Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern Appalachians

东部田纳西州立大学的Steven C.Wallace和Blaine Schubert在中新世晚期北美经历了戏剧性的环境和生物变化。然而，这些变化的化石记录几乎完全来自佛罗里达州--向西到墨西哥湾沿岸--然后向北穿过大平原--最终到达西北部，留下了北美东部的大部分地区。田纳西州东部的晚中新世-早上新世灰色化石遗址(GFS)为我们进一步了解北美生物群(特别是阿巴拉契亚山脉南部)在这一重要时期的演化提供了一个独特而重要的机会。需要解决的科学问题包括：至少在中新世晚期以前，东亚的森林生态系统与北美东部的森林生态系统之间是否存在联系(如全球气候系统生物群的亚洲组成部分所示)？如果是这样的话，这种联系持续了多长时间，其破裂的动力是什么？当北美其余地区经历大规模生态转型时，阿巴拉契亚山脉是否充当了森林避难所？此外，由于与世隔绝，GFS是否会保留与其最接近的欧亚近亲分离的哺乳动物物种(就像在北美和亚洲植物群落中观察到的那样)？最后，是什么挖掘过程导致了化石的如此戏剧性的积累？该项目将对GFS进行系统的发掘，这无疑将显著增加化石的含量、物种的多样性和丰富性。新的现场自然历史博物馆，由州和地方政府支持，是培养化石收藏品的一流设施，确保它们的专业准备、研究和出版。在灰化石遗址收集的材料方面，已经并将继续进行广泛的学生培训和教育。

Systematic Sampling of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrates: A Unique Mio-Pliocene Fauna from the Southern AppalachiansSteven C. Wallace and Blaine Schubert, East Tennesse State UniversityNorth America experienced dramatic environmental and biotic shifts during the late Miocene. However, the fossil record of these changes comes almost exclusively from Florida - west to the Gulf Coast - then north through the Great Plains - and eventually to the Northwest, leaving most of eastern North America unrepresented. The late Miocene-early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of eastern Tennessee provides a unique and significant opportunity to further our understanding of the evolution of the North American biota (specifically the southern Appalachians) during this important period. Scientific questions to be addressed include: was there a connection between the forested ecosystems of eastern Asia and those of eastern North America (as indicated by the Asian components of the GFS biota), until at least the late Miocene? If so, how long was this connection present, and what were the dynamics of its breakup? Did the Appalachians act as a forested refugium while the remainder of North America underwent large-scale ecological transition? Moreover, because of its isolation, will the GFS preserve species of mammals which are disjunct from their closest Eurasian relatives (as observed in North American and Asian plant communities)? Lastly, what taphonomic processes resulted in such a dramatic accumulation of fossils in the first place? This project will undertake systematic excavations of the GFS which will undoubtedly significantly augment the fossil content, species diversity and abundance. The new on site Natural History Museum, supported both by state and local governments is a superb facility for growing the fossil collections, assuring their professional preparation, study and publication. There has been and will continue to be extensive student training and education on material collected at the Gray Fossil Site.