, 102
Karst regions are important repositories of geologic information, as caves and fissures can protect sediments from erosive forces that remove surficial sediments. Within karst features and their associated deposits, animal remains are occasionally preserved as fossils. In regions dominated by erosion, karst can be critically important for preserving the paleontological record.
This is the case in Tennessee, where most bedrock is too old or of the wrong type to preserve vertebrate fossils. Because of this, vertebrate paleontology in the state of Tennessee is largely restricted to caves and other karst features. Paleontological inventories of caves in northeast Tennessee have revealed an abundance of Ice Age (Pleistocene) and early Holocene fossils. These discoveries have been found with the help of a new technique using ultraviolet (UV) light.
Continued paleontological investigation of the caves and karst regions of Tennessee require the cooperation of private landowners and project cavers.
Davis Gunnin, Blaine W. Schubert, and Shay Maden