| Summary |
The paleoecologic and biostratigraphic analyses of upper Pleistocene sediments from coastal North Carolina were based upon Foraminifera from six cores in Dare County. Foraminiferal faunas were numerically dominated by Elphidium excavatum forma clavaturn, E. excavatum forma alba, E, excavatum forma seis̀vense, Quinqueloculina seminulum, Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, Elphidium poeyanum, Elphidium gunteri and Ammonia beccarii. Fluctuations in the relative abundances of these species were used to interpret the paleoecology of the Upper Pleistocene sediments. Faunal trends, supplemented by the established physical stratigraphy and several radiocarbon dates, served as a basis for correlating the cores and constructing a generalized paleotemperature curve. The cooling and warming trends of this curve closely resemble patterns from several studies of both terrestrial and deep-sea deposits. Faunal trends and diversity index values indicate that the interval sampled is a regressive sequence, probably associated with the decline in sea level caused by a major glacial advance, as is indicated by the paleotemperature curve. Faunal evidence agrees closely with interpretations based upon previous studies of the sediments in the study area. |
