Using GIS to assess FAUNMAP and determine geographic range characteristics of mammoths and mastodons, Great Lakes, USA
During the Terminal Pleistocene, many now extinct megafauna roamed across North America. Two of the most widely studied genera from this time period are Mammut (or mastodons) and Mammuthus (or mammoths). While paleoenvironmental studies on individual site localities have been performed, no one has attempted to do a regional study on such species. Additionally, most research on fauna during this time focuses on community dynamics rather than individual species (or genera). The prime source of data for these studies is the FAUNMAP database; however, some studies reveal issues with using the database. During this investigation, the FAUNMAP database was compared to a database I created, consisting of the original database and other sites previously published, yet not included, in the FAUNMAP database. To limit the spatial extent for the study, only site localities for the Great Lakes region were used, due to the large concentration of mammoth and mastodon fossils and palynology and plant macrofossil studies. After adding 528 new sites, the hypothesis stating FAUNMAP was an effective database for studies concerning individual species (or genera) was rejected. Further objectives, using the modified database, determined geographic range characteristics, such has size, range shift through time, and associated vegetation. Assuming the site localities are located near their feeding grounds, the associated vegetation may provide a geographic understanding of their diets; however, the results for this study were inconclusive.
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- In Collections
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Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Copyright Status
- In Copyright
- Material Type
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Theses
- Authors
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Adams, Kristin M.
- Thesis Advisors
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Yansa, Catherine H.
- Committee Members
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Arbogast, Alan F.
Roloff, Gary J.
- Date Published
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2013
- Subjects
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Paleobotany
Mammoths
Mammals, Fossil--Geographical distribution
Geographic information systems
Great Lakes Region
- Program of Study
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Geography
- Degree Level
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Masters
- Language
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English
- Pages
- xx, 220 pages
- ISBN
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9781267938879
1267938870
- Permalink
- https://doi.org/doi:10.25335/3qm9-jj64