Fulton, JamesSiddiqui, ArhamBaylor University.Hockaday, William C., 1979-2019-05-232019-05-2320192019-05-23https://hdl.handle.net/2104/10602The Page-Ladson sinkhole in Florida is a historic site which provides rich stratified deposits of late Pleistocene specimens and artifacts. Evidence from the site indicates coexistence of the prehistoric species of mastodon M. americanum and pre-Clovis humans. However, the relationship between the two species is not yet clear, and the disappearance of mastodons in the early Holocene is still being studied. A way to understand the relationship between species over time is to analyze their chemical remains preserved in sediments, and the comparative analysis of fecal sterol/steroid-derived compounds might provide new evidence regarding the extirpation of mastodons over time. In this study, we retrieved fecal samples from different mammals and sediments from the Page-Ladson sinkhole and extracted lipid fractions for GC/MS analysis. The lipid extract analysis revealed a number of sterol and steroid derived compounds, many of which successfully matched with the Page-Ladson compounds. Further interpretation can reveal methods for detecting past ranges of different mammalian species.en-USBaylor University projects are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.Fecal Sterol Analysis.Page-Ladson Sinkhole.Late Pleistocene.Early Holocene.ThesisWorldwide access