Taphonomy and Sedimentology of Two Miocene Vertebrate Fossil Sites On
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Plant Macrofossil Evidence for an Early Onset of the Holocene Summer Thermal Maximum in Northernmost Europe
ARTICLE Received 19 Aug 2014 | Accepted 27 Feb 2015 | Published 10 Apr 2015 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7809 OPEN Plant macrofossil evidence for an early onset of the Holocene summer thermal maximum in northernmost Europe M. Va¨liranta1, J.S. Salonen2, M. Heikkila¨1, L. Amon3, K. Helmens4, A. Klimaschewski5, P. Kuhry4, S. Kultti2, A. Poska3,6, S. Shala4, S. Veski3 & H.H. Birks7 Holocene summer temperature reconstructions from northern Europe based on sedimentary pollen records suggest an onset of peak summer warmth around 9,000 years ago. However, pollen-based temperature reconstructions are largely driven by changes in the proportions of tree taxa, and thus the early-Holocene warming signal may be delayed due to the geographical disequilibrium between climate and tree populations. Here we show that quantitative summer-temperature estimates in northern Europe based on macrofossils of aquatic plants are in many cases ca.2°C warmer in the early Holocene (11,700–7,500 years ago) than reconstructions based on pollen data. When the lag in potential tree establishment becomes imperceptible in the mid-Holocene (7,500 years ago), the reconstructed temperatures converge at all study sites. We demonstrate that aquatic plant macrofossil records can provide additional and informative insights into early-Holocene temperature evolution in northernmost Europe and suggest further validation of early post-glacial climate development based on multi-proxy data syntheses. 1 Department of Environmental Sciences, ECRU, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland. 2 Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland. -
Standard Procedures for the Assessment and Mitigation of Adverse Impacts to Paleontological Resources
Standard Procedures for the Assessment and Mitigation of Adverse Impacts to Paleontological Resources Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Impact Mitigation Guidelines Revision Committee Abstract Fossils are nonrenewable paleontological resources that are subject to impacts from land development. Procedures are presented for evaluating the potential for impacts of a proposed action on paleontological resources and for mitigating those impacts. Impact mitigation includes pre-project survey and salvage, monitoring and screen washing during excavation to salvage fossils, conservation and inventory, and final reports and specimen curation. The objective of these procedures is to offer standard methods for assessing potential impacts to fossils and mitigating these impacts. Introduction Fossils are nonrenewable paleontological resources that are afforded protection by federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) of 2009 calls for uniform policies and standards that apply to fossils on all federal public lands. All federal land management agencies are required to develop regulations that satisfy the stipulations of the PRPA. Section 6302 of the PRPA mandates that federal agencies "shall manage and protect paleontological resources on Federal land using scientific principles and expertise." Thus, federal agencies need the help of the professional paleontological community in the formulation and implementation of these PRPA- mandated policies and regulations. The potential for destruction or degradation of paleontological resources on both public and private lands selected for development under the jurisdiction of various governmental planning agencies is recognized. The standard procedures below are intended to be applicable to both private and public lands under the jurisdiction of local, city, county, regional, state, and federal agencies. -
Ontogeny Reveals Function and Evolution of the Hadrosaurid Dinosaur Dental Battery Aaron R
LeBlanc et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology (2016) 16:152 DOI 10.1186/s12862-016-0721-1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Ontogeny reveals function and evolution of the hadrosaurid dinosaur dental battery Aaron R. H. LeBlanc1*, Robert R. Reisz1,2, David C. Evans3 and Alida M. Bailleul4 Abstract Background: Hadrosaurid dinosaurs, dominant Late Cretaceous herbivores, possessed complex dental batteries with up to 300 teeth in each jaw ramus. Despite extensive interest in the adaptive significance of the dental battery, surprisingly little is known about how the battery evolved from the ancestral dinosaurian dentition, or how it functioned in the living organism. We undertook the first comprehensive, tissue-level study of dental ontogeny in hadrosaurids using several intact maxillary and dentary batteries and compared them to sections of other archosaurs and mammals. We used these comparisons to pinpoint shifts in the ancestral reptilian pattern of tooth ontogeny that allowed hadrosaurids to form complex dental batteries. Results: Comparisons of hadrosaurid dental ontogeny with that of other amniotes reveals that the ability to halt normal tooth replacement and functionalize the tooth root into the occlusal surface was key to the evolution of dental batteries. The retention of older generations of teeth was driven by acceleration in the timing and rate of dental tissue formation. The hadrosaurid dental battery is a highly modified form of the typical dinosaurian gomphosis with a unique tooth-to-tooth attachment that permitted constant and perfectly timed tooth eruption along the whole battery. Conclusions: We demonstrate that each battery was a highly dynamic, integrated matrix of living replacement and, remarkably, dead grinding teeth connected by a network of ligaments that permitted fine scale flexibility within the battery. -
PAL-3, Paleontological Resources Mitigation And
DOCKETED Docket Number: 16-AFC-01C Project Title: Stanton Energy Reliability Center - Compliance TN #: 226417 PAL-3, Paleontological Resources Mitigation and Monitoring Program Document Title: (PRMMP) Description: N/A Filer: Marichka Haws Organization: California Energy Commission Submitter Role: Commission Staff Submission Date: 1/31/2019 11:24:15 AM Docketed Date: 1/31/2019 STATE OF CALIFORNIA – NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION 1516 NINTH STREET SACRAMENTO, CA 95814-5512 www.energy.ca.gov January 14, 2019 Greg Lamberg Compliance Manager W Power 650 Bercut Drive, Suite A Sacramento, CA 95811 SUBJECT: Stanton Energy Reliability Center (16-AFC-01C), PAL-3, Paleontological Resources Mitigation and Monitoring Program (PRMMP) Dear Mr. Lamberg, In accordance with PAL-3, the CPM has reviewed and approved the Paleontological Resources Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (PRMMP). If you have any questions or concerns, please contact John Heiser, Compliance Project Manager, at (916) 653-8236, or by fax to (916) 654-3882, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Sincerely, John Heiser Compliance Office Manager Siting, Transmission, & Environmental Protection Division CONDITION OF CERTIFICATION PAL- 3 Stanton Energy Reliability Center (16-AFC-01) Paleontological Resources Mitigation and Monitoring Plan Prepared for California Energy Commission November 2018 Orange County Office 27001 La Paz Road, Suite 230 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 The undersigned is the primary author of this document: Dr. W. Geoffrey Spaulding -
Theropod Teeth from the Upper Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation “Sue” Quarry: New Morphotypes and Faunal Comparisons
Theropod teeth from the upper Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation “Sue” Quarry: New morphotypes and faunal comparisons TERRY A. GATES, LINDSAY E. ZANNO, and PETER J. MAKOVICKY Gates, T.A., Zanno, L.E., and Makovicky, P.J. 2015. Theropod teeth from the upper Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation “Sue” Quarry: New morphotypes and faunal comparisons. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60 (1): 131–139. Isolated teeth from vertebrate microfossil localities often provide unique information on the biodiversity of ancient ecosystems that might otherwise remain unrecognized. Microfossil sampling is a particularly valuable tool for doc- umenting taxa that are poorly represented in macrofossil surveys due to small body size, fragile skeletal structure, or relatively low ecosystem abundance. Because biodiversity patterns in the late Maastrichtian of North American are the primary data for a broad array of studies regarding non-avian dinosaur extinction in the terminal Cretaceous, intensive sampling on multiple scales is critical to understanding the nature of this event. We address theropod biodiversity in the Maastrichtian by examining teeth collected from the Hell Creek Formation locality that yielded FMNH PR 2081 (the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen “Sue”). Eight morphotypes (three previously undocumented) are identified in the sample, representing Tyrannosauridae, Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae, and Avialae. Noticeably absent are teeth attributed to the morphotypes Richardoestesia and Paronychodon. Morphometric comparison to dromaeosaurid teeth from multiple Hell Creek and Lance formations microsites reveals two unique dromaeosaurid morphotypes bearing finer distal denticles than present on teeth of similar size, and also differences in crown shape in at least one of these. These findings suggest more dromaeosaurid taxa, and a higher Maastrichtian biodiversity, than previously appreciated. -
Dinosaur Gallery Explorer’S Notebook
Dinosaur Gallery Explorer’s Notebook Name: Class: Level 3 © Museum of Natural Sciences Education Service 2012 29, Rue Vautier, 1000 Brussels. Tel: +32 (0)2 627 42 52 [email protected] www.sciencesnaturelles.be 1 Dinosaur Gallery - Level 3 Plan of the Gallery Each time you see a number in the margin of this notebook you must move to a new place in the gallery. Find where you are on the plan. entrance via mezzanine (level 0) stairs down to level -2 stairs up to level -1 The numbers on the plan correspond to the different stages on the dinosaur gallery. The numbers start on page 6 of this notebook Make sure you have a sharp pencil and a rubber with you! Make a team of three to answer the questions. 2 Dinosaur Gallery - Level 3 Before your visit... The first pages of this notebook will help you prepare for your visit to the museum! * Words followed by an asterisk are explained in the glossary on the last page. What is a dinosaur? Below are some characteristics of dinosaurs feet underneath their bodies 4 feet terrestrial eggs with shells vertebrate* ATTENTION Dinosaurs were terrestrial animals. At the same time, sea reptiles and flying reptiles lived on the Earth, but these animals were NOT dinosaurs! Herbivore or carnivore? To know whether a dinosaur ate meat or plants, take a look at its teeth herbivore carnivore When a dinosaur was a When a dinosaur was a herbivore, its teeth had flat ends, carnivore, its teeth had pointed like the prongs of a rake or like ends, like knives. -
Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Paleontological Resource Inventory (Non-Sensitive Version)
Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Paleontological Resource Inventory (Non-Sensitive Version) Natural Resource Report NPS/GRCA/NRR—2020/2103 Vincent L. Santucci1 and Justin S. Tweet,2 editors 1National Park Service Geologic Resources Division 1849 “C” Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 2National Park Service 9149 79th St. S. Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 March 2020 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado Chapter 1. Introduction and Summary: The Paleontological Heritage of Grand Canyon National Park By Vincent L. Santucci1 1National Park Service Geologic Resources Division 1849 “C” Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 Throughout my life I have been bestowed the privilege of experiencing the world-renowned landscape and resources of the Grand Canyon from many perspectives and viewsheds (Figure 1-1). My first views were standing and taking photos from the many vantage points and overlooks along the North and South rims. I have enjoyed many hikes into the canyon with colleagues from the National Park Service (NPS) or with academic geologists and paleontologists. On a few occasions I ventured down and then back up the trails of the canyon with my children Sarah, Bethany, Luke, Jacob, Brianna and Abigail, often carrying one or more in my arms on the climb against gravity. I traversed by foot to the base of the canyon at Phantom Ranch and gained a greater appreciation for the geologic story preserved in the park strata. I have gazed intensely out the window of many commercial aircraft from above this geologic wonder of Earth, contemplating the geomorphic “grandeur” created over "Deep Time" and the artistry of processes perfected by “Mother Nature.” I pinch myself when I recall the opportunity when my friend Justin Tweet and I were granted permission to fly into the western portion of the Grand Canyon on a small NPS plane operated by a pilot from Lake Mead National Recreation Area. -
71St Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Paris Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA November 2 – 5, 2011 SESSION CONCURRENT SESSION CONCURRENT
ISSN 1937-2809 online Journal of Supplement to the November 2011 Vertebrate Paleontology Vertebrate Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Vertebrate 71st Annual Meeting Paleontology Society of Vertebrate Las Vegas Paris Nevada, USA Las Vegas, November 2 – 5, 2011 Program and Abstracts Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 71st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM POSTER SESSION/ CONCURRENT CONCURRENT SESSION EXHIBITS SESSION COMMITTEE MEETING ROOMS AUCTION EVENT REGISTRATION, CONCURRENT MERCHANDISE SESSION LOUNGE, EDUCATION & OUTREACH SPEAKER READY COMMITTEE MEETING POSTER SESSION ROOM ROOM SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING PARIS LAS VEGAS HOTEL LAS VEGAS, NV, USA NOVEMBER 2–5, 2011 HOST COMMITTEE Stephen Rowland, Co-Chair; Aubrey Bonde, Co-Chair; Joshua Bonde; David Elliott; Lee Hall; Jerry Harris; Andrew Milner; Eric Roberts EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Philip Currie, President; Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Past President; Catherine Forster, Vice President; Christopher Bell, Secretary; Ted Vlamis, Treasurer; Julia Clarke, Member at Large; Kristina Curry Rogers, Member at Large; Lars Werdelin, Member at Large SYMPOSIUM CONVENORS Roger B.J. Benson, Richard J. Butler, Nadia B. Fröbisch, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mark A. Loewen, Philip D. Mannion, Jim I. Mead, Eric M. Roberts, Scott D. Sampson, Eric D. Scott, Kathleen Springer PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jonathan Bloch, Co-Chair; Anjali Goswami, Co-Chair; Jason Anderson; Paul Barrett; Brian Beatty; Kerin Claeson; Kristina Curry Rogers; Ted Daeschler; David Evans; David Fox; Nadia B. Fröbisch; Christian Kammerer; Johannes Müller; Emily Rayfield; William Sanders; Bruce Shockey; Mary Silcox; Michelle Stocker; Rebecca Terry November 2011—PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS 1 Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Host Committee cordially welcomes you to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Las Vegas. -
A Troodontid Dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of India
ARTICLE Received 14 Dec 2012 | Accepted 7 Mar 2013 | Published 16 Apr 2013 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2716 A troodontid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of India A. Goswami1,2, G.V.R. Prasad3, O. Verma4, J.J. Flynn5 & R.B.J. Benson6 Troodontid dinosaurs share a close ancestry with birds and were distributed widely across Laurasia during the Cretaceous. Hundreds of occurrences of troodontid bones, and their highly distinctive teeth, are known from North America, Europe and Asia. Thus far, however, they remain unknown from Gondwanan landmasses. Here we report the discovery of a troodontid tooth from the uppermost Cretaceous Kallamedu Formation in the Cauvery Basin of South India. This is the first Gondwanan record for troodontids, extending their geographic range by nearly 10,000 km, and representing the first confirmed non-avian tetanuran dinosaur from the Indian subcontinent. This small-bodied maniraptoran dinosaur is an unexpected and distinctly ‘Laurasian’ component of an otherwise typical ‘Gondwanan’ tetrapod assemblage, including notosuchian crocodiles, abelisauroid dinosaurs and gondwanathere mammals. This discovery raises the question of whether troodontids dispersed to India from Laurasia in the Late Cretaceous, or whether a broader Gondwanan distribution of troodontids remains to be discovered. 1 Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. 2 Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. 3 Department of Geology, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110 007, India. 4 Geology Discipline Group, School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi 110 068, India. 5 Division of Paleontology and Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York 10024, USA. -
Evidence for a Tyrannosaurus Rex from Southeastern Colorado
Evidence for aTyrannosaurus rex from southeastern Colorado Keith Berry, Platte Valley School District Re-7, Science Department, Kersey, Colorado 80644, and Frontiers of Science Institute, Mathematics and Science Teaching Institute, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado 80369, [email protected] Discovery Femur: A limb bone fragment (TSJC racy of ± 0.5 mm along a radial transect, T. 2008.1.2) is also tentatively identified as cf. rex annual growth markers are exception- Dinosaur tooth and bone fragments were T. rex. Theropod bones commonly exhibit ally good predictors for the growth lines recovered from private property at an onion-skin layering in cross section (K. observed in this bone (cχ2 = 1.44, df = 6, undisclosed locality in southeastern Colo- Carpenter, pers. comm. 2007), and this p-value > 0.95). As T. rex is the only animal rado. The site is in an unnamed, transitional bone seems to lack this feature, although known to exhibit this characteristic pattern member of the uppermost Pierre Shale and the bone has distinct, differentiable layers. of growth (Erickson et al. 2004; Chinsamy- is likely within the Baculites eliasi ammonite Whereas the bone itself may not be exclu- Turan 2005), this is believed to be a fairly zone (N. Larson, pers. comm. 2007), mak- sively attributed to a theropod based on its powerful diagnostic test. ing the site early Maastrichtian. This is the gross histological properties alone, there are Significance—Estimated to be about 71 first record of dinosaur fossils from these quantitative reasons supporting this diag- m.y. old based on the age of the Baculites strata. -
Active Research Grants
Linda C. Ivany Professor Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Heroy Geology Laboratory,Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 phone: (315) 443-3626 / fax: (315) 443-3363 / email: [email protected] http://thecollege.syr.edu/people/faculty/pages/ear/Ivany-Linda.html https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4692-3455 Education Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1997, Harvard University Advisor: Stephen Jay Gould M.S. in Geology, minor in Zoology, 1990, University of Florida-Gainesville Advisor: Douglas S. Jones B.S. in Geology, minor in Zoology, 1988, Syracuse University Advisor: Cathryn R. Newton Academic Positions 2012-present Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2005-2012 Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2001-2005 Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2000-2001 Visiting Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 1997-2000 Michigan Society Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan General Research Interests Evolutionary Paleoecology, Paleoclimatology, Stable Isotopes in Paleobiology I am a marine paleoecologist and paleoclimatologist. My interests lie broadly in the evolution of the Earth-life system and how ecosystems and their component taxa evolve and respond to changes in the physical environment. Specific areas of interest include biotic and climatic change during the Paleogene (~65-24 million years ago); use of geochemical data, particularly stable isotopes, derived from accretionary biogenic materials for inference -
Katherine Keenan Bramble
A Histological Analysis of the Hadrosaurid Dental Battery by Katherine Keenan Bramble A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Systematics and Evolution Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta © Katherine Keenan Bramble, 2017 Abstract The first histological study of an entire hadrosaurid dental battery provides a better understanding of this complex structure. The hadrosaurid dental battery is composed of interlocking, vertically stacked columns of teeth that form a complex grinding surface. The dental battery was previously considered to be a solid, cemented structure based on superficial examination of intact batteries and thin sections of isolated teeth. This first description of the dental battery using thin sections through the entire structure refutes the model of a single, fused mass of teeth. These thin sections confirm the presence of periodontal ligament connections between all teeth, underscoring its dynamic nature. The serial thin sections across an adult dental battery also revealed signs of gradual and possibly ontogenetic tooth migration. These signs include the extensive remodeling of the alveolar septa and the anteroposterior displacement of successive generations of teeth. The four most posterior tooth families migrated posteriorly whereas the remaining tooth families had a progressively more pronounced anterior trajectory. This migration is pronounced enough in some areas to cause extensive resorption of neighbouring teeth. Thin sections through a dental battery of a perinatal specimen reveal that all of the alveolar septa are angled anteriorly, which suggests that extensive and unidirectional tooth migration begins early in ontogeny and that any additional migration happens later in ontogeny.