Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Geosciences
Date of Award
5-2014
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Jim I. Mead
Committee Members
Blaine W. Schubert, Steven C. Wallace
Abstract
Bison spp. (bison) fossils are scarce on the Colorado Plateau, especially within the greater Grand Canyon region. Because of the poor fossil record for bison on the plateau and in Grand Canyon National Park, various resource managers have surreptitiously designated bison a nonnative and human-introduced species. The lack of evidence for bison seems to be the result of collection bias rather than a true lack of bison remains. Today, Grand Canyon National Park has a neighboring herd of 350 bison that have meandered unwantedly onto National Park lands from neighboring Forest Service and State of Arizona lands. This study spatiotemporally illustrates bison are recently native to the greater Grand Canyon area based on previously misidentified specimens in archaeological collections. Data here may require resource managers to reconsider whether or not bison should be reconsidered a native species to the Grand Canyon National Park and elsewhere on the Colorado Plateau.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Martin, Jeffrey M., "Late Pleistocene and Holocene Bison of Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau: Implications from the use of Paleobiology for Natural Resource Management Policy" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2360. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2360
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Paleobiology Commons, Paleontology Commons