Recent Finds

Nearly complete skeleton of fossil red panda discovered at ETSU Gray Fossil Site is only one in the world and

‘the find of a lifetime!’

By Kristn Clark Fry/gfsm

February 19, 2008

JOHNSON CITY – Additional funding provided for essential laboratory and field personnel at the new East Tennessee State University and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site has already paid off with a significant one-of-a-kind find -- a nearly complete skeleton of the fossil red panda (Pristinailurus bristoli). 

“It’s the find of a lifetime!” says Dr. Steven Wallace, director of the ETSU Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology which has research labs and offices in the museum.

 “The public response to the opening of the Natural History Museum has been overwhelming,” says ETSU Provost Dr. Bert C. Bach. “And, ETSU is committed to supporting the museum’s needs.”

Though digging continues on the rare skeleton, already recovered material includes: the skull and jaws; both front limbs (complete with “panda’s thumb”); several neck as well as trunk vertebrae; ribs; most of the left half of the pelvis; portions of the left hind leg and foot; and three tail vertebrae.

Wallace notes that this specimen represents “the only fossil red panda skeleton ever found in the world and just the second skull.”  A partial skull of Parailurus anglicus from Romania was reported by Max Schlosser in 1899.  Although the new skull is heavily crushed, Wallace says 3-D reconstruction seems highly possible based on its good preservation.

Dr. Wallace holds the new fossil skull (dark) next to a modern red panda (white).

In addition to the recent spectacular find, the crew has made significant progress in the backlog of specimens from last season’s excavations that were the result of the move from ETSU’s main campus  to the new museum facility in Gray.  This progress ensures that the 2008 “field season” can start as planned in the spring.  Moreover, both the museum and the Sundquist Center are benefiting from increased use of volunteers due to the supervision that the experienced crew provides.

With this considerable Fossil Site activity, museum visitors will see even more action in the lab and in the field as soon as the weather breaks.

During the museum’s five months of operation from Aug. 31, 2007, through Jan. 31, 2008, almost 45,000 people have visited the site from around the region, as well as every state in the nation and a growing number of foreign countries.   

“I could not be more pleased,” says Jeanne Zavada, museum director. “We are attracting visitors of all ages and from other parts of the world.  Many seek me out to praise our team and the university for what we are doing out here.  The weather at this time of year does not permit active excavation, but we still do our guided tours to the dig site and the screening site. 

“What has changed with the additional funding is that trained lab personnel are working alongside our loyal volunteers preparing fossils at the windows of the lab and the collections storage room.  Visitors really enjoy seeing what looks like a lump of clay in a plaster jacket turn into a recognizable fossil tapir jaw with teeth intact.”

The ETSU and GSB Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site is located less than two miles from Exit 13 on I-26.  The museum is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week with the exception of these holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.  For more information, call toll-free 1-866-202-6223 or visit www.grayfossilmuseum.org.  

Update - April 2008

By Steven Wallace

Well, we did it! Below is the reconstructed skull. Although much of the interior of the skull was crushed beyond repair, the exterior turned out great. More importantly, every tooth is represented, giving us an unprecedented look at this rare species.

Finished skull of the new specimen of Pristinailurus bristoli.

The figure below shows what we had recovered as of March. Since that time we have recovered additional material. In fact, several of the staff from the Knoxville Zoo, along with ETSU students were out recently (second picture below) and recovered two additional ankle bones. Needless to say, we are hopefully that most of the skeleton will eventually be recovered.  

The red represents what had been recovered as of March, 2008.

Members of the Knoxville Zoo staff as well as ETSU students working at the site on April 4th.

Additional note: Because field work continues on this specimen, watch for updates.

Release by: Kristn Clark Fry

September 19, 2006

‘Best material found to date’ on two species at ETSU’s Gray Fossil Site

JOHNSON CITY – “This last week was very productive,” says Dr. Steven Wallace, paleontologist and director of the East Tennessee State University Fossil Site at Gray, speaking about two important finds made by staff and students working on a final dig for the season.

A nearly complete sloth femur and a lower jaw of a red panda represent “the best material found to date of their species.”

The femur find will, at last, allow ETSU researchers to identify what type of sloth is present at the site.  Based on what they have found so far, Wallace says the sloth was roughly 6-8 feet tall.  And, while related to the giant (10 to 12-foot tall) Ice Age sloth commonly found in caves of the Southern Appalachians, the Gray sloth was clearly smaller. 

After it is cleaned and prepared, the femur should provide the necessary data to enable the researchers to “put a name on this odd critter.”

The just-discovered red panda lower jaw “represents a spectacular example of a very rare animal,” whose new genus and species was formally named in a paper Wallace published with Dr. Xiaoming Wang in 2004 (Nature v. 431, p. 556-559). 

“This specimen provides an opportunity to describe the previously unknown lower teeth, which should more clearly define its position among fossil pandas,” Wallace says, noting that the original material consisted of only upper teeth.

For more information about the Gray Fossil Site, visit www.etsu.edu/grayfossilsite/ or contact Wallace through ETSU’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geology at (423) 439-6085 or via wallaces@etsu.edu.    

Picture by S. Wallace

Right jaw of Pristinailurus bristoli after all of the pieces were assembled (note that the entire coronoid process is preserved).