning

The extinct woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) ranged from Alaska to the Northeastern Seaboard throughout the Late Pleistocene (100-10 Ka). Although it is recognized that woolly mammoths coincided with and lived in a region heavily influenced by glacial ice sheets, little is known about their dietary or migratory behavior. This study classifies and provides insight into the diet and mobility of Midwestern mammoths by analyzing stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen, and strontium preserved in the tooth enamel of these extinct elephantids. A woolly mammoth tooth from Moline, IL, was bulk-sampled and micromilled to extract the aforementioned isotopes from the …

Description, Taphonomy, And Paleoecology Of The Late Pleistocene Peccaries (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) From Bat Cave, Pulaski County, Missouri, Aaron L. Woodruff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The late Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Bat Cave, central Ozarks, Missouri provides an opportunity to assess specific aspects of behavior, ecology, and ontogeny of the extinct peccary Platygonus compressus. All identifiable elements referable to this taxon were catalogued and examined, and a minimum number of individuals of 70 was determined for the sample. The presence of distinct, non-overlapping age groups suggests that P. compressus utilized Bat Cave on a seasonal basis. A predator-prey relationship with Canis dirus, the second most abundant vertebrate from the Bat Cave site, is also described in this study. Damage patterns suggest that the …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Bison Latifrons And Paleoecological Inferences, Fabian Ceron Hardy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bison latifrons was a large Pleistocene herbivore that is traditionally hypothesized to have been adapted to living in forest openings and woodlands. According to this view, the species was primarily a browser of high-growing, woody plants. Very little isotopic work has been conducted on this species, and there have been no prior studies of high altitude localities containing this species. This study aims to address both of these issues.

B. latifrons is known from sites in several states, including California, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida, among others. These sites provide diverse examples of this species’ habitat and the opportunity to …

Climate Effects On Mammalian Body Size And Grassland Composition Inferred From Late Quaternary Grazers In The Great Plains Of North America, Tom Baldvins

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Several mammalian taxa exhibited a diminution during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: (1) human hunting and (2) climate change along with its effects on grasslands. I use stable isotopes from a variety of Quaternary grazing mammals to measure grassland changes following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Nebraska and to develop a climate proxy to compare with mammalian body size. Results indicate that latest Pleistocene equids and mammoths have δ¹³C values indicative of a C₃ or mixed C₃/C₄ diet. However, Holocene bison have greatly elevated δ^{13 …}

Landmark Analysis Of Musteloid Carnassials Applied To Taxonomic Identification And Examination Of Sexual Dimorphism And Regional Morphotypes, Joel Alvin Christine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Guy Wilson Cave (GWC) in Sullivan County, Tennessee holds many late Pleistocene mammal fossils. Based on visual morphology, several partial mandibles with lower carnassial from GWC appeared to be musteloids. Geometric morphometrics has been successfully used to identify fragmentary fossils, so a landmark based, 2 dimensional technique was applied to identify the GWC musteloids using the lower carnassial. Digital images of several GWC fossils and of extant reference musteloids were combined using morphometric programs tpsDIG1, tpsUtil, and tpsSuper. Statistical data analysis was performed in PASW Statistics. Results successfully separated Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk) from M. macroura (hooded skunk) and Martes …

Pleistocene Peccaries From Guy Wilson Cave, Sullivan County, Tennessee., April Season Nye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Descriptive and taphonomic analyses of undescribed Pleistocene Tayassuidae from Guy Wilson Cave within the East Tennessee State University and McClung Museum collections revealed a MNI of 16 Platygonus compressus and 2 Mylohyus from left femora and isolated teeth, respectively. Linkage between upper dentition and species identification is suggested by comparing Mylohyus fossilis to M. nasutus from other Pleistocene-aged sites. Long-bone NISP and age profiles show a predominance of Platygonus adults. Tayassuidae upper canines, likely Platygonus, suggest sexual dimorphism. Long bones were analyzed for carnivore damage and utilization revealing light utilization similar to that caused by modern wolves. Long bone …

Correlating Late Pleistocene Deposits On The Coastal Plain Of Virginia With The Glacial-Eustatic Sea-Level Curve, Timothy Wullschleger Scott

OES Theses and Dissertations

Late Pleistocene sediments mapped along Virginia's southeastern coastal plain record deposition by high-frequency cycles during isotope stages 5 to 1. Correlations between several geologic units both south (S) and east (E) of the Chesapeake Bay have proven difficult due to insufficient dating methods. To improve these regional correlations, two members of the Tabb Formation on Virginia's southside and two formations on the southern Delmarva Peninsula were selected for stratigraphic analyses. Ground penetrating radar provided geologic details in areas where samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The stratigraphically older units, Sedgefield Member of the Tabb Formation (S) and …

A Need For Redefinition Of North American Pleistocene Stages, J. D. Boellstorff

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Succession Of Late Cenozoic Volcanic Ashes In The Great Plains: A Progress Report, John Boellstorff

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Guidebook To The Late Pliocene And Early Pleistocene Of Nebraska, T. M. Stout, H. M. Degraw, L. G. Tanner, K. O. Stanley, W. J. Wayne, J. B. Swinehart

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Stratigraphic Framework Of Pleistocene Glacial And Periglacial Deposits In The Central Plains, V. H. Dreeszen

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Red Cloud Sand And Gravel, A New Pleistocene Formation In Nebraska, C. Bertrand Schultz, Eugene C. Reed, A. L. Lugn

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Recent studies of the stratigraphy and paleontology of the Pleistocene of Nebraska have resulted in additional data that require further clarification and partial revision of the Grand Island sand and gravel formation (1,2) in order that there may be no condusion as the results of varying usage of the term.

The Geologic History Of The Bison In The Great Plains (A Preliminary Report), C. Bertrand Schultz, W. D. Frankforter

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

THE GEOLOGIC history of the bison in North America is a subject which has received little attention to date. Osteological rather than geological problems have been the main concern of most writers who have so far published. If the geologic history of the bison is to be learned, it will be necessary to devote more time and effort in the field in determining the age of the deposits in which various specimens have been discovered and in making more extensive collections from deposits of known age. Unfortunately the majority of the type specimens have been surface finds and little attempt …

The Pleistocene Geology Of Nebraska, A. L. Lugn

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.