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

灰色化石遗址脊椎动物的系统采样：阿巴拉契亚山脉南部独特的中新世-上新世动物群史蒂文·c·华莱士和布莱恩·舒伯特东田纳西州立大学中新世晚期，北美经历了巨大的环境和生物转变。然而，这些变化的化石记录几乎全部来自佛罗里达州——西至墨西哥湾沿岸，然后向北穿过大平原，最终到达西北部，而北美东部的大部分地区则没有记录。田纳西州东部中新世晚期-上新世早期的灰色化石遗址（GFS）为我们进一步了解这一重要时期北美生物群（特别是南部阿巴拉契亚山脉）的演变提供了一个独特而重要的机会。要解决的科学问题包括：东亚的森林生态系统和北美东部的森林生态系统之间是否存在联系（正如全球生态系统生物群的亚洲组成部分所表明的那样），至少直到中新世晚期？如果是这样，这种联系存在了多久，它的破裂动力是什么？当北美其他地区经历大规模生态转型时，阿巴拉契亚山脉充当了森林避难所的角色吗？此外，由于其孤立性，GFS是否会保护与其最接近的欧亚亲戚（如在北美和亚洲植物群落中观察到的）分离的哺乳动物物种？最后，是什么地貌学过程首先导致了如此惊人的化石积累？该项目将对GFS进行系统的挖掘，这无疑将大大增加化石含量，物种多样性和丰富度。新建的自然历史博物馆由州和地方政府共同支持，为化石收藏提供了一流的设施，确保了它们的专业准备、研究和出版。已经并将继续对在灰色化石遗址收集的材料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.