Local Geosciences
The Gray Fossil Site uses this method to recover microfossils.
What is Wet Screening?
Classified into foliated or non-foliated types, this type of rock has been transformed by intense heat, pressure, and chemical fluids deep within the Earth's crust.
What is metamorphic rock?
This is the largest bone in the human body.
What is the femur?
This stratigraphic law states that if undisturbed, the oldest rocks will be at the bottom and the youngest rocks will be closest to the top.
What is the Law of Superposition?
Known for funny geology shirts and a deadpan sense of humor, this professor used to host parties on his roof.
Who is Mick Whitelaw?
The formation of the Gray Fossil Site’s sinkhole is the result of the dissolution of this rock group.
What is the Knox Group?
This mineral which has rhombohedral cleavage reacts strongly to hydrochloric acid.
What is calcite?
These specialized paired cheek teeth found only in carnivorans act like scissors.
What are carnassials?
This stratigraphic law states that strata is originally deposited horizontally.
What is the Law of Original Horizontality?
Each semester, Mick Whitelaw bets his students they can’t get this professor to drop an F bomb.
Who is Ingrid Luffman?
Known for its squat build and semi‑aquatic lifestyle, this rhino genus is one of the large mammals represented at the Gray Fossil Site.
What is Teleoceras?
This refers to how to identify minerals by observing the color of their powdered form, created by rubbing the sample against an unglazed porcelain plate.
What is streak?
Ribs attach to this region of the vertebral column.
What is thoracic?
This stratigraphic law states that any rock fragment or intrusion contained within a larger rock body are older than the rock surrounding them
What is the Law of Inclusions?
In addition to their job here, this professor also plays in rock bands, has a black belt, is a weight lifter, and rides motorcycles.
Who is Tony Vega?
This local Cambrian age rock Group contains the formations Erwin, Hampton, and Unicoi.
What is the Chilhowee Group?
This refers to the way some minerals break along certain lines of weakness in their structure.
What is cleavage?
This type of vertebrae centrum, found in mammals, has a centrum that is flat on both ends.
What is acoelous?
This stratigraphic law states that rock layers will continue laterally in all directions until they pinch out or encounter a barrier.
What is the Law of Lateral Continuity?
Nowadays often found playing Pokemon Go, this professor used to go to underground metal shows.
Who is Josh Samuels?
This is the only rock named for our area, characteristic minerals are Potassium Feldspar and Epidote.
What is Unakite?
This term is used to describe the texture of Igneous rocks with large, visible crystals because the rock formed slowly in an underground magma chamber.
What is Phaneritic texture?
Acting as a shock absorber during jumping, this bone at the base of the spine is only found in frogs and toads.
What is the urostyle?
This stratigraphic law states that any geologic feature that cuts through rock layers is younger than the rock layers it disrupts.
What is the Law of Cross-cutting Relationships?
This professor got into a published paper rebuttal argument with other researchers about the identification of a peccary fossil.
Who is Blaine Schubert?