Volume 15, Number 3 (1988)
Articles

Methods in Quaternary Ecology #4. Freshwater Sponges

Frederick W. Harrison
Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Published 1988-09-09

How to Cite

Harrison, F. W. (1988). Methods in Quaternary Ecology #4. Freshwater Sponges. Geoscience Canada, 15(3). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/3559

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increased awareness of the value of fossilized remains of freshwater sponges in Quaternary paleoecological reconstructions. Because the taxonomy and ecology of extant forms have been clarified, and because a well-defined fossil record exists that exhibits continuity with extant species, the stage is set for wide-spread utilization of freshwater sponge remains in Quaternary environmental reconstructions. This paper presents an introduction to the freshwater sponges, techniques for their utilization in Quaternary paleoecological studies, and summarizes some of the most recent work performed in North America.