Academic literature on the topic 'Fossils'
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Journal articles on the topic "Fossils"
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Kinyua, A. M., T. Plummer, N. Shimizu, W. Melson, and R. Potts. "Provenance of Kanjera Fossils by X-Ray Fluorescence and Ion Microprobe Analyses." Advances in X-ray Analysis 35, B (1991): 1165–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1154/s0376030800013458.
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AbstractXRF and Ion mfcroprobe analyses of fossils of known and uncertain provenance from the Lower-Middle Pleistocene locality of Kanjera. Kenya, are reported. The goal of this study was to develop a nondestructive technique of provenancixig fossils, which could be applied to the Kanjera sample. The fossils of known provenance were collected in the excavations of the 1987 Smithsonian Expedition. Three fossils of uncertain provenance, two specimens of Theropithecus oswaldi and a hominid fossil, were analyzed as test cases.Both qualitative and quantitative XRF analyses of Kanjera fossils were carried out. In the qualitative analysis, the elemental peak areas from each fossil's XRF spectrum were calculated and normalized to the peak area of the incoherently scattered radiation. Results of the analysis showed that fossils from the Lower-Middle Pleistocene Kanjera Beds, for the most part, had higher levels of yttrium (Y) and zirconium (Zr) than those of the younger Apoko (Ap) Bed. black cotton soil (BCS) and modem bones (MD). The relative concentrations of uranium (U) v strontium (Sri and thorium (Th) were diagnostic of the Kanjera Bed of origin. These findings were confirmed by quantitative XRF and ion microprobe analyses of a subsample of Kanjera fossils. The T. oswaldi and hominid fossils had trace element concentrations suggestive of K2 and BCS provenances, respectively. These findings provide a framework for the qualitative XRF provenancing of other surface collected fossils from the locality.
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Harms, Danilo, and Jason A. Dunlop. "The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)." Fossil Record 20, no. 2 (August 9, 2017): 215–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/fr-20-215-2017.
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Abstract. Pseudoscorpions, given their resemblance to scorpions, have attracted human attention since the time of Aristotle, although they are much smaller and lack the sting and elongated tail. These arachnids have a long evolutionary history but their origins and phylogenetic affinities are still being debated. Here, we summarise their fossil record based on a comprehensive review of the literature and data contained in other sources. Pseudoscorpions are one of the oldest colonisers of the land, with fossils known since the Middle Devonian (ca. 390 Ma). The only arachnid orders with an older fossil record are scorpions, harvestmen and acariform mites, plus two extinct groups. Pseudoscorpions do not fossilise easily, and records from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic consist almost exclusively of amber inclusions. Most Mesozoic fossils come from Archingeay and Burmese ambers (Late Cretaceous) and those from the Cenozoic are primarily from Eocene Baltic amber, although additional fossils from, for example, Miocene Dominican and Mexican ambers, are known. Overall, 16 of the 26 families of living pseudoscorpions have been documented from fossils and 49 currently valid species are recognised in the literature. Pseudoscorpions represent a case of morphological stasis and even the Devonian fossils look rather modern. Indeed, most amber fossils are comparable to Recent groups despite a major gap in the fossil record of almost 250 Myr. Baltic amber inclusions indicate palaeofauna inhabiting much warmer climates than today and point to climatic shifts in central Europe since the Eocene. They also indicate that some groups (e.g. Feaellidae and Pseudogarypidae) had much wider Eocene distributions. Their present-day occurrence is relictual and highlights past extinction events. Faunas from younger tropical amber deposits (e.g. Dominican and Mexican amber) are comparable to Recent ones. Generally, there is a strong bias in the amber record towards groups that live under tree bark, whereas those from litter habitats are underrepresented. We also discuss challenges in interpreting fossils: their cryptic morphology warranting novel techniques of morphological reconstruction, the massive gap in the fossil record between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic, and problems with the classification of (historically) old amber material. Finally, we discuss aspects of the palaeoecology and biology of the fossils compared with the Recent fauna, such as phoresy.
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Heikkilä, Maria, Joël Minet, Andreas Zwick, Anna Hundsdoerfer, Rodolphe Rougerie, and Ian J. Kitching. "Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera)." PeerJ 11 (November 10, 2023): e16049. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16049.
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We critically re-examine 17 records of fossils currently assigned to the lepidopteran superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes the silk moths, emperor moths and hawk moths. These records include subfossils, compression and impression fossils, permineralizations and ichnofossils. We assess whether observable morphological features warrant their confident assignment to the superfamily. None of the examined fossils displays characters that allow unequivocal identification as Sphingidae, but three fossils and a subfossil (Mioclanis shanwangiana Zhang, Sun and Zhang, 1994, two fossil larvae, and a proboscis in asphaltum) have combinations of diagnostic features that support placement in the family. The identification of a fossil pupa as Bunaeini (Saturniidae) is well supported. The other fossils that we evaluate lack definitive bombycoid and, in several cases, even lepidopteran characters. Some of these dubious fossils have been used as calibration points in earlier studies casting doubt on the resulting age estimates. All fossil specimens reliably assigned to Bombycoidea are relatively young, the earliest fossil evidence of the superfamily dating to the middle Miocene.
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Maples, Christopher G., and Ronald R. West. "Introduction to Trace Fossils and Dedication to Robert W. Frey." Short Courses in Paleontology 5 (1992): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475263000002269.
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Over the years, we've participated in several different workshops and short courses on trace fossils. So why this one? Our intention in bringing together these papers for the Trace Fossil Short Course is to give an overview of how trace fossils can be used in paleontology. Historically, trace fossil research has centered on paleoenvironmental and depositional reconstructions—areas where trace fossils have much to tell. Indeed, the use of trace fossils by sedimentologists has flourished and is experiencing another burst of activity through the use of ichnofabrics in sequence stratigraphic studies. But trace fossils have paleontological stories to tell as well. Their use in uncovering the first occurrences of life in different parts of the stratigraphic column is well documented (e.g., the classic example of trace fossils occurring before body fossils in Precambrian/Cambrian transitional strata) as is their use in detailing different morphological details of unpreserved taxa or body parts.
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Lockley, Martin G. "Tracks and Traces: New Perspectives on Dinosaurian Behavior, Ecology, and Biogeography." Short Courses in Paleontology 2 (1989): 134–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475263000000921.
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Conventional paleontological wisdom holds that there are two major categories of fossil evidence: body fossils (skeletal remains), and trace fossils (including tracks and traces). Ichnology, the study of trace fossils, requires a parallel taxonomy of scientific names (parataxonomy or ichnotaxonomy), like the form taxa of fossil plant remains. This ichnotaxonomy describes a large variety of traces attributable to invertebrates (Hantzschel, 1975) and vertebrates (Haubold, 1984; Leonardi, 1984; Leonardi et al., 1986).
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Unger, Shem, and Mark Rollins. "Find a Fossil and “Choose your own Adventure”." International Journal of Educational Innovation and Research 3, no. 1 (January 5, 2024): 86–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.31949/ijeir.v3i1.7253.
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Science education university curriculum should foster transformative methods of teaching and learning for science majors, including science communication. Pedagogical methods for increasing student awareness of paleontological fossils present challenges as fossils are often presented as preserved remains with little visualizations or reconstructions of fossils. As part of increasing scientific literacy and increasing confidence in professional development skills, student presentations can provide an avenue for promoting these necessary skills for biology majors. This study reports on a short multi-week activity whereby students A) selected a fossil to investigate, B) completed a one to two slide presentation on their fossil of choice, and C) presented their fossil overview to their peers in a lecture classroom. Post-activity surveys and reflections indicate that students found this activity engaging, a fun method for learning about a large diversity of fossils important to evolution, and finally, enjoyed selecting their own fossil. Therefore, allowing students to present on fossils and the evolutionary story they each tell may have increased engagement, piqued interest, and enabled students to both learn and focus on taxa of interest to them personally. We recommend science educators incorporate short, low risk presentations as a learning tool in biology courses to “bring fossils alive” and increase engagement among biology students by promoting student science communication.
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Walker, S. E. "Criteria for recognizing marine hermit crabs in the fossil record using gastropod shells." Journal of Paleontology 66, no. 4 (July 1992): 535–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022336000024410.
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Hermit crabs have left a rich fossil legacy of epi- and endobionts that bored or encrusted hermit crab-inhabited shells in specific ways. Much of this rich taphonomic record, dating from the middle Jurassic, has been overlooked. Biological criteria to recognize hermitted shells in the fossil record fall within two major categories: 1) massive encrustations, such as encrusting bryozoans; and 2) subtle, thin encrustations, borings, or etchings that surround or penetrate the aperture of the shell. Massive encrustations are localized in occurrence, whereas subtle trace fossils and body fossils are common, cosmopolitan, and stratigraphically long-ranging. Important trace fossils and body fossils associated with hermit crabs are summarized here, with additional new fossil examples from the eastern Gulf Coast.Helicotaphrichnus, a unique hermit crab-associated trace fossil, is reported from the Eocene of Mississippi, extending its stratigraphic range from the Pleistocene of North America and the Miocene of Europe.
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Sullivan, Colleen A., and Sarah W. Keenan. "Experimental dissolution of fossil bone under variable pH conditions." PLOS ONE 17, no. 10 (October 13, 2022): e0274084. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274084.
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Fossils exposed at the surface are an integral component of the paleontologic record and provide an archive of past life. However, it is widely known that fossils are not stable indefinitely upon exposure to surface conditions such as physical, chemical, and biological processes, and this last phase of taphonomy is poorly understood. Studies regarding the longevity of fossils subject to weathering, such as acidic precipitation, are absent in the literature. The goal of this study was to experimentally determine vertebrate fossil dissolution rates under variable pH conditions in a controlled laboratory setting. It was hypothesized that fossils would dissolve within acidic solutions and do so at an increasing rate when exposed to increasingly acidic solutions. The experiments were conducted on three fossil vertebrae in triplicate in closed reaction vessels at pH 4, 5, and 6. The fossils were completely submerged for 21 days in a tap water solution with the pH adjusted using 0.1N hydrochloric acid (HCl). Fossil dissolution was quantified by changes to: (1) fossil mass; (2) elemental chemistry of water and fossils with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); (3) fossil mineralogy with X-ray diffraction (XRD); and (4) histologic structures with thin section analyses. All fossils exhibited mass loss, which increased with decreasing pH conditions, and was greatest under pH 4 (477 to 803 mg loss). The elemental analyses with ICP-MS indicated an increase of both calcium (maximum increase of 315 ppm) and phosphorus (increase of 18 ppm) in aqueous solutions with increasing pH and a loss of those same elements from the fossils (maximum loss of 10 ppm Ca and 6 ppm P). XRD revealed loss of gypsum in all post-dissolution samples. Taken together, the results of ICP-MS and XRD suggest dissolution of the primary mineral phases, including hydroxylapatite, and secondary phases, particularly calcite and gypsum, resulting in an estimated mass loss at pH 4 of 23 to 28 mg per day. Thin section analysis showed degradation of both cortical and trabecular bone in all post-dissolution images, demonstrating physical changes to the fossils as a result of water-rock interactions. These findings constitute the first quantitative analysis of fossil dissolution rates and provide insights into this last stage of taphonomy, addressing a largely understudied potential bias in the vertebrate fossil record.
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Winarto, Johan Budi, Wilda Aini Nurlathifah, Agustina Djafar, Andy Dharmedy Sipayung, Rahajeng Ayu Permana Sari, and Halmi Insani. "The Surficial Basin Sediment Investigation and Its Concerned Vertebrate Fossils in Sirtwo Island, Western Part of Saguling Dam, West Java, Indonesia." Indonesian Journal of Earth Sciences 2, no. 1 (June 27, 2022): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.52562/injoes.v2i1.288.
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In October 2021, the depreciation of the water level of dam Saguling revealed the surficial sediment where was dam up Citarum river. Sirtwo island and surroundings are part of the body sediment were arisen which is part of the sedimentary facies in the western of Bandung Lake ancient. Several vertebrate fossils were found on Sirtwo island and Pasir Benteng island. The investigation of vertebrate fossils was carried out to understand where are deposited in Bandung lake. The geological survey lead to the recognition of types of lake deposits and was divided into 5 block observations i.e., Block A, Block B, Block C, Block D, and Block E. Geographic information system was used to determine the location points where the fossil was found and is correlated with other location. The fossils fragment is identified as vertebrate fossils i.e., Bovid sp., Rusa sp., and Elephas maximus. The detail of vertebrate fossils type and sediment petrology is under further analysis. The sedimentary facies are lake deposit and is distinguished into 3 sub-facies: 1) volcanic deposit with vertebrate fossil 2) sandstone tuff without vertebrate fossil and 3) sandstone tuff with vertebrate fossil. The age of lithology is estimated between 10.000 till >135.000 Years ago and the depositional environment is interpreted into fan lake, channel, and lake bottom. This study clearly determines lithofacies in the research area which contain vertebrate fossils.
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Puttick, Mark N. "Partially incorrect fossil data augment analyses of discrete trait evolution in living species." Biology Letters 12, no. 8 (August 2016): 20160392. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0392.
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Ancestral state reconstruction of discrete character traits is often vital when attempting to understand the origins and homology of traits in living species. The addition of fossils has been shown to alter our understanding of trait evolution in extant taxa, but researchers may avoid using fossils alongside extant species if only few are known, or if the designation of the trait of interest is uncertain. Here, I investigate the impacts of fossils and incorrectly coded fossils in the ancestral state reconstruction of discrete morphological characters under a likelihood model. Under simulated phylogenies and data, likelihood-based models are generally accurate when estimating ancestral node values. Analyses with combined fossil and extant data always outperform analyses with extant species alone, even when around one quarter of the fossil information is incorrect. These results are especially pronounced when model assumptions are violated, such as when there is a trend away from the root value. Fossil data are of particular importance when attempting to estimate the root node character state. Attempts should be made to include fossils in analysis of discrete traits under likelihood, even if there is uncertainty in the fossil trait data.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Fossils"
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Van, Dijk D. E. "Contributions to knowledge of some Southern African fossil sites and their fossils /." Link to the online version, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/3561.
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Van, Dijk D. E. "Contributions to knowledge of some Southern African fossil sites and their fossils." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2988.
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Thesis (MSc (Botany and Zoology. Palaeontology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2001.The fossil sites and fossils reported here range from the Archaean to the Recent. Information is presented on the circumstances of the discovery of some fossil sites in Southern Africa. A number of fossil sites, some of which can no longer be studied, are photographically recorded. Some recorded sites were relocated, while failure to locate others is noted. The assemblages at selected fossil sites are compiled, including some additions to their floras and faunas. Certain individual fossils are illustrated and discussed. Techniques which are not standard are outlined.
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Rydin, Catarina. "The Gnetales : fossils and phylogenies /." Stockholm : Department of Botany, Stockholm University, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-488.
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Brocks, Jochen J. "Molecular fossils in Archean rocks." Phd thesis, School of Geosciences, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/14300.
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Mounce, Ross. "Comparative cladistics : fossils, morphological data partitions and lost branches in the fossil tree of life." Thesis, University of Bath, 2013. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.642021.
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In this thesis I attempt to gather together a wide range of cladistic analysis of fossil and extant taxa representing a diverse array of phylogenetic groups. I use this data to quantitatively compare the effect of fossil taxa relative to extant taxa in terms of support for relationships, number of most parsimonious trees (MPTs) and leaf stability. In line with previous studies I find that the effects of fossil taxa are seldom different to extant taxa – although I highlight some interesting exceptions. I also use this data to compare the phylogenetic signal within vertebrate morphological data sets, by choosing to compare cranial data to postcranial data. Comparisons between molecular data and morphological data have been previously well explored, as have signals between different molecular loci. But comparative signal within morphological data sets is much less commonly characterized and certainly not across a wide array of clades. With this analysis I show that there are many studies in which the evidence provided by cranial data appears to be be significantly incongruent with the postcranial data – more than one would expect to see just by the effect of chance and noise alone. I devise and implement a modification to a rarely used measure of homoplasy that will hopefully encourage its wider usage. Previously it had some undesirable bias associated with the distribution of missing data in a dataset, but my modification controls for this. I also take an in-depth and extensive review of the ILD test, noting it is often misused or reported poorly, even in recent studies. Finally, in attempting to collect data and metadata on a large scale, I uncovered inefficiencies in the research publication system that obstruct re-use of data and scientific progress. I highlight the importance of replication and reproducibility – even simple re-analysis of high profile papers can turn up some very different results. Data is highly valuable and thus it must be retained and made available for further re-use to maximize the overall return on research investment.
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Herman, Julie D. "Fossil preservation and the effects of groundwater leaching on fossils in the Yorktown Formation (Upper Pliocene), Virginia." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/90972.
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Patterns of fossil diagenesis caused by groundwater leaching provide insight into how shells are altered. This study analyzes fossils in unconsolidated terrigenous sediments from the Virginia Coastal Plain, unlike previous studies conducted mostly in carbonate terranes. The vertical and lateral distribution of diagenetic states was mapped in an outcrop (63 m by 2.1 m) of the Yorktown Formation. A paleostream channel located at one end was incised during the Pleistocene and filled with sediments of the Shirley Formation. The Tabb Formation unconformably overlies the outcrop. Acidic groundwater caused the observed patterns of fossil and sediment diagenesis. These patterns include zones of fossil alteration, diagenetic stratification of the sediment, and fossil diagenesis on a microstructural level.
Groundwater movement, controlled by the presence of the paleochannel, caused diagenetic alteration or complete dissolution of the fossils, and possibly caused precipitation of fine-grained iron oxyhydroxides. All carbonate material in the vicinity of the paleochannel is completely dissolved away, although iron oxyhydroxide coatings of fossils remain. Away from the paleochannel Crepidula fornicata (gastropod; aragonite), Ostrea sp. (bivalve; calcite), Balanus sp. (barnacle; calcite), and bryozoans (calcite) are found in parallel zones of alteration that dip toward the paleochannel and cut across horizontal sedimentologic and fossiliferous layers.
Groundwater also leached the Yorktown sediments. This alteration caused a diagenetic stratification of the sediment, with unaltered greenish-gray silty fine sand along the base of the outcrop, overlain by leached yellowish-brown silty fine sand and areas of concentrated iron oxyhydroxides.
The preservation of both aragonitic and calcitic shells was affected by groundwater movement. Original aragonitic shell material is found as chalky, uncrystallized specimens or neomorphosed shells, or is completely dissolved with only molds or ghosts remaining. Neomorphosed specimens typically consist of calcite-replaced shell material with pockets of original aragonite, and sparry calcite filling empty shell cavities. Original calcitic shell material is either chalky or unaltered. Chalky shells range from relatively hard to soft and pasty. Crepidula shells of intermediate chalkiness tend to separate into thin flakes, caused by dissolution along growth surfaces. Chalkiness of pasty shells is caused by dissolution of shell material (without recrystallization) and not simply loss of organic matrix. SEM photos of Crepidula reveal the more porous and leached appearance of chalky shells in contrast with hard; unaltered shells. The presence of chalky aragonitic and calcitic shells indicates that chalky textures are, to some degree, independent of mineralogy and microstructure.M.S.
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Buckman, James O. "Lower Carboniferous trace fossils from northwest Ireland." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.262648.
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Legg, David. "The impact of fossils on arthropod phylogeny." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/24168.
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The arthropods are the most diverse, abundant and ubiquitous phylum on Earth. Five main extant groups (subphyla) can be recognized: Pycnogonida, Euchelicerata, Myriapoda, Hexapoda, and Crustacea. Each group displays a distinctive body plan and a suite of autapomorphies that makes determining their interrelationships difficult. Although a variety of hypotheses have been proposed regarding their interrelationships, just three have frequently been recovered in recent phylogenetic analyses. Rather than representing incongruent topologies these hypotheses represent variations of the position of the root on the same parent topology. The long histories of the major arthropod subclades, which had begun to diverge by, at least, the early Cambrian, means that long-branch artefacts are highly probable. To alleviate potential long-branch attraction and provide a more accurate placement of the root, 214 fossil taxa were coded into an extensive phylogenetic data set of 753 discrete characters, which also includes 95 extant panarthropods and two cycloneuralian outgroups. Preference was given to those fossil taxa thought to occur during the cladogenesis of the major arthropod clades, i.e. the lower and middle Cambrian. An extensive study of material from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale Formation and the coeval Stephen Formation in British Columbia (Canada) was undertaken. This study focussed primarily on taxa thought to represent 'upper stem-group euarthropods', namely bivalved arthropods and megacheirans ('great-appendage' arthropods), as they will have the greatest utility in polarizing relationships within the arthropod crown-group [= Euarthropoda]. This study includes the description of three new genera and four new species: the bivalved arthropods Nereocaris exilis, N. briggsi, and Loricicaris spinocaudatus; and the megacheiran Kootenichela deppi; and a restudy selected material referred to the bivalved arthropod taxa Isoxys, Canadaspis perfecta, Odaraia alata and Perspicaris dictynna. Results of the phylogenetic analysis and additional perturbation tests confirm the utility of these taxa for polarizing relationships within Euarthropoda and reducing long-branch artefacts. For example, the hexapods were recovered within a paraphyletic Crustacea, a result anticipated by molecular phylogenetic analyses but until now elusive in morphological phylogenies. Perturbation tests indicate that close affinities of myriapods and hexapods, a result common in morphological analyses, is the result of a long-branch artefact caused by the convergent adaptation to a terrestrial habit, which is broken by the addition of fossil material. The phylogeny provides a detailed picture of character acquisition in the arthropod stem group.
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Cooper, Robert D. "A knowledge-based system for hominid fossils." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2004. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0004420.
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Friend, Duncan. "Palaeobiology of Palaeozoic medusiform stem group echinoderms." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1995. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/265414.
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The morphological details of both external and internal anatomy of a group of Palaeozoic fossil medusiform animals are described with the aid of text-figures and plates with explanatory drawings. This fossil group had a worldwide distribution with a stratigraphic range from the Lower Cambrian to the Upper Devonian and includes the following taxa:- Eldonia ludwigi Walcott 1911, E. eumorphus sp. nov., Rotadiscus grandis Sun and Hou 1987, Discophylluni peltatum Hall 1847, D. mirabile Chapman 1926, D. cryptophya (Clarke) 1900. Newly recognised anatomical structures for E. ludwigi include c.30, internal, radially-arranged, bifurcating lobes, a coelomic sac surrounding the alimentary canal, internal structures assumed to represent gonads and c.4 oral tentacles. E. eumorphus has c.44 internal bifurcating lobes associated with rows of pores on the ventral surface, which form a possible respiratory system. R. granclis has a possibly mineralised dorsal surface, rows of pores on the ventral surface and a tentacular appendage with arm-like extensions. Discophylluni 1s characterised by an ornamented dorsal surface with rows of elaborate pores. The nomenclature 1s revised, anatomical reconstructions are presented and modes of life in terms of feeding and benthic versus pelagic existence are discussed. It is concluded that this group, the Discophylla (equivalent in status to a new class), lies within the stem group Echinodermata. As a consequence, current understanding of the early evolution of the Echinodermata, especially with respect to internal anatomy, is questioned . A number of medusiforrn fossils, not studied in detail as part of this work, are discussed and tentatively assigned to the Discophylla.
Books on the topic "Fossils"
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Spilsbury, Louise. Journal of a fossil hunter: Fossils. Chicago, Ill: Raintree, 2004.
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Walker, Cyril Alexander. Fossils. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1992.
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Walker, Sally M. Fossils. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co., 2007.
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Moody, Richard. Fossils. New York: Collier Books, 1986.
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Canada, Geological Survey of. Fossils. S.l: s.n, 1987.
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Moody, Richard. Fossils. Twickenham: Hamlyn, 1986.
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Fortey, Richard A. Fossils. London: Natural History Museum, 2009.
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Stewart, Melissa. Fossils. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books, 2003.
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Spilsbury, Richard. Fossils. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library, 2011.
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Carl, Mehling, ed. Fossils. San Diego, Calif: Thunder Bay Press, 2007.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Fossils"
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Dahlgren, Rolf M. T., H. Trevor Clifford, and Peter F. Yeo. "Fossils." In The Families of the Monocotyledons, 58. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 1985. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61663-1_6.
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Prost, Gary L., and Benjamin P. Prost. "Fossils." In The Geology Companion, 117–58. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 2017.: CRC Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781315152929-7.
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Prance, Ghillean T. "Fossils." In Humiriaceae, 11–12. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82359-7_4.
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Thulborn, Tony. "Dinosaur fossils." In Dinosaur Tracks, 1–13. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1990. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0409-5_1.
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Eigenbrode, Jennifer. "Molecular Fossils." In Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, 1070–76. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1015.
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Brenchley, Patrick J., and David A. T. Harper. "Trace fossils." In Palaeoecology, 148–78. Boston, MA: Springer US, 1998. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1410-3_5.
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Eigenbrode, Jennifer. "Molecular Fossils." In Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, 1600–1607. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1015.
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Lindholm, Roy C. "Trace fossils." In A Practical Approach to Sedimentology, 65–106. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1987. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7683-5_4.
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Williams, Ross H. "Molecular Fossils." In Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, 1–8. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1015-4.
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Aguilar, Teresita. "Marine Fossils." In Marine Biodiversity of Costa Rica, Central America, 81–94. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8278-8_3.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Fossils"
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Buatois, Luis A., and Maria Gabriela Mangano. "CONGRUENCE OF DIVERSITY TRAJECTORIES BETWEEN BODY FOSSILS AND TRACE FOSSILS." In GSA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA - 2016. Geological Society of America, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2016am-286852.
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Tuzyak, Ya M. "FROM LIVING ORGANISMS TO FOSSILS. THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSSILS TO SOCIETY." In NATURAL SCIENCES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR SOCIETY. Izdevnieciba “Baltija Publishing”, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-413-9-11.
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Oldham, Jordan C. "INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS OF OHIO CAVERNS." In GSA 2020 Connects Online. Geological Society of America, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2020am-359616.
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Downs, Simon T., and Claire A. Lerpiniere. "The Future of Heuristic Fossils." In Design Research Society Conference 2018. Design Research Society, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.612.
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Dunlap, Sam. "MATRIX FOSSILS IN MAINE AND MYANMAR." In 51st Annual Northeastern GSA Section Meeting. Geological Society of America, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2016ne-272471.
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Lidgard, Scott, and Alan C. Love. "LIVING FOSSILS AS A RESEARCH PROGRAM." In GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA - 2017. Geological Society of America, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017am-300986.
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Organ, Chris L. "GENOME MACROEVOLUTION: INSIGHTS FROM FOSSILS AND PHYLOGENIES." In GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA - 2017. Geological Society of America, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017am-297650.
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Rindsberg, Andrew, and Tony Martin. "ICHNOGENY: GROWTH AND CHANGE IN TRACE FOSSILS." In Southeastern Section-70th Annual Meeting-2021. Geological Society of America, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2021se-362345.
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Elsayed, Omar Refaie, Yosr Gamal ElKot, Dina Ashraf ElRefaai, Hagar Mohamed Abdelfattah, Maha ElSayed, and Alaa Hamdy. "Automated Identification and Classification of Teeth Fossils." In 2023 International Mobile, Intelligent, and Ubiquitous Computing Conference (MIUCC). IEEE, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/miucc58832.2023.10278368.
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Letsch, Dominik, Simon Large, Simon Large, Albrecht von Quadt, Albrecht von Quadt, Wilfried Winkler, Wilfried Winkler, et al. "NW AFRICA’S OLDEST KNOWN SKELETAL FOSSILS: A NEW CAMBRIAN SMALL SHELLY FOSSIL FAUNA FROM SOUTH MOROCCO." In GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA - 2017. Geological Society of America, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017am-298097.
Full textReports on the topic "Fossils"
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Lanik, Amanda, Mikaela Ruga, Chad Hults, and Claire Schmid. Paleontological resources monitoring at Fossil Point, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve: 2019 field report. National Park Service, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2300633.
Full textAbstract:
Fossil Point is an exceptionally rich and scientifically important fossil locality found in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The rocks at Fossil Point are known for their abundant and well-preserved Middle Jurassic invertebrate fossils, including bivalves, ammonites, and belemnites. The abundance and quality, as well as the relatively easy coastal access, makes the fossils at Fossil Point vulnerable to unauthorized collection. Anecdotal evidence suggests that collection without a permit is occurring at Fossil Point and has been for decades. Monitoring of the prevalence and scale of unauthorized collecting was initiated at Fossil Point in 2018 (Lanik et al. 2019). The findings of the 2018 fieldwork indicated that visitors to Fossil Point were exhibiting behaviors related to fossil collection. However, flaws in the study design made it impossible to differentiate if the loss of fossils over the summer season was related to natural erosional processes or anthropogenic activity. This report summarizes monitoring of fossils and visitors at Fossil Point in the summer (May-August) of 2019. This study built upon the monitoring of the previous summer and the purpose was twofold: (1) assess visitation to Fossil Point, and (2) document the loss of paleontological resources via unauthorized collection.
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Harrington, Matthew, Amanda Lanik, Chad Hults, and Patrick Druckenmiller. Focused condition assessment of paleontological resources within Katmai National Park and Preserve. National Park Service, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2298782.
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The paleontological resources (fossils) of Katmai National Park and Preserve (also referred to as ?the park? or ?Katmai? throughout this report) record the evolution of the park?s ancient life throughout most of the Mesozoic Era and portions of the Cenozoic Era (see Table 1 for a geologic time scale). A focused condition assessment (FCA) of the paleontological resources of Katmai was conducted in 2021; this report summarizes the findings of the FCA, including information on the park?s geology and paleontology, management issues related to paleontological resources, and the results of a field survey of the Kamishak Bay area. The FCA project also included fieldwork to monitor fossils at Kaguyak Point. The results of the Kaguyak Point monitoring are presented in Harrington et al. (In preparation). The first section of this report (?Paleontology?) examines the fossiliferous geologic units within Katmai as well as the fossils found within them. Fossils range from small bivalves and belemnites to large ammonites and a possible dinosaur bone. Plant fossils are abundant in the Eocene-aged Copper Lake Formation, Ketavik Formation, and Hemlock Conglomerate. The Jurassic-aged Naknek and Cretaceous-aged Kaguyak Formations are the most abundantly fossiliferous units within the park, containing ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, and other invertebrates. The ?Paleontological Resources Monitoring and Management? section of this report discusses potential threats to paleontological resources and management recommendations. The fossils within Katmai are nonrenewable resources that the NPS is mandated to protect, preserve, and manage. Fossils can be at risk of damage or loss from natural (e.g., erosion) and/or anthropogenic (e.g., unauthorized collection) forces. Damage or loss of fossils greatly reduces the scientific value they possess, as well as degrades the overall heritage of the park. Most of the park?s fossils have a low risk for anthropogenic impacts because many fossil sites are remote and receive little visitation. Areas in the park that contain fossils and receive visitors include the Brooks Camp area, Ukak Falls, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Hallo Bay, and Kaguyak Point. Fieldwork was conducted during the summer of 2021 to explore Katmai for new vertebrate fossil localities (?Kamishak Bay Reconnaissance? section of this report). The current extent of vertebrate fossils within Katmai is limited to a single heavily worn bone chunk that was found in the vicinity of Ukak Falls. Vertebrate fossils have been uncovered south of the park near Becharof Lake and near Chignik Bay in the Indecision Creek Member of the Naknek Formation. To search for vertebrate fossils, exposures of the Indecision Creek Member of the Naknek Formation were surveyed along the coast of Kamishak Bay. Bluffs and outcrops were examined for fossils and evidence supporting the existence of vertebrate trackways or remains. The study determined that exposures of the Indecision Creek Member along Kamishak Bay are unlikely to contain vertebrate fossils. This portion of the member contained marine fossils and driftwood, indicating deposition in a marine environment, and the rock outcrops fractured perpendicularly to the bedding plane, limiting the potential for preserving fossil trackways. Future exploration for vertebrate fossils in Katmai could target Mt Katolinat and Ukak Falls.
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Rich, Megan, Charles Beightol, Christy Visaggi, Justin Tweet, and Vincent Santucci. Vicksburg National Military Park: Paleontological resource inventory (sensitive version). National Park Service, March 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2297321.
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Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) was established for its historical significance as a one of the principle military sieges resulting in a turning point during the American Civil War. The steep terrain around the city of Vicksburg was integral in the military siege, providing high vantage points and a substrate that was easy to entrench for the armies, but unknown to many is the fossil content, particularly a diversity of fossil mollusks. These fossils at VICK are important paleontological resources which have yet to receive focused attention from park staff, visitors, and researchers. The park’s geology is dominated by windblown silt from the last Ice Age which overlays river-transported gravels and bedrock of the late Oligocene–early Miocene-age Catahoula Formation or early Oligocene Vicksburg Group. The park is home to the type section (a geological reference locality upon which a formation is based) for the Mint Spring Formation, one of the most fossiliferous formations in this group (Henderson et al. 2022). Beginning roughly 32 million years ago (Dockery 2019), the early Oligocene deposits of the Vicksburg Group were deposited as the sea level along the Gulf Coast shore repeatedly rose and fell. The eponymously named Vicksburg Group is comprised of, from oldest to youngest, the Forest Hill, Mint Spring, Marianna Limestone, Glendon Limestone, Byram, and Bucatunna Formations. Each of these formations are within VICK’s boundaries, in addition to outcrops of the younger Catahoula Formation. Paleozoic fossils transported by the ancestral Mississippi River have also been redeposited within VICK as pre-loess stream gravels. Overlying these layers is the Quaternary-age silt which composes the loess found throughout VICK, meaning the park’s fossils span the entire Phanerozoic Eon. The fossils of VICK consist mostly of near-shore marine Oligocene invertebrates including corals, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, scaphopods, ostracods, and more, though terrestrial and freshwater snails of the loess, microfossils, plant fossils, occasional vertebrates, and others can also be found in the park. Notable historical figures such as Charles Alexandre Lesueur, Charles Lyell, and John Wesley Powell all collected fossils or studied geology in the Vicksburg area. The Vicksburg Group is culturally relevant as well, as the Glendon Limestone Formation has been identified by its embedded fossils as a source rock for Native American effigy pipes. This paleontological resource inventory is the first of its kind for VICK. Although Vicksburg fossils have most recently been studied as part of the Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network (Kenworthy et al. 2007), the park has never received a comprehensive, dedicated fossil inventory before this report. At least 27 fossil species, listed in Appendix B, have been named and described from specimens collected from within VICK’s lands, and VICK fossils can be found at six or more non-NPS museum repositories. Beginning in January 2022, field surveys were undertaken at VICK, covering nearly all the park’s wooded areas, streams, and other portions beyond the preserved trenches and tour road. Fossils were collected or observed at 72 localities. These specimens will be added into VICK’s museum collections, which previously contained no paleontological resources. Considering the minimal attention dedicated to these resources in the past, these newly acquired fossil specimens may be used in the future for educational, interpretive, or research purposes. Future park construction needs should take into account the protection of these resources by avoiding important localities or allowing collection efforts before localities become inaccessible or lost.
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Shaffer, Austin, Justin Tweet, and Vincent Santucci. Colorado National Monument: Paleontological resource inventory (sensitive version). National Park Service, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2303444.
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Colorado National Monument (COLM) in western Colorado was established on May 24, 1911 with the purpose of preserving, understanding, and enjoying the natural and cultural resources of the landscape, focusing on the history, erosional processes, and geology present. Although not explicitly mentioned in the monument?s purpose statement, the paleontological resources of COLM are nevertheless important. Significant fossils have been known from the area since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and from COLM specifically within a few decades of the monument?s founding. The direct urban interface of COLM with Colorado?s Grand Valley provides unique management concerns for fossils and other resources of the monument. While COLM preserves a long geologic history (roughly 1.7 billion years ago to the present), the fossils preserved at the monument mostly come from sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic Era. The paleontological resources of COLM include both body fossils and trace fossils of a wide variety of organisms (e.g., freshwater mussels, dinosaurs, plants) representing diverse paleoenvironments. In order to assess the paleontological resources of COLM, a field inventory was conducted from April to November 2023, visiting all previously reported fossil sites and documenting new localities. A total of 226 paleontological localities were verified during this fieldwork, of which nearly two-thirds (146 sites) were newly documented. Two more were discovered in March 2024. These 228 localities are distributed throughout much of the monument and many of the geologic units, with higher concentrations present in certain units (e.g., the Morrison Formation). Fieldwork was supplemented by the review of published and gray literature and assessment of COLM paleontological collections. A number of significant paleontological discoveries were made during this inventory, including the first documented fossils (dinosaur tracks, plant fossils, and dinosaur skin) from the Naturita Formation within COLM and multiple novel fossil occurrences (e.g., likely the oldest-known fish otoliths in North America and possibly one of the only Jurassic ankylosaur tracks known globally). When considered alongside previously identified significant fossil finds from COLM (e.g., one of only three known turtle tracksites in the Morrison Formation and potentially one of the only known lizard trackways in the same unit), the paleontological resources of the monument are of high scientific importance. Future research on the paleontological resources of COLM has a high potential for identifying important fossil specimens and/or describing new species. This report provides foundational data on the scope, significance, and distribution of paleontological resources at COLM and provides recommendations to support the management, interpretation, and research of these resources.
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Shaffer, Austin, Justin Tweet, and Vincent Santucci. Colorado National Monument: Paleontological resource inventory (public version). National Park Service, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2303613.
Full textAbstract:
Colorado National Monument (COLM) in western Colorado was established on May 24, 1911 with the purpose of preserving, understanding, and enjoying the natural and cultural resources of the landscape, focusing on the history, erosional processes, and geology present. Although not explicitly mentioned in the monument?s purpose statement, the paleontological resources of COLM are nevertheless important. Significant fossils have been known from the area since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and from COLM specifically within a few decades of the monument?s founding. The direct urban interface of COLM with Colorado?s Grand Valley provides unique management concerns for fossils and other resources of the monument. While COLM preserves a long geologic history (roughly 1.7 billion years ago to the present), the fossils preserved at the monument mostly come from sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic Era. The paleontological resources of COLM include both body fossils and trace fossils of a wide variety of organisms (e.g., freshwater mussels, dinosaurs, plants) representing diverse paleoenvironments. In order to assess the paleontological resources of COLM, a field inventory was conducted from April to November 2023, visiting all previously reported fossil sites and documenting new localities. A total of 226 paleontological localities were verified during this fieldwork, of which nearly two-thirds (146 sites) were newly documented. Two more were discovered in March 2024. These 228 localities are distributed throughout much of the monument and many of the geologic units, with higher concentrations present in certain units (e.g., the Morrison Formation). Fieldwork was supplemented by the review of published and gray literature and assessment of COLM paleontological collections. A number of significant paleontological discoveries were made during this inventory, including the first documented fossils (dinosaur tracks, plant fossils, and dinosaur skin) from the Naturita Formation within COLM and multiple novel fossil occurrences (e.g., likely the oldest-known fish otoliths in North America and possibly one of the only Jurassic ankylosaur tracks known globally). When considered alongside previously identified significant fossil finds from COLM (e.g., one of only three known turtle tracksites in the Morrison Formation and potentially one of the only known lizard trackways in the same unit), the paleontological resources of the monument are of high scientific importance. Future research on the paleontological resources of COLM has a high potential for identifying important fossil specimens and/or describing new species. This report provides foundational data on the scope, significance, and distribution of paleontological resources at COLM and provides recommendations to support the management, interpretation, and research of these resources.
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Harrington, Matthew, Amanda Lanik, and Chad Hults. Paleontological resource monitoring at Kaguyak Point, Katmai National Park and Preserve. National Park Service, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2298794.
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Fieldwork was conducted during the summers of 2017 and 2021 to assess the risk of unauthorized collection and erosion to ammonite fossils located at Kaguyak Point in Katmai National Park and Preserve. Past reports indicated that unauthorized fossil collecting may have occurred at Kaguyak Point. Our monitoring found no signs of unauthorized collecting during the summer of 2021 and our findings also indicate that it is unlikely that collecting occurred between 2017 and 2021. If unauthorized fossil collecting occurred in the past at Kaguyak Point, it appears to have now stopped. The best way to protect the fossils at Kaguyak Point at this time is to keep knowledge of this fossil site as limited as possible. Future monitoring of Kaguyak Point would allow park managers to gauge if there is a change in conditions that may warrant different management actions.
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Chriscoe, Mackenzie, Rowan Lockwood, Justin Tweet, and Vincent Santucci. Colonial National Historical Park: Paleontological resource inventory (public version). National Park Service, February 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2291851.
Full textAbstract:
Colonial National Historical Park (COLO) in eastern Virginia was established for its historical significance, but significant paleontological resources are also found within its boundaries. The bluffs around Yorktown are composed of sedimentary rocks and deposits of the Yorktown Formation, a marine unit deposited approximately 4.9 to 2.8 million years ago. When the Yorktown Formation was being deposited, the shallow seas were populated by many species of invertebrates, vertebrates, and micro-organisms which have left body fossils and trace fossils behind. Corals, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, scaphopods, worms, crabs, ostracodes, echinoids, sharks, bony fishes, whales, and others were abundant. People have long known about the fossils of the Yorktown area. Beginning in the British colonial era, fossiliferous deposits were used to make lime and construct roads, while more consolidated intervals furnished building stone. Large shells were used as plates and dippers. Collection of specimens for study began in the late 17th century, before they were even recognized as fossils. The oldest image of a fossil from North America is of a typical Yorktown Formation shell now known as Chesapecten jeffersonius, probably collected from the Yorktown area and very likely from within what is now COLO. Fossil shells were observed by participants of the 1781 siege of Yorktown, and the landmark known as “Cornwallis Cave” is carved into rock made of shell fragments. Scientific description of Yorktown Formation fossils began in the early 19th century. At least 25 fossil species have been named from specimens known to have been discovered within COLO boundaries, and at least another 96 have been named from specimens potentially discovered within COLO, but with insufficient locality information to be certain. At least a dozen external repositories and probably many more have fossils collected from lands now within COLO, but again limited locality information makes it difficult to be sure. This paleontological resource inventory is the first of its kind for Colonial National Historical Park (COLO). Although COLO fossils have been studied as part of the Northeast Coastal Barrier Network (NCBN; Tweet et al. 2014) and, to a lesser extent, as part of a thematic inventory of caves (Santucci et al. 2001), the park had not received a comprehensive paleontological inventory before this report. This inventory allows for a deeper understanding of the park’s paleontological resources and compiles information from historical papers as well as recently completed field work. In summer 2020, researchers went into the field and collected eight bulk samples from three different localities within COLO. These samples will be added to COLO’s museum collections, making their overall collection more robust. In the future, these samples may be used for educational purposes, both for the general public and for employees of the park.
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Hodnett, John, Ralph Eshelman, Nicholas Gardner, and Vincent Santucci. Geology, Pleistocene paleontology, and research history of the Cumberland Bone Cave: Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. National Park Service, January 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2296839.
Full textAbstract:
The Cumberland Bone Cave is a public visitation stop along the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail renowned for its unique fossil resources that help reconstruct Appalachian middle Pleistocene life in the mid-Atlantic region of North America. This site is gated for safety and to prevent unwanted exploration and damage. Approximately 163 taxa of fossil plant and animals have been collected from Cumberland Bone Cave since 1912. Most of the fossils that have been published pertain to mammals, including many extinct or locally extirpated genera and species. Though the early excavations made by the Smithsonian Institution between 1912 and 1915 are the best known of the work at Cumberland Bone Cave, over many decades multiple institutions and paleontologists have collected and studied the fossil resources from this site up until 2012. Today, fossils from Cumberland Bone Cave are housed at various museum collections, including public displays at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and the Allegany Museum in Cumberland, Maryland. This report summarizes the geology, fossil resources, and the history of excavation and research for Potomac Heritage Trail’s Cumberland Bone Cave.
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Herring, Theodore, Justin Tweet, and Vincent Santucci. Wind Cave National Park: Paleontological resource inventory (public version). National Park Service, June 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36967/2299620.
Full textAbstract:
Wind Cave National Park (WICA), the first cave in the world to become a national park, is famous for the park’s namesake feature. Wind Cave, named for the noticeable wind-flow patterns observed as air moves in and out of the natural cave entrance, is currently the third longest cave system in the United States and seventh longest in the world. Wind Cave formed when groundwater dissolved buried layers of the fossiliferous Madison Limestone, which were deposited during the Mississippian subperiod approximately 359 to 347 million years ago. In addition to the Madison Limestone, several other formations are exposed within the park, dating from the early Proterozoic to the Holocene. The presence of fossils within the park has been known since at least the late 19th century when early settlers explored the cave to turn the geologic feature into a tourist attraction. However, most of the geologic work conducted during the park’s history has focused on the exploration and development of the cave itself, rather than its fossils. Paleontology became a bigger focus in the late 20th century when the park partnered with the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to recover and research fossils found within the cave and on the park’s surface. Other partnerships include those with the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs and Northern Arizona University, through which researchers have studied Quaternary cave deposits found across the park. In ascending order (oldest to youngest), the geologic formations at WICA include undifferentiated lower Proterozoic rocks (Precambrian), Harney Peak Granite (Precambrian), Deadwood Formation (Cambrian–Ordovician), Englewood Limestone (Devonian–Mississippian), Madison Limestone (Mississippian), Minnelusa Formation (Pennsylvanian–Permian), Opeche Shale (Permian), Minnekahta Limestone (Permian), Spearfish Formation (Permian–Triassic), Sundance Formation (Middle–Upper Jurassic), Unkpapa Sandstone (Upper Jurassic), Lakota Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Fall River Formation (Lower Cretaceous), White River Group (Eocene–Oligocene), and Quaternary alluvium, conglomerate, and gravel deposits. The units that are confirmed to be fossiliferous within the park are the Deadwood Formation, Englewood Limestone, Madison Limestone, and Minnelusa Formation, which contain a variety of marine fossils from a shallow sea deposition environment; the Sundance Formation, which has much younger marine fossils; the Lakota Formation, which has yielded petrified wood; and the White River Group and Quaternary deposits, which contain vertebrate and invertebrate fossils deposited in and near freshwater streams, lakes, and ponds. Many of the fossils of WICA are visible from or near public trails and roads, which puts them at risk of poaching or damage, and there is evidence that fossil poaching occurred at several of the Klukas sites soon after they were discovered. Furthermore, there are several fossil sites on the tour routes within Wind Cave, which are of value to interpretation and the park experience. WICA has implemented cyclic fossil surveys in the past to monitor site conditions, and it is recommended that this paleontological resource monitoring be continued in the future.
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Poulton, T. P. Fossils: Thermal Maturation Indicators, northwestern Mainland Canada. Natural Resources Canada/ESS/Scientific and Technical Publishing Services, 1989. http://dx.doi.org/10.4095/127558.
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