The inner bluegrass region rests on top of ancient limestone, making the soil basal while most of Georgia’s soil is acid. The geology of the Kentucky Bluegrass Country causes a differing soil chemistry from that found in most of Georgia. The present day climate here is a close analogue to some climate phases of the Ice Age in central Georgia. However, there are some important differences between the 2 regions. Accordingly, this intriguing similarity between the present day Bluegrass Country and Pleistocene central Georgia inspired my research for this blog entry. Rural areas of the Kentucky Bluegrass Country, particularly horse pastures with centuries old trees growing in them, are considered relics of the kind of savannah woodlands that predominated in southeastern North America during much of the Pleistocene. Moreover, evidence from catfish bones also implies much harsher winters than are known in Georgia today. Yet, both of these species lived in central Georgia during some portion of the last Ice Age. Bog lemmings reach their present day southern range limit in northern Kentucky, and red backed voles occur in cool north facing slopes of the southern Appalachians.
Some specimens excavated from the Little Kettle Creek fossil site in Wilkes County, Georgia suggest a climate phase at the time of their deposition similar to the present day climate of the Kentucky Bluegrass Country.
