This project uses exploratory 3D geospatial analyses to assess the taphonomy of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS). During the Pliocene, the GFS was a forested, inundated sinkhole that accumulated biological materials between 4.9-4.5 mya. This deposit contains fossils exhibiting different preservation modes: from low energy lacustrine settings to high energy colluvial deposits. All macro-paleontological materials have been mapped in situ using survey-grade instrumentation. Vertebrate skeletal material from the site is well-preserved, but the degree of skeletal articulation varies spatially within the deposit. This analysis uses geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze the distribution of mapped specimens at different spatial scales. Factors underpinning spatial association, skeletal completeness, and positioning of specimens were examined. At the scale of the individual skeleton, analyses of the Mastodon Pit explore how element completeness and orientation/inclination of the mastodon reflect post-depositional processes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-5428 |
| Date | 01 August 2021 |
| Creators | Carney, David |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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