Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:23:03.052Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Fernbank interglacial site near Ithaca, New York, USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Paul F. Karrow ,
Arthur L. Bloom ,
Jean Nicolas Haas ,
Andreas G. Heiss ,
John H. McAndrews ,
Barry B. Miller ,
Alan V. Morgan  and
Kevin L. Seymour
Paul F. Karrow*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
Arthur L. Bloom
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Jean Nicolas Haas
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
Andreas G. Heiss
Affiliation:
Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS) c/o Institute of Palaeontology, Althanstrasse 14 (Geozentrum), Wien A-1090, Austria
John H. McAndrews
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2 Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2C6
Barry B. Miller
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
Alan V. Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
Kevin L. Seymour
Affiliation:
Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2C6
*
⁎Corresponding author. Fax: +519 746 7484.

E-mail address:[email protected] (P.F. Karrow).

Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Fernbank interglacial site, on the west side of Cayuga Lake, New York, has been recently subjected to more detailed study. To a lengthened mollusc list are added ostracodes, insects, fish, pollen, and plant macrofossils. Of these, plants are well preserved and diverse, whereas other groups are poorly preserved and incomplete. Nevertheless, all support the interglacial assignment (Sangamon), which is further supported by minimum age radiocarbon dates (>50,000 14C yr BP) and a TL date of 81 ± 11 ka. In the plant record near the top of the sequence, abundant tree charcoal indicates forest fires. Like the Toronto interglacial record, the plants show a declining July mean temperature from 24 to 18°C (according to transfer functions) through the sequence, from mixed deciduous forest to boreal forest.

Keywords

InterglacialFinger LakesSangamonMolluscsOstracodesInsectsFishPollenPlant macrofossils
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 72 , Issue 1 , July 2009 , pp. 132 - 142
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bartlein, P.J., Webb, T. III Mean July temperature at 6000 yr B.P. in eastern North America: regression equations for estimates from fossil pollen data. Syllogeus 55, (1985). 301–342.Google Scholar
Bartlein, P.J., and Whitlock, C. Paleoclimatic interpretation of the Elk Lake pollen record. Geological Society of America Special Paper 276, (1993). 275–293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, G.W., and Eyles, N. Thermoluminescence chronology of Toronto-area Quaternary sediments and implications for the extent of the mid continent ice sheet(s). Geology 22, (1994). 31–34.Google Scholar
Birks, H.H. Future uses of pollen analysis must include plant macrofossils. Journal of Biogeography 27, (2000). 31–35.Google Scholar
Birks, H.H., and Birks, J.J.B. Reconstructing Holocene climates from pollen and plant macrofossils. Mackay, A, Battarbee, R, Birks, J, and Oldfield, F Global Change in the Holocene. (2003). Arnold, London, 342–357.Google Scholar
Bloom, A.L. “Fernbank”: A Rediscovered Pleistocene Interglacial Deposit Near Ithaca, New York; Geological Society of America Northeastern Section, Abstracts for 1967, Special Paper 115. (1967). 251 Google Scholar
Bloom, A.L., and McAndrews, J.H. Friends of the Pleistocene 35th Annual Reunion, Ithaca, New York, Schedule and Guidebook. (1972). 20 Google Scholar
Bright, D.E. Jr. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada. Part 2. The Bark Beetles of Canada and Alaska (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Canada Department of Agriculture Publication 1576. (1976). 241 Google Scholar
Clarke, A.H. The Freshwater Molluscs of Canada. (1981). National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Canada. 446 Google Scholar
Cole, G.A. Text Book of Limnology. Third edition (1983). Waveland Press, Inc., Prospect Park, Illinois. 401 Google Scholar
Coleman, A.P. Interglacial fossils from the Don Valley, Toronto. American Geologist 13, (1894). 85–95.Google Scholar
Coleman, A.P. Glacial and interglacial beds near Toronto. Journal of Geology 9, (1901). 285–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, A.P. Interglacial Periods in Canada. (1906). International Geological Congress, Mexico, Comptes Rendus. 1237–1258.Google Scholar
Core, H.A., Côté, W.A., and Day, A.C. Wood Structure and Identification. 2nd edition (1979). Syracuse Wood Science Series 6, Syracuse University Press, New York. 182 Google Scholar
Dean, W.E. Jr. Determination of carbonate and organic matter in calcareous sediments and sedimentary rocks by loss on ignition: comparison with other methods. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 4, (1974). 242–248.Google Scholar
Dredge, L.A., Morgan, A.V., and Nielsen, E. Sangamon and pre-Sangamon interglaciations in the Hudson Bay Lowlands of Manitoba. Géographie physique et Quaternaire 44, (1990). 319–336.Google Scholar
Haas, J.N. Pollen and plant macrofossil evidence of vegetation change at Wallisellen-Langachermoos (Switzerland) during the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition 8500 to 6500 years ago. Dissertationes Botanicae 267, (1996). 1–67.Google Scholar
Haas, J.N., Heiss, A.G., McAndrews, J.H., and Karrow, P.F. The Changing Flora of the Fernbank Interglacial Site, Near Ithaca, New York, USA. XVI INQUA Congress, Reno NV. Programs with Abstracts. (2003). 165 Google Scholar
Haas, J.N., and McAndrews, J.H. The summer drought related hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) decline in Eastern North America 5700 to 5100 years ago. McManus, K Proceedings: Symposium on Sustainable Management of Hemlock Ecosystems in Eastern North America, June 22–24, 1999, Durham, New Hampshire, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, General Technical Report NE-267. (2000). 81–88.Google Scholar
Hare, P.E., and Mitterer, R.M. Amino Acid Diagenesis in Molluscan Shells as a Potential Pleistocene Geochronometer. (1967). Geological Association of Canada Technical Programme Abstracts of Papers, Kingston, Ontario. 35 Google Scholar
Heiss, A.G., (2000–2006). Anatomy of European and North American woods — an interactive identification key. Version 2006–08. 22. Available on the Internet at http://www.holzanatomie.at.Google Scholar
Hoadley, R.B. Identifying Wood — Accurate Results with Simple Tools. (1990). The Taunton Press, Newtown, CT. 223 Google Scholar
Huntley, D.J., and Lamothe, M. Ubiquity of anomalous fading in K-feldspars and the measurement and correction for it in optical dating. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38, (2001). 1093–1106.Google Scholar
Jokinen, E.H. The Freshwater Snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of New York State 482, (1992). State Museum Bulletin, New York. 112 Google Scholar
Kapp, R.O., and Gooding, A.M. Pleistocene vegetational studies in the Whitewater Basin, southeastern Indiana. Journal of Geology 72, (1964). 307–326.Google Scholar
Kapp, R.O., and Gooding, A.M. Stratigraphy and pollen analysis of Yarmouthian interglacial deposits in southeastern Indiana. Ohio Journal of Science 74, (1974). 226–238.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F. Interglacial beds at Toronto, Ontario. Géographie physique et Quaternaire 44, (1990). 289–297.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F. Late Quaternary stratigraphic comparisons in south-central Ontario and western New York and the OIS 5E to early 3 interval. Northeastern Geology and Environmental Science 26, (2004). 202–210.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., McAndrews, J.H., Miller, B.B., Morgan, A.V., Seymour, K.L., and White, O.L. Illinoian to Late Wisconsinan stratigraphy at Woodbridge, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38, (2001). 921–942.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., and Rutter, N.W. Amino Acid Analysis on Wood: Toronto Interglacial. American Quaternary Association, Program and Abstracts of the 10th meeting, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. (1988). 80 Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., Warner, B.G., Miller, B.B., and McCoy, W.D. Reexamination of an interglacial section on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, New York. American Quaternary Association Abstracts (1990). 22 Google Scholar
Kerr-Lawson, L.J., (1985). Gastropods and plant macrofossils from the Quaternary Don Formation (Sangamonian Interglacial), Toronto, Ontario. M.Sc. Thesis, Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario., 202p.Google Scholar
Kerr-Lawson, L.J., Karrow, P.F., Edwards, T.W.D., and Mackie, G.L. A paleoenvironmental study of the molluscs from the Don Formation (Sangamonian?), Don Valley Brickyard, Toronto, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 29, (1992). 2406–2417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krivolutsky, D.A., and Druk, A.Y. Fossil oribatid mites. Annual Review of Entomology 31, (1986). 533–545.Google Scholar
Lamothe, M., Auclair, M., Balescu, S., Dreimanis, A., Hardy, F., Karrow, P.F., and Occhietti, S. Dating Late Pleistocene events in the Saint-Lawrence River drainage basin using luminescence: the problem of age underestimation. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 30 7, (1998). A260 Google Scholar
La Rocque, A. Pleistocene Mollusca of Ohio. Ohio Geological Survey Bulletin 62, Parts 1–4. (1966–1970). 800 Google Scholar
Maury, C.J. An interglacial fauna found in Cayuga Valley and its relation to the Pleistocene of Toronto. Journal of Geology 16, (1908). 565–567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAndrews, J.H., Berti, A.A., and Norris, G. Key to the Quaternary pollen and spores of the Great Lakes region. (1973). Royal Ontario Museum Miscellaneous Publication, Toronto. 61 Google Scholar
Montgomery, F.H. Seeds and Fruits of Plants of Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States. (1977). University of Toronto Press, Toronto. 232 Google Scholar
Morrison, R.B. Quaternary Nonglacial Geology: Conterminous U.S. Geological Society of America. (1991). The Geology of North America Volume K-2, Boulder CO. 672 Google Scholar
Muller,, E.H., and Cadwell,, D.H. Surficial Geology Map of New York Finger Lakes Sheet. (1986). Geological Survey Map and Chart Series No. 40, New York State Museum.Google Scholar
Muller, E.H., and Calkin, P.E. Timing of Pleistocene glacial events in New York State. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 30, (1993). 1829–1845.Google Scholar
Muller, E.H., Sirkin, L., and Craft, J.L. Stratigraphic evidence of a Pre-Wisconsin interglaciation in the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Quaternary Research 40, (1993). 163–168.Google Scholar
Økland, K.A., and Økland, J., (2000). Freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa) of Norway: distribution and ecology of Cristatella mucedo and Paludicella articulata. . Hydrobiologia 421, 1–3., 1–24.Google Scholar
Page, L.M., and Burr, B.M. A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes. (1991). Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 432 Google Scholar
Pilny, J., and Morgan, A.V. Paleoentomology and paleoecology of a possible Sangamon age site near Innerkip, Ontario. Quaternary Research 28, (1987). 157–174.Google Scholar
Richard, P.J.H., Occhietti, S., Clet, M., and Larouche, A.C. Paléophytogéographie de la formation de Scarborough: nouvelles données et implications. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 36, (1999). 1589–1602.Google Scholar
Schweingruber, F.H. Anatomie europäischer Hölzer. Verlag Paul Haupt, Bern u. Stuttgart (1990). 800 Google Scholar
Stone, B.D., Borns, H.W. Jr. Pleistocene glacial and interglacial stratigraphy of New England, Long Island, and adjacent Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine. Sibrava, V, Bowen, DQ, Richmond, GM Quaternary Glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere 5, (1986). Quaternary Science Reviews, 39–52.Google Scholar
Terasmae, J. A palynological study of the Pleistocene interglacial beds at Toronto, Ontario. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 56, (1960). 23–41.Google Scholar
Turgeon,, D.D Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Molluscs. Third Edition (1998). American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 Google Scholar
von Engeln, O.D. Interglacial deposit in central New York. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 40, (1929). 469–479.Google Scholar
Westgate, J.A., von Bitter, P.H., Eyles, N., McAndrews, J.H., Timmer, V., and Howard, K.W.F. Physical setting: a story of changing environments through time. Roots, B.I Chapter 1, Special Places: The Past, Present, and Future of the Ecosystems of the Toronto Region. (1999). Royal Canadian Institute, University of British Columbia Press, 10–31.Google Scholar
Williams, J.W., Shuman, B., Bartlein, W.J., Gajeewski, K., Sawada, M., Minckley, T., Shafer, S., Viau, A.E., Webb, T. III, Anderson, P., Brubaker, L., Whitlock, C., and Davis, O.K. An atlas of pollen–vegetation–climate relationships for the United States and Canada. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Contribution Series 43, (2006). 300 Google Scholar
Wood, S.L. The bark and Ambrosia beetles of North America and Central America (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) a taxonomic monograph. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs 6, (1982). Google Scholar
Zoller, H., and Haas, J.N. War Mitteleuropa ursprünglich eine halboffene Weidelandschaft oder von geschlossenen Wäldern bedeckt? [Was central Europe, before human impact, a savanna-like landscape with scattered trees or a dense woodland?]. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen 146, (1995). 321–354.Google Scholar