ETSU paleontologist Dr. Steven Wallace will describe evidence from the Gray Fossil Site indicating a possible connection between the forested ecological communities of North America and Eurasia during an ETSU Physics Seminar on Tuesday.
This free public seminar, sponsored by the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geology in the ETSU College of Arts and Sciences, begins at 4 p.m. in 261 D.M. Brown Hall. Refreshments will be served from 3:45-4 p.m.
According to Wallace, the typical diets of such species of the woodland badger, the red panda and short-faced bears, as compared to existing species of vegetation indigenous to Southern Appalachia, suggest immigration of these animals indicating “a long period of interchange between the forested biomes of eastern North America and those of the Old World during the Late Miocene.” Also, this could indicate that the forest surrounding the Gray “pond” during that era may have remained relatively unaltered during a period of climactic change, providing a stable environment and food supply for the animals residing in the area.
For more information or for special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Dr. Richard Ignace at 439-6904 or ignace@etsu.edu.

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