Diatoms from the Shelton Mastodon Site

A fairly diverse and abundant diatom flora is associated with remains of Mammut americanum at the Shelton Mastodon Site in northern Oakland County, Michigan. The most abundant elements of this flora are species commonly recorded from late-glacial deposits in North America and Europe. The nearest modern analogues of this flora are assemblages deposited in small lakes in the high arctic and present day periglacial environments. Based on the diatoms present, the most probable depositional habitat was the margin of a moderately alkaline (pH>7.0) and moderately productive pond which existed under arctic conditions.