Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Geosciences
Date of Award
5-2022
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Joshua X. Samuels
Committee Members
Blaine Schubert, Chris Widga
Abstract
The early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) is a biodiverse site with a unique faunal assemblage that represents one of few sites of its age in eastern North America. A community structure analysis of the mammals at GFS was done to characterize species and better understand the paleoenvironment. Data and was gathered from twenty modern communities and five late Neogene sites to compare with GFS. Species from these 26 sites were categorized by body size, locomotor mode, cheek tooth crown height, and diet to characterize niches occupied. Descriptive statistics contrasted proportions of species within categories across communities. Discriminant function analyses (DFA) determined characteristics that best differentiate communities and classified fossil site habitat types. DFA results indicate that the GFS paleoenvironment was a habitat most similar to modern temperate forest regions in the eastern U.S. and China. Characteristics of GFS are dissimilar from other late Neogene sites examined in this study.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Clark, Sarah, "Community Structure Analysis of Mammals Found at the Gray Fossil Site, TN" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4060. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4060
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Paleobiology Commons, Paleontology Commons