It’s not every day that a paleontologist gets a living, breathing animal named after them – especially one as adorable as a red panda cub. But that’s exactly what happened to East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Steven Wallace, professor in the Department of Geosciences and a curator at the Gray Fossil Site & Museum.
Zoo Knoxville recently announced that one of two male red panda cubs born this past June has been named Dr. Wallace, in honor of the ETSU researcher whose work has brought international attention to the fact that ancient red pandas once occurred in the Appalachians
A discovery that changed everything
The connection between Dr. Wallace and red pandas runs deep – and millions of years back in time.
The Gray Fossil Site, discovered in 2000 during a highway construction project, has yielded extraordinary treasures from the past. Among its most remarkable finds: two nearly complete skeletons of Pristinailurus, extinct red pandas that once roamed what is now Northeast Tennessee.
Like much from the Gray Fossil Site, these discoveries are globally significant. While red panda fossils have been found in the Pacific Northwest and Eurasia, they’re typically fragmentary. The Gray Fossil Site’s specimens offer rare, comprehensive insight into the structure and behavior of these ancient relatives of today’s beloved red pandas.
Meet Dr. Wallace ... the cub
Now, Dr. Wallace shares his name with one of Zoo Knoxville’s newest residents. The cub, along with his brother Mr. Darcy, can be spotted exploring the Boyd Family Red Panda Village with their mother, Sisu.
The naming is a fitting tribute, connecting ETSU’s world-class paleontological research with the living animals that carry on the red panda legacy today.
More discoveries at the Gray Fossil Site:
Enjoy a collection of news stories from recent years that highlight the excellence happening at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum, as well as why ETSU is the flagship institution of Appalachia:
Researchers discovered a giant, strong-jawed salamander that once tunneled through ancient Tennessee soil, revealing how this powerful predator may have driven the rapid evolution of Appalachian stream-dwelling salamanders.
ETSU scientists identified the first fossil deer from the Gray Fossil Site, representing one of the earliest records of the deer family in North America and revealing the likely ancestor of today’s white-tailed deer that have thrived in Appalachian forests for nearly 5 million years.
A giant flying squirrel about the size of a house cat once soared through Southenn Appalachia’s ancient skies, having crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Eurasia before ultimately going extinct during the Ice Ages.
The discovery of a bone-crushing dog – a powerful ambush predator estimated to weigh between 115-160 pounds – adds to the list of apex predators that once prowled the ancient Appalachian forests alongside sabertooth cats and alligators.
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