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Late Cretaceous Faunal Dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway

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Late Cretaceous Faunal Dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Late Cretaceous faunal dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway: The ecorr d from the Red Bird Section, eastern Wyoming Joshua Stephen Slattery University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, Geology Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Paleontology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Slattery, Joshua Stephen, "Late Cretaceous faunal dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway: The er cord from the Red Bird Section, eastern Wyoming" (2011). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3350 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Late Cretaceous faunal dynamics in the Western Interior Seaway: The record from the Red Bird Section, eastern Wyoming by Joshua S. Slattery A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Geology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Peter J. Harries, Ph. D. Gregory S. Herbert, Ph. D. Neil H. Landman, Ph. D. Date of Approval: June 07, 2011 Keywords: Background Diversity, Campanian, Maastrichtian, Single Lithofacies, Pierre Shale, Epeiric Sea Copyright © 2011, Joshua S. Slattery DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my mom, who has always encouraged and supported me in what ever interest and endeavor that I have persued. I would also like to dedicate this thesis to Ashley Sandness for always being there for me and helping me out along the way. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Peter J. Harries for his help and guidence through out this project. Peter’s experience and knowledge of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, detailed editing skills, and patients made all difference during the completition of this work. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Neil H. Landman and Gregory S. Herbert for their help and suggestions with this study. Appreciation is also given to Neal Larson, Donald Boyd, Casey McKinney, Bill Cobban, Jocelyn Sessa, Jay Lillegraven, Mike Meyer, Andres Cardenas, Jennifer Sliko, and Matt Jarrett for their help and suggestions. I would also like to thank Suzanne Slattery, Ashley Sandness, Larry Bechtholdt, Ron Martin, JD and Lisa Williams, and Ronda Pfister for their help in the field and with obtaining samples. I also appreciate the various Niobrara County landowners for giving permission to carry out field work on their land. Funding for this Project was provided by the Paleontological Society Charles J. Boucot Award, AAPS John R. Welch Scholarship, AMNH Lerner Gray Fund, WGA J. David Love Fellowship, Sigma XI, American Association of Petroleum Geologist Grant-in-Aid, and Tampa Bay Fossil Club. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures.................................................................................................................... iv Abstract............................................................................................................................. vii Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 Geological Setting................................................................................................................3 Paleogeography........................................................................................................3 Stratigraphic and Geographical Setting ...................................................................5 Methods..............................................................................................................................10 Results................................................................................................................................14 Occurance of Fossils..............................................................................................14 Fossiliferous Concretions and Concretion Horizons .................................14 Barren Concretions and Concretion Horizons ...........................................20 Preservation of Fossils Assemblages.....................................................................21 Diversity Patterns and Trends................................................................................25 Cluster Analysis.........................................................................................25 Fauna..........................................................................................................28 Bivalves..........................................................................................30 Gastropods .....................................................................................35 Cephalopods...................................................................................37 Scaphopods ....................................................................................39 Calcareous Worm Tubes................................................................39 Anthozoans ....................................................................................40 Arthropods .....................................................................................40 Brachiopods ...................................................................................41 Bryozoans ......................................................................................41 Vertebrates .....................................................................................41 Trace Fossils ..................................................................................42 Abundance Trends .....................................................................................43 Richness Trends.........................................................................................47 Ecological Niche Trends............................................................................49 Detrended Correspondence Analysis.........................................................51 i Discussion..........................................................................................................................55 Taphonomy and Fidelity of Fossil Assemblages...................................................55 Sampling Effects on Diversity...............................................................................61 Interpretation of Faunal Patterns............................................................................61 Broader Implications..............................................................................................78 Conclusions........................................................................................................................83 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................87 Appendix............................................................................................................................98 ii LIST OF TABLES Appendix 1: Number of specimens for each taxon identified in the 19 samples collected from the Red Bird Section, WY. ................................................98 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Locality map showing the section that was studied. ...........................................4 Figure 2. Campanian and Maastrichtian lithostratigraphy, radiometric dates, magnetostratgraphy, ammonite biostratigraphy, and inoceramid biostratigraphy for the area southwest of the Black Hills Uplift in Wyoming (Compiled from 1) Gill and Cobban, 1966; 2) Cobban et al., 2006; 3) Hicks et al., 1999; 4) Walaszczyk et al., 2001). ....................................6 Figure 3. Cretaceous strata near Red Bird, WY showing distribution of ammonite biozones and lithostratigraphic units. ..................................................................7 Figure 4. Litho-, chrono-, and biostratigraphy of upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian strata at the Red Bird section, Wyoming (Radiometric Dates from Cobban et al., 2006). .........................................................................7 Figure 5. Highly fractured (on left) and unfractured orange colored carbonate- cemented concretions (on right) weathering out of the Baculites baculus/”Inoceramus” incurvus biozone of the upper unnamed shale member of the Pierre Shale.................................................................................15 Figure 6. Current aligned specimens of Baculites eliasi within a sub-tabular carbonate- cemented concretion from the B. eliasi/”Inoceramus.” redbirdensis biozone at the base of the lower unnamed shale member of the Pierre Shale. ..................................................................................................16 Figure 7. Inoceramid-rich carbonate concretion weathering out of the Baculites baculus/Endocostea typica biozone in the upper unnamed shale member of the Pierre Shale...............................................................................................16 Figure 8. Carbonate-cemented concretion with single mature Baculites
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