Download or read book A Comparative Taphonomic Study of Vertebrate Fossilization in Marine and Terrestrial Strata of the Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation North Central Montana written by Adrian Sutter and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Geochemical Framework for Fossilization in the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine an Judith River Formations of Montana written by Rachel Murray and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rare earth element concentration of fossil-bearing rocks from the Two Medicine and Judith River Formations was determined by LA-ICP-MS analysis. Infrared Spectroscopy was employed to identify the composition of associated fossil material. The result was compared with the fossil taphonomy, as described by previous studies, to interpret the trace element source and the paleoenvironment of early fossilization. Sedimentary rare earth element concentrations support fossil evidence regarding local pore water geochemical conditions. Rare Earth Elements concentrate in fine-grained clays, and are more likely volcanic in origin. Infrared Spectroscopy identifies the fossil material as francolite, implying that the cause of rare earth element enrichment is diagenetic phosphate recrystallization.

Download or read book Bonebeds written by Raymond R. Rogers and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The vertebrate fossil record extends back more than 500 million years, and bonebeds—localized concentrations of the skeletal remains of vertebrate animals—help unlock the secrets of this long history. Often spectacularly preserved, bonebeds—both modern and ancient—can reveal more about life histories, ecological associations, and preservation patterns than any single skeleton or bone. For this reason, bonebeds are frequently studied by paleobiologists, geologists, and archeologists seeking to piece together the vertebrate record. Thirteen respected researchers combine their experiences in Bonebeds, providing readers with workable definitions, theoretical frameworks, and a compendium of modern techniques in bonebed data collection and analysis. By addressing the historical, theoretical, and practical aspects of bonebed research, this edited volume—the first of its kind—provides the background and methods that students and professionals need to explore and understand these fantastic records of ancient life and death.

Download or read book Phosphates written by Matthew J. Kohn and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-12-17 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume 48 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry represents the work of many authors whose research illustrates how the unique chemical and physical behavior of phosphate minerals permits a wide range of applications that encompasses phosphate mineralogy, petrology, biomineralization, geochronology, and materials science. While diverse, these fields are all linked structurally, crystal-chemically and geochemically. As geoscientists turn their attention to the intersection of the biological, geological, and material science realms, there is no group of compounds more germane than the phosphates.

Download or read book Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah written by David D. Gillette and published by Utah Geological Survey. This book was released on 1999 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 52 papers in this vary in content from summaries or state-of-knowledge treatments, to detailed contributions that describe new species. Although the distinction is subtle, the title (Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah) indicates the science of paleontology in the state of Utah, rather than the even more ambitious intent if it were given the title “Vertebrate Paleontology of Utah” which would promise an encyclopedic treatment of the subject. The science of vertebrate paleontology in Utah is robust and intense. It has grown prodigiously in the past decade, and promises to continue to grow indefinitely. This research benefits everyone in the state, through Utah’s muse ums and educational institutions, which are the direct beneficiaries.

Download or read book The Hell Creek Formation and the Cretaceous Tertiary Boundary in the Northern Great Plains written by Joseph Herbert Hartman and published by Geological Society of America. This book was released on 2002 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Effects of Depositional Environment Asssemblage Taphonomy and Diagenesis on Vertebrate Skeletal Preservation in a Crevasse Splay Sandstone Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation Eastern Montana written by Daigo Yamamura and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although a great deal of paleontological information is derived from analyzing fossilized skeletal remains, the fossilization process of vertebrate skeletal remains is poorly understood. Depositional environment, taphonomy and diagenesis of an assemblage of vertebrate skeletal elements from a sandstone in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation are investigated in order to decipher relations between sandstone diagenesis and skeletal element fossilization. Fieldwork included taphonomic data collection, section measurement and description as well as sample collection. The rock and fossil bone samples were analyzed by petrography, cathodoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The depositional environment including the fossil assemblage is interpreted as a crevasse splay based on the facies association of repeating sequences of mudrock and fine sandstone overlying channel and levee deposits. Taphonomic data suggest the bones were exposed on the surface up to 15 years before burial, and the assemblage is time-averaged. Although sandstone including the fossil bones indicates physical compaction, fossil bones do not exhibit signs of compaction. Barite is an unusual authigenic mineral found in fossil bones, suggesting collagen degradation during early diagenesis facilitated unique diagenetic microenvironment within bones. Calcite and siderite cements were precipitated multiple times, suggesting alkaline pore-fluid conditions were common during diagenesis. However, oversized pores and highly altered grains indicate that porefluids were acidic during late diagenesis; acidic pore-fluid conditions are likely due to the organic acid produced by degradation of organic molecule at higher diagenetic temperatures. Fossil bone minerals are altered due to 1) early pore-fluid infiltration combined with dehydration/rehydration processes, 2) saline pore-fluid infiltration and 3) increased temperature and pressure during deeper burial. This study demonstrates that petrography, XRD and SEM/EDS together can help decipher the diagenetic history of fossilized bones. In order to maximize the information, not only the fossil bones, but surrounding rocks need to be analyzed because surrounding rocks record different sets of diagenetic processes such as calcite precipitation in the vadose zone, siderite precipitation in the phreatic zones, acidic pore-fluid condition during mesogenesis.

Download or read book Biogeochemical Analysis of Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Fossils of Western Alabama USA written by Terry Lynn Harrell and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past, vertebrate paleontologists in Alabama focused primarily on classical methods of investigation, for example, by examining the gross anatomy of fossilized skeletal elements. More recently, new methods were developed that enable paleontologists to examine the molecular composition of fossilized bones and teeth, so that they may be used as proxies for determining past environmental and biological conditions. The analyses presented here examine vertebrate fossils from the Late Cretaceous aged marine formations of Alabama, which represent one of the warmest time periods in Earth's history. The first analysis examines the rare earth element (REE) content of biophosphates to determine fossil provenance and relative paleobathymetry of the marine strata in which the fossils were deposited. The second analysis examines the strontium isotope ratios present in fossil shark tooth enameloid to determine numerical ages of the containing geologic formations. The final analysis examines the oxygen isotope content of biophosphates for ambient temperature determination of seawater present during the Late Cretaceous and the body temperatures of a variety of vertebrate organisms including mosasaurs and birds. The data obtained by this study on the greenhouse climate present during the Late Cretaceous may possibly be used to better enhance computer modelling of future climate change, given the current state of global warming, and the biological response to this warming trend.

Download or read book Tyrannosaurid Paleobiology written by J. Michael Parrish and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-05 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawn from a 2005 international symposium, these essays explore current tyrannosaurid current research and discoveries regarding Tyrannosaurus rex. The opening of an exhibit focused on “Jane,” a beautifully preserved tyrannosaur collected by the Burpee Museum of Natural History, was the occasion for an international symposium on tyrannosaur paleobiology. This volume, drawn from the symposium, includes studies of the tyrannosaurids Chingkankousaurus fragilis and “Sir William” and the generic status of Nanotyrannus; theropod teeth, pedal proportions, brain size, and craniocervical function; soft tissue reconstruction, including that of “Jane”; paleopathology and tyrannosaurid claws; dating the “Jane” site; and tyrannosaur feeding and hunting strategies. Tyrannosaurid Paleobiology highlights the far ranging and vital state of current tyrannosaurid dinosaur research and discovery. “Despite being discovered over 100 years ago, Tyrannosaurus rex and its kin still inspire researchers to ask fundamental questions about what the best known dinosaur was like as a living, breathing animal. Tyrannosaurid Paleobiology present a series of wide-ranging and innovative studies that cover diverse topics such as how tyrannosaurs attacked and dismembered prey, the shapes and sizes of feet and brains, and what sorts of injuries individuals sustained and lived with. There are also examinations of the diversity of tyrannosaurs, determinations of exactly when different kinds lived and died, and what goes into making a museum exhibit featuring tyrannosaurs. This volume clearly shows that there is much more to the study of dinosaurs than just digging up and cataloguing old bones.” —Donald M. Henderson, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

Download or read book Cyclic and Event Stratification written by G. Einsele and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles from the Mesozoic of Mexico written by Héctor E. Rivera-Sylva and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This overview of dinosaur discoveries in Mexico synthesizes current information about the geography and environment of the region during the Mesozoic when it was the western margin of the ancient continent of Pangea. The book summarizes research on various groups, including turtles, lepidosauromorphs, plesiosaurs, crocodyliforms, pterosaurs, and last but not least, dinosaurs. In addition, chapters focus on trackways and other trace fossils and on K/P boundary (the Chicxulub crater, beneath the Gulf of Mexico, has been hypothesized as the site of the boloid impact that killed off the dinosaurs). Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles from the Mesozoic of Mexico is an up-to-date, informative volume on an area that has not been comprehensively described until now.

Download or read book An Exquisitely Preserved Skeleton Representing a Primitive Sturgeon Form the Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana Acipenseriformes Acipenseridae N Gen and Sp written by Lance Grande and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Diversity Biogeography and Taphonomy of Late Cretaceous Chondrichthyans from Montana written by Yasemin Ifakat Tulu and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Tracking Bone Taphonomy at the Microstructural Scale written by Bradley Andres and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vertebrate hard parts are subject to a host of both physical and biological processes that culminate in either destruction or fossilization. Macroscopic taphonomic effects yields data relevant to interpretation of the vertebrate fossil record. Recent work on microbially mediated bioerosion is beginning to provide insights into biotic controls on bone preservation and on microorganisms inhabiting ancient ecosystems. I sampled marine vertebrate bones (n=56) derived from a conglomerate at the base of the Carlile Shale exposed in eastern South Dakota with the goal of addressing three key questions: 1) What features characterize the microscopic taphonomy of the Carlile Shale? 2) Do spongy trabecular bone and dense compact bone from the same depositional setting exhibit comparable levels of microstructural degradation? And 3) does the frequency of biotic degradation parallel the frequency of physical degradation? The general taphonomic state in the Carlile Shale sample is highly degraded and consistent with a high energy, near-shore depositional environment. This taphonomic signal is also present at the microstructural level. Biotic degradation ranging in size from less than 10 to 40 microns in diameter is abundant and diverse, as is the microscopic expression of physical degradation, including brecciation and discoloration. These signs of biotic degradation include branching Wedl tunnels 10-15 in diameter and rounded Budded tunnels 30-60 in diameter. Two novels varieties are also present; Fibrous Mat tunnels and Parallel Ovoid tunnels. Trabecular bone and compact bone tissues both exhibit significant evidence of microstructural degradation. However trabecular bone contains more evidence of bioerosion; for example Budded tunnels occur in 69% in trabecular bones (n=13) and only in 20% of compact bones (n=44). Compact tissue contains more evidence of physical degradation; for example cracking occurs in 91% of compact bones (n=44) and only in 69% of trabecular bone (n=13). Levels of biotic damage do not parallel the levels of physical degradation in the sample. Bioerosional damage is less common and less dramatic than abiotic/physical damage. There is no clear correlation between biotic and physical modification though the two often co-occur and are, at times, closely associated.

Download or read book Morphology and Evolution of Turtles written by Donald B. Brinkman and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-08-16 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume celebrates the contributions of Dr. Eugene Gaffney to the study of turtles, through a diverse and complementary collection of papers that showcases the latest research on one of the most intriguing groups of reptiles. A mix of focused and review papers deals with numerous aspects of the evolutionary history of turtles, including embryonic development, origins, early diversification, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeography. Moreover it includes reports on important but poorly understood fossil turtle assemblages, provides historical perspectives on turtle research, and documents disease and variation in turtles. With its broad scope, which includes descriptions of material and new taxa from Australia, Asia, and Europe, as well as North and South America, this work will be an essential resource for anyone interested in the morphology and evolution of turtles. “This volume’s breadth of time, geography, and taxonomic coverage makes it a major contribution to the field and a ‘must have’ for all vertebrate paleontologists.”, James F. Parham, California State University, CA, USA “A comprehensive and sweeping overview of turtle evolution by the top experts in the field that will interest everyone curious about these unique reptiles.” Jason S. Anderson, University of Calgary, Canada “An invaluable addition to the literature that covers the full spectrum of approaches toward understanding the evolution of these noble creatures.” Ann C. Burke, Wesleyan University, CT , USA “A truly comprehensive volume that both the student of fossil turtles, as well as the general reader interested in these enigmatic creatures, will find fascinating.” Tyler Lyson, Yale University, CT, USA​

Download or read book Vertebrate Microfossil Assemblages written by Julia T. Sankey and published by . This book was released on 2008-04-17 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents state-of-the-art papers on important topics and methods in the analysis of vertebrate microfossil assemblages. The minute remains of animals and plants have proven very useful to paleontologists as tools for dating large fossils, describing the environments which existed at the time the fossils were deposited, and identifying and mapping the extent of local floras and faunas, among other things. Due to the large sample sizes that can be obtained, the chance to recover rare taxa is much higher than it is during a search for skeletal remains. Analysis of the data produced from microvertebrate localities can address a wide range of questions as these papers clearly demonstrate.

Download or read book The Evolution and Fossil Record of Parasitism written by Kenneth De Baets and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 565 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This two-volume edited book highlights and reviews the potential of the fossil record to calibrate the origin and evolution of parasitism, and the techniques to understand the development of parasite-host associations and their relationships with environmental and ecological changes. The book deploys a broad and comprehensive approach, aimed at understanding the origins and developments of various parasite groups, in order to provide a wider evolutionary picture of parasitism as part of biodiversity. This is in contrast to most contributions by parasitologists in the literature that focus on circular lines of evidence, such as extrapolating from current host associations or distributions, to estimate constraints on the timing of the origin and evolution of various parasite groups. This approach is narrow and fails to provide the wider evolutionary picture of parasitism on, and as part of, biodiversity. Volume one focuses on identifying parasitism in the fossil record, and sheds light on the distribution and ecological importance of parasite-host interactions over time. In order to better understand the evolutionary history of parasites and their relationship with changes in the environment, emphasis is given to viruses, bacteria, protists and multicellular eukaryotes as parasites. Particular attention is given to fungi and metazoans such as bivalves, cnidarians, crustaceans, gastropods, helminths, insects, mites and ticks as parasites. Researchers, specifically evolutionary (paleo)biologists and parasitologists, interested in the evolutionary history of parasite-host interactions as well as students studying parasitism will find this book appealing.