Biohistory of Alachua County, Florida PDF Download

Author: Francis William Zettler
Publisher: Pineapple Press Inc
ISBN: 1561647349
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 135

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Book Description
Biohistory includes the history of plants and animals as well as people. This fascinating biohistory of Alachua County, prehistoric to present-day, is a microcosm of the biohistory of Florida itself, told with verve and clarity like an adventure unfolding over millions of years. Alachua County sits in north central Florida, roughly halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Its rich fossil record reveals that shovel-tusked elephants, 8-ton ground sloths, giant beavers, and tiny horses once roamed the county's 969 square miles. Its human history is the story of people who arrived some 12,000 years ago after a journey that took them from Asia across the Bering land bridge and then south across the North American continent. Today, Alachua County retains its human and ecological diversity. The University of Florida in Gainesville draws students and faculty from throughout the U.S. and around the world while small towns retain their 'old Florida' ambience. Natural areas such as the limestone sinkhole called Devil's Millhopper and the vast marshy grassland that is Paynes Prairie are home to a dazzling array of flora and fauna. This fascinating 'biohistory' of Alachua County, prehistoric to present-day, is a microcosm of the history of Florida itself, told with verve and clarity like an adventure unfolding over millions of years.