SECOND PLACE - SESSION A (Botony, Zoology, Geology and Geography)

Reconstructing the Past: An Analysis of Miocene Aged Vertebrate Fossils in East Tennessee.

Patricia J. Cross, King College

A biological analysis of the fossil vertebrate faunas of the Southern Appalachian region. The newly discovered fossil vertebrates deposited within a former sinkhole in East Tennessee provide a rare example of late Miocene fauna. These discoveries reveal the hidden biological diversity once present approximately seven million years ago. The Gray Fossil Site is among the most diverse fossil communities in the United States, enriched with fossils ranging from rhino, to the newly discovered species of panda and badger, and has the largest concentration of fossil tapirs ever recorded. Through the analysis of data collected during excavation, the Gray Fossil Site presents an untold story of the Southern Appalachian region and reveals a hidden diversity unseen for several million years.