THE ANALYSIS OF TERRESTRIAL SNAILS TO INFER HUNTER-GATHERER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN THE MIDDLE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY, GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA By CHRISTINE L.C. SNYDER A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Christine L.C. Snyder 2 To my family 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to sincerely thank the chair of my committee, Kenneth Sassaman, for taking me under his wing and accepting me as his student when I had nowhere else to turn. Without his assistance, research interests, and support, my degree and research project would not have been possible. His support and guidance will always be appreciated and remembered. I would also like to thank my other committee members, Kitty Emery, Mike Daniels, and Doug Jones for their guidance and assistance during this project. Kitty Emery and Mike Daniels stayed with me during my entire graduate school experience and I am very thankful for their willingness to assist me throughout all of my endeavors, regardless of my path, and their constant support. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Evan Peacock with Mississippi State University for his assistance with the modern snail collection and analysis used in this research. Even though we have not met face-to-face, his support with the project and assistance with the snail identifications was essential to the success of my dissertation. I would like to thank Peter Hallman and Evan Peacock for the collection of the modern snail samples and the initial groundwork associated with this research project. I would like to thank my employer, Sheriff Donald Eslinger, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Manager Ann Mallory, and my coworkers for their support when I commuted to Gainesville to complete my coursework, rearranging the schedule around my coursework and research hours, and providing an environment that supports education and research. I would like to thank my family, including my Mom and Dad, for providing the basis for my education that enabled me to pursue this degree and for their never ending love and support. I would also like to sincerely thank my husband, Jared, for giving me the 4 family of which I had always dreamed and for supporting me in pursuing my goals. Lastly, I would like to thank my two children, Caine and Conley, for reminding me to fulfill my goals no matter how difficult they may seem and strive to be the best mother possible. Without family, nothing else matters. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 8 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 12 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................... 19 2 TERRESTRIAL SNAILS IN ARCHAEOLOGY ........................................................ 32 3 INTRODUCTION TO TERRESTRIAL SNAILS ....................................................... 41 Terrestrial Snail Biology .......................................................................................... 41 Terrestrial Snail Ecology ......................................................................................... 45 Terrestrial Snail Taphonomy ................................................................................... 51 4 MODERN SAMPLES .............................................................................................. 53 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 53 Collection Methods ................................................................................................. 54 Field Procedures .............................................................................................. 55 Site Descriptions .............................................................................................. 56 Open habitats ............................................................................................. 57 Wooded habitats ........................................................................................ 58 Laboratory Procedures ..................................................................................... 59 Modern Snail Identifications .................................................................................... 60 Snails within Habitats .............................................................................................. 68 Snail Density ........................................................................................................... 69 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 72 5 COLLECTION METHODS FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SAMPLES ................. 94 Field Procedures ..................................................................................................... 94 Stallings Island ................................................................................................. 94 Ed Marshall ...................................................................................................... 99 Mims Point ...................................................................................................... 101 Laboratory Procedures ......................................................................................... 103 6 RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SNAIL SAMPLES ....... 109 6 Stallings Island ...................................................................................................... 109 Ed Marshall ........................................................................................................... 113 Mims Point ............................................................................................................ 116 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 117 Stallings Island ............................................................................................... 117 Ed Marshall .................................................................................................... 118 Mims Point ...................................................................................................... 119 7 CHANGES OVER TIME ....................................................................................... 141 Results .................................................................................................................. 141 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 144 8 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 149 Future Research ................................................................................................... 151 Summary .............................................................................................................. 157 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 158 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 169 7 LIST OF TABLES Table page 4-1 Location and aspect of the modern samples ...................................................... 74 4-2 Habitat observations for the modern samples .................................................... 74 4-3 Descriptions of each modern sample categorized as an open habitat ................ 75 4-4 Descriptions of each modern sample categorized as a wooded habitat ............. 75 4-5 Historical data on snail habitat among taxa from Hubricht (1985), Pilsbry (1939-1948), Nekola and Coles (2010), and La Rocque (1970) ......................... 76 4-6 Descriptive statistics of each taxon identified in the modern samples across the samples ........................................................................................................ 79 4-7 List of total individual snails and percentages within open and wooded habitat samples in the modern samples ......................................................................... 80 4-8 Total number of individuals of the snails within taxa in each of the modern samples .............................................................................................................. 81 4-9 Total number and percentages of snail taxa with open and wooded habitat tendencies in the modern samples ..................................................................... 82 4-10 Chi-square results comparing the association of open and wooded taxa found within open or wooded habitats in the modern samples ........................... 82 4-11 Total number and percentages of snails within the families Pupillidae and Zonitidae with open and wooded habitat tendencies in the modern samples ..... 82 4-12 Chi-square results comparing the association of snail taxa in the families Pupillidae and Zonitidae within open or wooded habitats in the modern samples .............................................................................................................