DOCSLIB.ORG

Appendix PEP Field Trip Guide: the “Late Cretaceous Tour”

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Appendix PEP Field Trip Guide: the “Late Cretaceous Tour” Appendix PEP Field Trip Guide: the “Late Cretaceous Tour” The “Late Cretaceous Tour’ was devised to help participants develop their actualistic thinking skills and gain perspective on geologic time. The tour was conducted in the vicinity of Fort Peck, Montana, primarily along State Highway 24 on the east side of Fort Peck Reservoir. The tour included four stops, each exemplifying a unique geologic setting and formation. The tour proceeded from older to younger strata, which was intended to help participants appreciate the extreme environmental changes that occurred in the region during the Late Cretaceous time period. At each stop, instructors asked participants to spend some time making observations, and then try to determine the depositional environment based on those observations. The following is a description of each stop on the tour and participant reactions. Late Cretaceous environmental sequence in the Fort Peck region and resulting geologic formations. 1 Stop 1: Bearpaw Shale The Bearpaw Shale was deposited during the final phase of the Western Interior Seaway and represents a shallow marine environment. It is characterized by tan to dark gray shale and unique “nodules” that are abundant throughout the formation (Stanton and Hatcher, 1905; Feldmann et al., 1977). The nodules are oval and can reach over a meter in diameter. They consist of an organic dark brown/grey outer rind and often contain a fossil nucleus. Fossils of crustaceans (lobster tails and claws), Cephalopods (ammonites, nautiloids), and bivalves (oysters, clams) are commonly found within nodules. An ammonite found within a nodule of the Bearpaw Shale. If the participants were unable to recognize this formation based on their initial observations, instructors asked questions designed to lead them to the correct answer, “What fossils, if any, do you see?” “Do you think these fossils lived in the water or on land?” “What type of modern environment do these rocks look like?” “What environmental processes would cause the rocks to look like this?” Participants were successful in identifying the depositional environment as marine and that it represented the Western Interior Seaway. They were given time to discuss how the various organisms lived, what they ate, and how they were finally preserved, until the instructors felt that the basic concepts had been grasped. 2 Stop 2: Fox Hills Sandstone The Fox Hills Sandstone (Meek and Hayden, 1861) directly overlies the Bearpaw Shale and represents the last regression of the Western Interior Seaway. The rocks consist of a light brown, well sorted, friable, very fine-grained sandstone with sparsely inter-bedded, thin, gray mudstone. Trace fossils representing burrows are common in the deposit. The formation is interpreted to represent a shore face and foreshore beach environment. Bedded sandstones and mudstones of the Fox Hills Formation. This stop was difficult for many of the students to interpret, perhaps because most of them had never seen a beach except through the media, and consequently, had difficulty envisioning one. To address this dilemma, the instructors asked questions aimed at drawing on their deductive reasoning skills. They were asked, “If we were in the ocean at the previous stop, where would we be now at this higher elevation?” After the questioning, the students were able to see how the fine laminations and yellow/orange coloration of the rocks could represent sediments from a beach environment. The students were thrilled by the revelation and turned the questions around on the instructors, “Why is the beach hard? Why are there no fossils here like you find in the marine sediments?” After such questions were answered, the groups continued exploring the site, paying close attention to sedimentary rock characteristics that were the result of deposition (cross-bedding, grain size), weathering (sculpting and channels), and the ancient biota (trace fossils). Although the preservation of a beach environment in rock was initially difficult for many of the students to grasp, by the end of the visit, most appeared to understand what they were seeing. 3 Stop 3: Hell Creek Formation This site represents a floodplain environment of the Hell Creek Formation (Brown, 1907; Hartman et al., 2002). The site was chosen for its exceptional vertebrate fossil preservation, which resulted from continual wetting and drying, typical of swampy floodplain environments. Triceratops and other dinosaur bone fragments, crocodile dermal plates and turtle scoots, petrified wood, and other plants fossils are abundant throughout the site. The fossil containing sediment is grayish brown muddy shale with a granular surface texture. This texture results from repeated wetting and drying and consequent volume changes, and is called “popcorn weathering” (Hartman et al., 2002). Dinosaur fossils on a popcorn weathered surface. At this stop, the abundance of fossil material strewn across the ground appeared to distract many students from making necessary scientific observations. Conveniently, bleached cattle bones were found among fossil bones, providing the basis for interesting discussions on fossil preservation. This discussion included the density, color, and hardness of mineral infilling of the bone and how to distinguish fossil bones from modern mammalian counterparts. Examples were passed around and participants were asked to infer whether they were fossils or modern bones. After everyone had voiced their opinion, the instructors described fossil preservation processes. Other topics of discussion included differential preservation, biases of taphonomy (the process of burial and change), in situ vs. “float” fossils (those that had been transported from their original place of deposition), and finally, the depositional processes involved. 4 Stop 4: K-Pg Boundary This exposure contains a light-gray and black coal and ash layer, which clearly marks the K-Pg (formerly called “K-T”) boundary, or the end of the Cretaceous period. This boundary coincides with a massive extinction event, in which over 70 percent of existing species perished, including non-avian dinosaurs and many sea creatures. The K-Pg extinction event is one of the best studied of the five great mass extinctions that have occurred in Earth’s history (Jablonski and Raup, 1995), and is visible at various locations in eastern Montana (Hartman et al., 2002). From the site’s vantage point, the dark boundary layer can be seen on adjacent exposures across the distant landscape. Participants examine the K-Pg boundary. Because this was the final stop on the tour, participants were asked to give an oral summary of what they had learned on the tour, including the depositional environments and formations represented at each of the previous three stops, as well as their evidence and reasoning that led them to their conclusions. Following the summary, the instructors asked questions such as, “What does this dark band consist of? What is the extent of this layer across the landscape? Does it contain any fossils? How could a layer of coal and ash have been deposited here? Given what you know about the Cretaceous Period, what major event could this layer represent?” The questions continued in this manner until the students understood that they were looking at a sedimentary layer deposited during a large-scale catastrophic event, which caused the extinction of most dinosaurs and marked the end of the Cretaceous period. 5 References Brown, B., 1907, The Hell Creek beds of the Upper Cretaceous of Montana: American Museum Natural History Bulletin, v. 23, p. 823–845. Feldmann, R.M., Bishop, G.A. and Kammer, T.W., 1977, Macrurous decapods from the Bearpaw Shale (Cretaceous: Campanian) of northeastern Montana: Journal of Paleontology, v. 51, p. 1161-1180. Hartman, J.H., Johnson, K.R., and Nichols, D.J., (eds.), 2002, The Hell Creek Formation of the northern Great Plains: An integrated continental record of the end of the Cretaceous, Geological Society of America Special Paper 361. Jablonski, D., and Raup, D.M., 1995, Selectivity of end-Cretaceous marine bivalve extinctions: Science, v. 268, p. 389-391. Meek, F.B., and Hayden, F.V., 1861, Descriptions of new lower Silurian, (Primordial), Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils collected in Nebraska territory: with some remarks on the rocks from which they were obtained: Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, p. 415–447. Stanton, T.W., and J.B. Hatcher, 1905, Geology and paleontology of the Judith River Beds: U.S. Geol. Survev. Bull., v. 257, p. 174 6 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Evaluation of the Depositional Environment of the Eagle Ford
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2012 Evaluation of the depositional environment of the Eagle Ford Formation using well log, seismic, and core data in the Hawkville Trough, LaSalle and McMullen counties, south Texas Zachary Paul Hendershott Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Hendershott, Zachary Paul, "Evaluation of the depositional environment of the Eagle Ford Formation using well log, seismic, and core data in the Hawkville Trough, LaSalle and McMullen counties, south Texas" (2012). LSU Master's Theses. 863. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/863 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION OF THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE EAGLE FORD FORMATION USING WELL LOG, SEISMIC, AND CORE DATA IN THE HAWKVILLE TROUGH, LASALLE AND MCMULLEN COUNTIES, SOUTH TEXAS A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Master of Science in The Department of Geology and Geophysics by Zachary Paul Hendershott B.S., University of the South – Sewanee, 2009 December 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair and advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Nunn, for his constant guidance and support during my academic career at LSU.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Cretaceous and Tertiary Burial History, Central Texas 143
    A Publication of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies www.gcags.org L C T B H, C T Peter R. Rose 718 Yaupon Valley Rd., Austin, Texas 78746, U.S.A. ABSTRACT In Central Texas, the Balcones Fault Zone separates the Gulf Coastal Plain from the elevated Central Texas Platform, comprising the Hill Country, Llano Uplift, and Edwards Plateau provinces to the west and north. The youngest geologic for- mations common to both regions are of Albian and Cenomanian age, the thick, widespread Edwards Limestone, and the thin overlying Georgetown, Del Rio, Buda, and Eagle Ford–Boquillas formations. Younger Cretaceous and Tertiary formations that overlie the Edwards and associated formations on and beneath the Gulf Coastal Plain have no known counterparts to the west and north of the Balcones Fault Zone, owing mostly to subaerial erosion following Oligocene and Miocene uplift during Balcones faulting, and secondarily to updip stratigraphic thinning and pinchouts during the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary. This study attempts to reconstruct the burial history of the Central Texas Platform (once entirely covered by carbonates of the thick Edwards Group and thin Buda Limestone), based mostly on indirect geological evidence: (1) Regional geologic maps showing structure, isopachs and lithofacies; (2) Regional stratigraphic analysis of the Edwards Limestone and associated formations demonstrating that the Central Texas Platform was a topographic high surrounded by gentle clinoform slopes into peripheral depositional areas; (3) Analysis and projection
    [Show full text]
  • The Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Interval in Badlands National Park, South Dakota
    The Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Interval in Badlands National Park, South Dakota Philip W. Stoffer1 Paula Messina John A. Chamberlain, Jr. Dennis O. Terry, Jr. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-56 2001 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The Cretaceous/Tertiary (K-T) boundary study interval at the Rainbow Colors Overlook along Badlands Loop Road, North Unit of Badlands National Park. This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 1345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of01-056/ ABSTRACT A marine K-T boundary interval has been identified throughout the Badlands National Park region of South Dakota. Data from marine sediments suggest that deposits from two asteroid impacts (one close, one far away) may be preserved in the Badlands. These impact- generated deposits may represent late Maestrichtian events or possibly the terminal K-T event. Interpretation is supported by paleontological correlation, sequence stratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and strontium isotope geochronology. This research is founded on nearly a decade of NPS approved field work in Badlands National Park and a foundation of previously published data and interpretations. The K-T boundary occurs within
    [Show full text]
  • The Shore of an Ancient Sea Montana Department of Transportation
    The Shore of an Ancient Sea Montana Department of Transportation bout 80 million years ago this area was near the shore Geo-Facts: of the Western Interior Seaway that stretched from • Once this area looked much like the modern coast of south Texas the present-day Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. – except that dinosaurs roamed the countryside instead of cattle. Rivers draining highlands to the west carried sediment into the A • The Yellowstone River began cutting into the rims about one seaway and near-shore currents concentrated the sand creating million years ago as the river migrated back and forth across the barrier islands. As the sea level alternately rose and fell, the valley. The process continues today with the river cutting into the barrier islands migrated, forming an extensive layer of fine- South Hills. grained sand across much of central Montana. The sand was eventually buried, compacted, and cemented into the rocks that • Black Otter Trail was constructed in 1936 by 150 men employed by the Works Progress Administration. The 2.5-mile scenic road now compose the rims and that geologists have named Eagle was promoted by the Billings Commercial Club and included Sandstone. When observed from the south, the rimrocks reveal interpretive signs and observation points. cross beds called accretion surfaces. These surfaces record the deposition of sand washed over the barrier and deposited on the Geo-Activity: other side by waves, causing the sand bar to grow shoreward. • Imagine this area was once the edge of a shallow sea where The seaway was shallow, warm, and probably no more than sharks and swimming carnivorous reptiles patrolled the waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Water-Mass Evolution in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America and Equatorial Atlantic
    Clim. Past, 13, 855–878, 2017 https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-855-2017 © Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Water-mass evolution in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America and equatorial Atlantic James S. Eldrett1, Paul Dodsworth2, Steven C. Bergman3, Milly Wright4, and Daniel Minisini3 1Shell International Exploration & Production B.V, Kesslerpark 1, 2288 GS Rijswijk, the Netherlands 2StrataSolve Ltd, 42 Gaskell Street, Stockton Heath, Warrington, WA4 2UN, UK 3Shell International Exploration and Production Inc, 200 N. Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77079, USA 4Chemostrat Inc., 3760 Westchase Drive, Houston, Texas, TX 77042, USA Correspondence to: James S. Eldrett ([email protected]) Received: 1 November 2016 – Discussion started: 25 November 2016 Revised: 4 May 2017 – Accepted: 29 May 2017 – Published: 14 July 2017 Abstract. The Late Cretaceous Epoch was characterized by tion event related to open water-mass exchange and may have major global perturbations in the carbon cycle, the most been complicated by variable contribution of organic matter prominent occurring near the Cenomanian–Turonian (CT) from different sources (e.g. refractory/terrigenous material), transition marked by Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2) requiring further investigation. at 94.9–93.7 Ma. The Cretaceous Western Interior Sea- way (KWIS) was one of several epicontinental seas in which a complex water-mass evolution was recorded in widespread sedimentary successions. This contribution integrates new 1 Introduction data on the main components of organic matter, geochem- istry, and stable isotopes along a north–south transect from The Late Cretaceous Epoch was characterized by sus- the KWIS to the equatorial western Atlantic and Southern tained global warming, emplacement of several large igneous Ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Albian Kiowa-Skull Creek Marine Transgression, Lower Dakota Formation, Eastern Margin of Western Interior Seaway R.L
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Papers in Natural Resources Natural Resources, School of 2000 Late Albian Kiowa-Skull Creek Marine Transgression, Lower Dakota Formation, Eastern Margin of Western Interior Seaway R.L. Brenner Iowa Department of Natural Resources G.A. Ludvigson Iowa Department of Natural Resources B.J. Witzke Iowa Department of Natural Resources A.N. Zawistoski Indiana University E.P. Kvale Indiana University See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers Part of the Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, and the Other Environmental Sciences Commons Brenner, R.L.; Ludvigson, G.A.; Witzke, B.J.; Zawistoski, A.N.; Kvale, E.P.; Ravn, R.L.; and Joeckel, R.M., "Late Albian Kiowa-Skull Creek Marine Transgression, Lower Dakota Formation, Eastern Margin of Western Interior Seaway" (2000). Papers in Natural Resources. 1009. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1009 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers in Natural Resources by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors R.L. Brenner, G.A. Ludvigson, B.J. Witzke, A.N. Zawistoski, E.P. Kvale, R.L. Ravn, and R.M. Joeckel This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1009 LATE ALBIAN KIOWA±SKULL CREEK MARINE TRANSGRESSION, LOWER DAKOTA FORMATION, EASTERN MARGIN OF WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY, U.S.A. R.L. BRENNER1, G.A.
    [Show full text]
  • CURRICULUM VITAE PETER J. HARRIES the Graduate School
    CURRICULUM VITAE PETER J. HARRIES The Graduate School 315 Whitehall Way 1020 Main Campus Drive Cary, NC 27511 NC State University (919) 377-8288 Raleigh, NC 27695 (919) 515-1995 [email protected] ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE Interim Dean, The Graduate School, NC State University (Sept. 2017 – Present) Serve as the lead administrator overseeing graduate education and providing insight, vision, and guidance for students, faculty, administrators, and other staff across the institution. This involves the oversight of almost 10,000 graduate students of which approximately 3,600 are doctoral students. The office consists of almost 40 staff including associate and assistant deans, directors, and other members devoted to assisting in graduate student success through monitoring and innovating in this area. Oversee a budget of over $50 M that is largely focused on graduate student support, but is also used to support wide-ranging graduate initiatives across the institution. Play a critical role in interacting with both academic and non-academic partners across the university and advocating for the importance of graduate education. Major initiatives undertaken include, but certainly not limited to: • Reformulating and honing the vision statement of the unit through a collaborative exercise with the office • Working with the Provost’s Office to develop new approaches to developing and funding interdisciplinary programs • Working as part of the Enrollment Planning Committee and especially on the Implementation Team to work collaboratively with programs and colleges to develop realistic enrollment targets • Leading the effort to acquire a new application system, Slate, and worked closely with the Graduate School’s implementation team to roll it out for Spring 2019 admissions.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence for the Cretaceous Shark Cretoxyrhina Mantelli Feeding on the Pterosaur Pteranodon from the Niobrara Formation
    Evidence for the Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina mantelli feeding on the pterosaur Pteranodon from the Niobrara Formation David W.E. Hone1, Mark P. Witton2 and Michael B. Habib3 1 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom 2 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom 3 Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States of America ABSTRACT A cervical vertebra of the large, pelagic pterodactyloid pterosaur Pteranodon sp. from the Late Cretaceous Niobrara Formation of Kansas, USA is significant for its association with a tooth from the large lamniform shark, Cretoxyrhina mantelli. Though the tooth does not pierce the vertebral periosteum, the intimate association of the fossils—in which the tooth is wedged below the left prezygapophysis—suggests their preservation together was not mere chance, and the specimen is evidence of Cretoxyrhina biting Pteranodon. It is not possible to infer whether the bite reflects predatory or scavenging behaviour from the preserved material. There are several records of Pteranodon having been consumed by other fish, including other sharks (specifically, the anacoracid Squalicorax kaupi), and multiple records of Cretoxyrhina biting other vertebrates of the Western Interior Seaway, but until now interactions between Cretoxyrhina and Pteranodon have remained elusive. The specimen increases the known interactions between large, pelagic, vertebrate carnivores of the Western Interior Seaway of North America during the Late Cretaceous, in addition to bolstering the relatively small fossil record representing pterosaurian interactions with other species. Submitted 18 September 2018 Accepted 30 October 2018 Published 14 December 2018 Subjects Paleontology Keywords Pterosaur, Palaeoecology, Behaviour, Carnivore-consumed, Predation, Scavenging Corresponding author David W.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Stratigraphic Evidence for the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway
    Name: Date: Stratigraphic Evidence For The Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway Goals: During this lab you will learn how to interpret evidence from geologic maps and use it to reconstruct a feature from Earth’s geologic past. The Western Interior Seaway covered what is now the American Great Plains during most of the Cretaceous Period, from 113-66 Ma. But how do we know? Using geologic maps, we can infer which states contain sedimentary units from the Western Interior Seaway, and we can even approximate the boundaries of the seaway, which is what you’ll be doing today. To Do: The links below go to USGS maps of states that contain deposits from the Western Interior Seaway. Your job is to find those units, then mark two approximate coastlines on each. One coastline will be for during the Maastrichtian (the last stage of the Cretaceous) and one for the Cenomanian (an earlier stage). Here are some things to keep in mind; What letter symbolizes the Cretaceous? Are all Cretaceous deposits from the Western Interior Seaway? How can you tell terrestrial deposits from marine ones? Surficial units typically continue in the subsurface! (see the Nebraska and Kansas maps and Plate 2 of the Utah map for examples). Don’t be afraid to ask for help on determining the depositional environment of a formation. Montana: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_81651.htm 1 North Dakota: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngm-bin/pdp/zui_viewer.pl?id=36812 Minnesota: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngm-bin/pdp/zui_viewer.pl?id=36870 2 Wyoming: https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_16366.htm
    [Show full text]
  • Revision of the Genus Styxosaurus and Relationships of the Late Cretaceous Elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) of the Western Interior Seaway
    Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 2020 Revision of the Genus Styxosaurus and Relationships of the Late Cretaceous Elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) of the Western Interior Seaway Elliott Armour Smith Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons, Paleobiology Commons, and the Paleontology Commons REVISION OF THE GENUS STYXOSAURUS AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE LATE CRETACEOUS ELASMOSAURIDS (SAUROPTERYGIA: PLESIOSAURIA) OF THE WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY A thesis submitted to the Graduate College of Marshall University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Biological Sciences by Elliott Armour Smith Approved by Dr. F. Robin O’Keefe, Committee Chairperson Dr. Habiba Chirchir, Committee Member Dr. Herman Mays, Committee Member Marshall University May 2020 ii © 2020 Elliott Armour Smith ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii DEDICATION Dedicated to my loving parents for supporting me on my journey as a scientist. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Robin O’Keefe for serving as my advisor, and for his constant mentorship and invaluable contributions to this manuscript. I would like to thank Dr. Herman Mays and Dr. Habiba Chirchir for serving on my committee and providing immensely valuable feedback on this manuscript and the ideas within. Thanks to the Marshall University Department of Biological Sciences for travel support. I would like to thank curators Ross Secord (University of Nebraska), Chris Beard (University of Kansas), Tylor Lyson (Denver Museum of Nature and Science), and Darrin Paginac (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology) for granting access to fossil specimens. Thanks to Joel Nielsen (University of Nebraska State Museum), Megan Sims (University of Kansas), Kristen MacKenzie (Denver Museum of Nature and Science) for facilitating access to fossil specimens.
    [Show full text]
  • Lowery-Leckie 2014 Eagle Ford.Pdf
    PALAEO-06957; No of Pages 17 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology xxx (2014) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Foraminiferal and nannofossil paleoecology and paleoceanography of the Cenomanian–Turonian Eagle Ford Shale of southern Texas Christopher M. Lowery a,⁎, Matthew J. Corbett b,R.MarkLeckiea,DavidWatkinsb, Andrea Miceli Romero c,ArisPramuditod a Univeristy of Massachusetts, Dept. of Geosciences, 233 Morrill Science Center, 611 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01003, USA b University of Nebraska, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 214 Bessey Hall, PO Box 80330, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA c University of Oklahoma, School of Geology and Geophysics, 100 East Boyd St., Room 710, Norman, OK 73019, USA d BP, 501 Westlake Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77079, USA article info abstract Article history: The Upper Cretaceous of central Texas is dominated by a broad, shallow carbonate platform called the Comanche Received 3 July 2013 Platform that occupies an important gateway between the epeiric Western Interior Seaway (WIS) of North Received in revised form 21 July 2014 America to the open-marine Gulf of Mexico/Tethys. We investigated the Cenomanian–Turonian Eagle Ford Accepted 23 July 2014 Shale on and adjacent to the Comanche Platform to determine whether the Eagle Ford Shale has an affinity Available online xxxx with the Western Interior, and if so, determine where the transition from Western Interior to open ocean is located. We were also interested in the relationship, if any, between the organic-rich facies of the Eagle Ford Keywords: OAE2 and Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2).
    [Show full text]
  • (Late Cretaceous) Reptiles from Northwestern Russell County, Kansas
    PaleoBios 25(2):9–17,25(2):9–17, SeptemberSeptember 115,5, 2005 © 2005 University of California Museum of Paleontology Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) reptiles from northwestern Russell County, Kansas GREGORY A. LIGGETT1, 5, KENSHU SHIMADA2, 5, S. CHRISTOPHER BENNETT 3, 5, and BRUCE A. SCHUMACHER 4, 5 1Northern California Natural History Museum, College of Natural Sciences, California State University, Chico, CA 95929-0555; [email protected]. 2Environmental Science Program and Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 North Clifton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614. 3Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601. 4USDA Forest Service, Comanche National Grassland, La Junta, CO 81050. 5Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601 Several Late Cretaceous reptilian fossils were found at and immediately above the contact between the Graneros Shale and the Lincoln Limestone Member of the Greenhorn Limestone in northwestern Russell County, Kansas. The taxa recovered include: (1) an indeterminate plesiosaur taxon; (2) the rare pliosaurid plesiosaur Brachauchenius lucasi; (3)(3) a pteranodontoid pterosaur, which constitutes the earliest occurrence of a fl ying reptile in Kansas; and (4) the rare aquatic lizard Coniasaurus. Several morphologic characters of B. lucasi areare clarificlarifi ed:ed: anan apomorapomorphyphy inin tthehe paddlepaddle ofof B. lucasi where both the fourth and fi fth metapodials intrude on the mesopodial row is noted for the fi rst time; and striations of tooth enamel vary from the tooth crown to the root and from the front to the back of the tooth. Additionally, the stratigraphic occurrence of B. lucasi suggests that the minimal stratigraphic range for that species is from the late Cenomanian through middle Turonian.
    [Show full text]