FASCINATING FOSSILS
MAIN INDEX | Fossilization process |Protocol |Beginning... |
Notable prehistoric fauna | Other fauna | Scenics |
FASCINATING FOSSILS
MAIN INDEX | Fossilization process |Protocol |Beginning... |
Notable prehistoric fauna | Other fauna | Scenics |
FLORIDA HAS ONE OF THE
RICHEST FOSSIL RECORDS of any
state in the nation. ((BUT THERE WERE NO DINOSAURS HERE?)) The absence of earthquakes
and volcanoes combined with a wet depositional system has resulted in a diverse fossil record that
spans over 25 million years.
Millions of years later, as rivers and streams carve into Florida's terrain, fossils are continuously
unearthed from their prehistoric burial. Fossil hunting can provide hours of entertainment for the serious
hunter or vacationing family. Fossils may be found almost anywhere... the best kinds of
places to look are... A couple of good places for casual fossil hunting include...include the stream at
San Felasco, etc...
Over time, the skeletal remains of sea creatures, shells, and coral, created a limestone bedrock.
Eventually, temperatures changed and sealevels dropped. The Atlantic separated from the Gulf of
Mexico and a peninsula emerged from beneath the ocean. Mammals began to migrate onto the
southern peninsula.
Surprisingly, the mammoth and mastodon stood in the shadow of the enormous
prehistoric sloths. Sloths migrated to Florida from Central America
during the late Miocene 8-9 million years ago.. Ranging 20 feet tall, the
enormous creature could reach another 7 to 8 feet into the air. They were, and
still are, the largest land animal to ever inhabit Florida. (EVEN BIGGER THAN
DINOSAURS?) ((ARE THESE THE GLYPTODONTS THAT USED TO BE HERE? DIDNT"
THE GLYPTODONTS LIVE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE INDIANS?))
this DEP site
this Florida Museum of Natural History Fossil
Clubs site
This page was authored by Sarah Cervone, with assistance from Becca Hassell.
This project is a collaboration of
THE FOSSILIZATION PROCESS
Fossils are the natural replicas or imprints of living organisms. Fossilization occurs when sediments
are deposited over the remains of a plant or animal. The sediments protect the remains from the
environment. The organic material decomposes and may leave an imprint in the hardened rock. An
animals skeleton can also become fossilized when minerals such as carbonates
and silica, displace the atoms in the bone. Eventually, the minerals replace the bone completely and
create a natural replica.
FOSSIL HUNTING PROTOCOL
Systematic as well as commercial fossil
hunters must obtain a fossil
permit from the state of Florida to collect unarticulated fossils, fossils that have been
separated from the associated skeleton. If a whole or partial skeleton is found, the Florida Museum of
Natural History must be notified at (352) 392-1721. If scratches on the fossil indicate that the animal
was hunted by humans, the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research must be notified at (850)
487-2299.
IN THE BEGINNING...
Florida emerged from beneath the ocean 37 million years ago.
Until that time, ancient marinelife such as snake-like whales, dugongs, sea biscuits, and urchins inhabited
the Florida seabottom. Sharks dominated the region, yet their fossil history and evolution is
difficult to trace. Sharks do not have a skeleton, but they produce an abundance of teeth which can be
used to identify and distinguish separate species. ((Sharks teeth are common fossils found here..))
((Fossil sharks teeth belonged to shark species such as)) Extinct great white (Carcharodon
auriculatus), extinct mackerel (Otodus obliquus), and common name here (Odontaspis
microta) occupied Florida waters during the Oligocene 35 million years ago. Lemon
(Negaprion), extinct snaggletooth (Hemipristis serra), sharp nose (Rhizoprionodon
terrae-novae), and extinct tiger (Galeocerdo aduncas) and another extinct great white
(Carcharodon megalodon) arrived 15 millon years ago. Others became extinct in Florida, yet
continue to exist in other parts of the world such as mako (Isurus hastalis) and sand
(Odontaspis cuspidate). Florida's history on the ocean floor remains apparent as the skeletal
remains of ancient marinelife can be found throughout the state.
NOTABLE PREHISTORIC FAUNA
Mammoths and mastodons
are among the most notable mammals to roam prehistoric Florida. Gomphotherium
is the oldest genre of mammoth. It entered Florida about 15 million years ago
and vanished 10 million years later. Rhynchotherium pliomastodons arrived
during the Pliocene and led to the Pleistocene genus Mammut, which includes
the American mastodon (Mammut americanum). Mastodon had a low
skull, thick upper tusks, and vestigial lower tusks, Two species of mammoth
arrived in Florida 1 million years ago, the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus
columbi) and imperial mammoth (Mammuthus imperator). Standing thirteen feet
tall, the mammoth can be distinguished from the mastodon by its huge upper tusks,
high domed skull, and lack of lower tusks. They can be most easily
distinguished by differences in their teeth. Mastodons had high profile crowns
for forest browsing; mammmoths had flat ridged molars for grazing. Florida
mammoths were larger than their northern cousins, and they lacked a woolly
cover. ((Mammoth fossils have been found in... You can see some at the
museum...))
American Bison are the largest land animal to occupy North America
since the end of the Pleistocene epoch. They appeared in Florida 500,000 years
ago. The now extinct Bison latifrons and Bison antiquus had a horn span of up
to six feet. Although it neared extinction, their modern descendent Bison
bison, is making a gradual comeback and remains the largest native species
occupying the North American continent.
Florida's American Alligator is one of only two species of prehistoric alligator to
survive into the present Holocene epoch. Allligator mississipiensis appeared in Florida ten
million years ago. Like the bison, the American alligator also neared extinction. Yet, protection efforts
have resulted n a successful recovery.
Horses
appeared in Florida 30 million years ago. Mesohippus was a three-toed
horse that stood only a couple feet tall. Hipparion, Cormohipparion,
Neohipparion, and Nannipus are species of three toed horses that vanished five
million years ago. Nannipus lasted until the end of the Pliocene as Equus,
predecessor to the modern horse, began its appearance. Eventually, Equus
became extinct in the North American continent and horses did not occupy
Florida until their reintroduction by spanish explorers in the seventeenth
century.
Prehistoric horses were commonly preyed upon by saber-toothed cats.
Nine million years ago, during the Miocene epoch, Barbourofelis, a false saber
toothed cat appeared in Florida. Weighing 120 pounds, the prehistoric cat
sported curved flat upper canines. In contrast, Nimravides possessed sharp
rounded canines. ((WHAT IS NIMRAVIDES?)) The smallest of Pleistocene cats,
Megantereon, arrived in Florida 5 to 6 million years ago and eventually
evolved into the larger-sized Smilodon gracilis that survived until 300, 000
years ago. As Smilodon gracilis vanished, the larger sabers, Smilodon
floridanus (aka S. populator), Smilodon fatalis, Panthera atrox, Felis
atroxand the recently discovered scutes, that allowed them to roll into protective positions.
((BIG ENDING. such as, "No other place has the variety of fossil animals ... Keep your eye out for
spare teeth, sting ray jaws, etc..." AND TRANSITION TO LINKS - "Here is the DEP site for fossil
hunting..." Here is somebody's site for fossil clubs.")))
This page was designed and is managed by Sara Reinhart.
Photography and graphics are by Ann Murray, Sara Reinhart and Vic Ramey.
Vic Ramey is the editor.
the
Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of Florida, and
the
Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, Florida Department of Environmental
Protection
CAIP-WEBSITE@ufl.edu
Copyright
2002 University of Florida