See more from this Division: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies
See more from this Session: Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain Paleontology
Abstract:
Although data is somewhat sparse, it appears that by the late Eocene at least, the Gulf Coast had a somewhat different marine tetrapod fauna when compared to the Atlantic Coast. This is probably due to differences in the depositional environments in each region, resulting in somewhat different organisms inhabiting each.
The record of post-Eocene marine tetrapods in the Gulf Coast becomes poor for various reasons. The Oligocene is well-represented in the stratigraphic record, but despite abundant fossils of other sorts, marine tetrapods are almost non-existent. Much of the Miocene and Pliocene is poorly represented in the stratigraphic record, except in Florida which has abundant rocks, as well as marine tetrapod fossils. It is also interesting to note that Miocene and Pliocene marine tetrapods are well-represented along the Atlantic Coast, but that Florida still has a fauna that is distinct from these other regions.
Future collecting efforts will hopefully clarify the reasons for missing marine tetrapods from the fossil record, as well as discover some fossils to close the gaps that currently remain.
See more from this Division: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies
See more from this Session: Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain Paleontology