Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Geosciences

Date of Award

5-2023

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Blaine Schubert

Committee Members

Steven Wallace, Josh Samuels

Abstract

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 and P. onca are explored to explain the choice of name used for each felid. Regional reviews of material of each taxon are also presented.

Document Type

Thesis - embargo

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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