Glenna Joyce Williams-Dean

Bio: Glenna Joyce Williams-Dean is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cultural ecology. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 60 citations.

A late-quaternary paleoenvironmental record of texas: an overview of the pollen evidence

Abstract: Paleoenvironmental records spanning more than 30,000 years are used to reconstruct an overview of vegetational changes occurring in Texas during the late-Quaternary. Primary emphasis is devoted to reconstructions based on published and unpublished palynologi­ cal data. Those records are supplemented, where appropriate, by supporting information gained from geological, archaeological, paleontological. and non-palynological botanical sources. Briefly, the combined record indicates that elements of the northern and southeastern United States flora, including Picea glauca, invaded regions of east and central Texas during the late-Quaternary period and remained part of the regional vegetation until late-glacial times. Although vast regions of west Texas were probably covered by conifer forests during the full-glacial period, those forests were not as widespread as some earlier reports have indicated. The area of south Texas revealed that a mosaic vegetational pattern proba­ bly was well established throughout the post-glacial period and perhaps even longer. And, it appears that regions of north Texas contained grassland savannas during the post-glacial and part of the late-glacial period.

The Archaeology and Paleoecology of the Aubrey Clovis Site (41DN479) Denton County, Texas

Abstract: : This report describes interdisciplinary investigations at the Aubrey Clovis Site. Dated to 11,550 BP, it is the oldest Clovis site in North America. It contains a rich record of past environments and Clovis activities. A record of dynamic changes in environment, coupled an apparently broad, flexible tecno-economic adaptive strategy by the Clovis folk, resulted in a rare and detailed illustration of Late Pleistocene lifeways.

Forensic palynology in the United States of America

Abstract: Forensic palynology is the science of applying modern and fossil pollen and spores (palynomorphs) to help solve legal problems. Although knowledge of this technique has been known for many years, it has been used rarely. Surveys conducted of major law enforcement agencies in the United States show that little is known about this area of forensics. Only law enforcement agencies in New Zealand, among the major countries of the world, routinely collect and use forensic pollen studies in civil and criminal cases. Palynomorphs recovered from dirt, clothing, hair, rope, baskets, and materials used as packing can reveal geographical origin or can link an individual or item with the scene of a crime. Likewise, the palynomorphs found in illegal drugs, like marijuana and cocaine, can link those drugs with their source area and can show which shipments of drugs originated from the same, or from different, source areas. Techniques used for collection, processing, and analysis of forensic pollen samples are d...

Human dental microwear caused by calcium oxalate phytoliths in prehistoric diet of the lower Pecos region, Texas.

Abstract: Recent research demonstrates that silica phytoliths of dietary origin are associated with microwear of human teeth. Previous research has shown that severe enamel microwear and dental wear characterizes Archaic hunter-gatherers in the lower Pecos region of west Texas. Calcium oxalate crystals are especially common in Archaic coprolites. The vast majority are derived from prickly pear and agave, which were the dietary staples in west Texas for 6,000 years. The calcium oxalate phytoliths are harder than enamel. Therefore, calcium oxalate crystals are the most likely source of previously documented dental microwear and wear in the lower Pecos region.