DOCSLIB.ORG

Vertebrate Paleontology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Vertebrate Paleontology James Madison University Departments of Biology and Geology SYLLABUS - BIOLOGY/GEOLOGY 405 http://geollab.jmu.edu/Fichter/GeoBio405/index.html VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY SPRING, 2001 CREDIT HOURS: 3 BUILDING/ROOM: 209 Miller TIME: MWF 11:15-12:05 INSTRUCTOR: Lynn S. Fichter, Professor of Geology OFFICE: 233 Miller OFFICE PHONE: 6531 E-MAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: MW 10-11 TT 8-10; By appointment; LABORATORY: The laboratory consists of learning the bones in a number of vertebrate skulls and a skeleton and is done independently with the help of study guides. FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 4, 10:30-12:30 TEXTS: k Benton, Michael J., 1997, Vertebrate Paleontology, Chapman and Hall k Notebook of Lecture Illustrations - Copy Center k Handbook of the Vertebrate Skull and Skeleton - Copy Center LABORATORY VOUCHERS: This semester the university is assessing a charge for chemicals and other consumable items used in laboratory courses. Consequently, during the first two weeks of classes, each student in this course must obtain a paid “laboratory voucher” from the bookstore. Failure to obtain a voucher will lead to administrative withdrawal. L.S. Fichter, Spring, 2001 Syllabus 1 Bio/Geol 405 Vertebrate Paleontology THE BREADTH OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY Vertebrate paleontology is a bastard science. It is wholly accepted by neither the geologists nor the zoologists. Yet, its proper study is dependent on knowledge and understanding of both. Even within the study of paleontology itself there is little contact between invertebrate and vertebrate paleontologists, not to mention paleobotanists. One important reason is that the specialized training for each discipline begins early and diverges rapidly. The practicing vertebrate paleontologist, for example, is absolutely dependent on thorough and solid training in comparative anatomy, embryology, genetics, physiology and vertebrate zoology, not to mention geology subjects and statistics. Invertebrate paleontology, on the other hand, is more often used for dating rocks and is thus associated with biostratigraphy and other geological subjects. Paleobotanists, naturally, associate with botany departments, far removed from geology and zoology. But one way or another, paleontology is an interdisciplinary science, drawing on specialized knowledge from many disciplines - jack of all trades, master of none. In this class you do not require all the highly specialized knowledge a practicing vertebrate paleontologist needs. Instead as the semester proceeds I will introduce and develop whatever specific knowledge we need to understand the evolutionary debate in front of us at the moment. And, anyway, this class is a mixture of biology and geology majors and so what ever we talk about I usually have to explain biological concepts to the geologists and geological concepts to the biologists and in the process we all learn something new. THE DEPTH OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY It used to be that many topics in evolutionary biology were pithy. That is, they were discussed in a few pages in a book, or there existed one or two papers on the subject. But not today. Nearly every interesting subject in paleontology and evolutionary biology has exploded in complexity. Where once there were a few pages of discussion, there now exist book-length expositions, often several, and a vast technical literature. There is hardly a group of vertebrates, early or late, that is not rich in diversity, and absolutely fascinating. Just to survey all the major fossil groups takes an entire semester, even without getting into their adaptations, lifestyles, and the interesting evolutionary problems they present. Where it was once possible to spend a leisurely class, or less, talking about everything important anyone had to say on a particular topic, these topics can now easily take many classes. The sum result is . one semester is not enough. I look back over old notes on certain topics and they comfortably took a class. When I revised my notes on these topics they easily expanded to several classes, before I panicked and struggled to get them down to only twice as much time as they used to take. But twice as much time is half as much time in a semester to talk about other subjects. L.S. Fichter, Spring, 2001 Syllabus 2 Bio/Geol 405 Vertebrate Paleontology There is no easy resolution to this problem; it exists in every subject. But I am interested in understanding, not memorization or superficial surveys, . and understanding takes time. My resolution to this problem is to do both less, and more. The less is fewer groups, fewer processes, fewer issues discussed. The more is more understanding, in more depth, about the subjects we do discuss. Some groups will be mentioned only in passing, and some groups we explore in detail, like the bony fishes, labrynthodont amphibians, and mammal-like reptiles. Atentative outline of the semester, based on the last time the course was taught, is at the back of the syllabus. But in broad outline it goes something like this. First, we begin with a discussion of principles of evolution, systematics, and classification. Second, this is followed by a survey of vertebrate evolution. That is, who gave rise to whom, when, and the basic classification of the vertebrates. Older paleontology courses would consist only of this, but for us it is only the beginning. Third, we then utilize the phylogeny and classification as a skeleton upon which to hang arguments of evolutionary biology. There are two parts to the study of the evolutionary biology of the vertebrates. On the one hand, we use the phylogeny to explore the processes of functional morphology, evolving organ systems, and biological adaptations to understand the evolution of the vertebrates. On the other hand, we examine the historical geology and paleoecology of this planet in an attempt to understand the environmental conditions which existed in the past and influenced the evolution of the vertebrates. Finally, we correlate and integrate all the information to obtain a coherent picture of how both the earth and the vertebrate animals living on it got to their present state. By that time the semester will be long since over. THE CURRENT STATE OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY One of the problems with being a scientist is that nothing you know can be taken for certain. In fact, being a scientist leads to the disconcerting possibility that everything you thought you knew will turn out to be wrong. This truism has shaken up all the sciences in this century, and no less vertebrate paleontology. Jarvik says, "It is easy to see that (the) . more or less sophisticated family trees found in even the most modern literature are erroneous in fundamental respects." Indeed, animals formerly considered closely related are now viewed very suspiciously, and the traditional, thoroughly memorized, and well entrenched classifications are continuously being challenged and replaced by new and/or unfamiliar names. What is disconcerting about L.S. Fichter, Spring, 2001 Syllabus 3 Bio/Geol 405 Vertebrate Paleontology this is that the old, familiar fossils we thought we knew and understood, have a tendency to be reclassified, rearranged, and reinterpreted in ways that violate everything we were originally taught. And there are continuous new finds which do not neatly fit in with already known organisms, leading to further doubt and confusion. Furthermore, a number of controversial ideas which seriously question our traditional beliefs about the biology of fossil vertebrates have been proposed, and vigorously argued - amphibian origins, warm blooded dinosaurs, and the origin of birds to name a few. To be perfectly honest I find some of this disconcerting, and I am torn between wanting to hang on to the old and familiar, and teach it as if nothing has changed, and feeling an obligation to face the new and unknown, and struggle to revise major portions of this course. It is the second path I intend to follow. I realize that if I were to just make all the necessary changes, or not make them at all, you would not know the difference. Either you would learn the old names and theories, or the new, but since it is all equally unfamiliar it would probably be no big deal - except what you would learn would be outdated. But it is not as simple as that. First, many of the new ideas are quite involved and complicated and it will probably take me more than once through the course to make the transition. Some subjects, which in the past we only knew enough about to have a few pages devoted to them, have expanded to having entire books (often several) devoted to them. Many of these books have relatively recent copyright dates on them. I try to keep up with these, but some lectures I may end up writing as I give them. Or I may suddenly understand something in a new way in the middle of a lecture, at which time my knowledge grows but the lecture may descend to chaos. I hope you hang in there with me in those cases; I will make it all right. Second, our understanding of vertebrate evolution changes rapidly as new discoveries and studies are published. The discovery of one new fossil can change dramatically the way we look at a group - like the discovery of early amphibians with more than 5 fingers and toes, and the dinosaur velociraptors. Likewise, several new books published recently have strongly influenced the way I look at some topics, and I plan to incorporate those ideas. What is gospel today is passe tomorrow. Third, my job is not so much to teach vertebrate paleontology as to teach the science of evolutionary biology, and these major paradigm shifts are the essence of the scientific process and I need to explore them and you need to understand them. So a complicated subject keeps getting more complicated, but with many more possibilities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Databases in Vertebrate Paleontology Mark D
    This article was downloaded by: [University of California, Berkeley] On: 08 January 2013, At: 09:29 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujvp20 From card catalogs to computers: databases in vertebrate paleontology Mark D. Uhen a , Anthony D. Barnosky b , Brian Bills c , Jessica Blois d , Matthew T. Carrano e , Marc A. Carrasco b , Gregory M. Erickson f , Jussi T. Eronen g h , Mikael Fortelius g , Russell W. Graham i , Eric C. Grimm j , Maureen A. O’Leary k , Austin Mast f l , William H. Piel m , P. David Polly n & Laura K. Säilä g a Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, U.S.A. b Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, U.S.A. c Center for Environmental Informatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, U.S.A. d Center for Climate Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, U.S.A. e Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20013, U.S.A. f Department of Biological Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, U.S.A. g Department of Geosciences and Geography, HY-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland h Senckenberg Research Institute und Nature Museum, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre LOEWE BiK-F, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany i Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, U.S.A.
    [Show full text]
  • PALEONTOLOGICAL TECHNICAL REPORT: 6Th AVENUE and WADSWORTH BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, CITY of LAKEWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
    PALEONTOLOGICAL TECHNICAL REPORT: 6th AVENUE AND WADSWORTH BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, CITY OF LAKEWOOD, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO Prepared for: TEC Inc. 1746 Cole Boulevard, Suite 265 Golden, CO 80401 Prepared by: Paul C. Murphey, Ph.D. and David Daitch M.S. Rocky Mountain Paleontology 4614 Lonespur Court Oceanside, CA 92056 303-514-1095; 760-758-4019 www.rockymountainpaleontology.com Prepared under State of Colorado Paleontological Permit 2007-33 January, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 SUMMARY............................................................................................................................. 3 2.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 DEFINITION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES........... 4 3.0 METHODS .............................................................................................................................. 6 4.0. LAWS, ORDINANCES, REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS......................................... 7 4.1. Federal................................................................................................................................. 7 4.2. State..................................................................................................................................... 8 4.3. County................................................................................................................................. 8 4.4. City.....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Phylum Arthropod Silvia Rondon, and Mary Corp, OSU Extension Entomologist and Agronomist, Respectively Hermiston Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Oregon
    Phylum Arthropod Silvia Rondon, and Mary Corp, OSU Extension Entomologist and Agronomist, respectively Hermiston Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Oregon Member of the Phyllum Arthropoda can be found in the seas, in fresh water, on land, or even flying freely; a group with amazing differences of structure, and so abundant that all the other animals taken together are less than 1/6 as many as the arthropods. Well-known members of this group are the Kingdom lobsters, crayfish and crabs; scorpions, spiders, mites, ticks, Phylum Phylum Phylum Class the centipedes and millipedes; and last, but not least, the Order most abundant of all, the insects. Family Genus The Phylum Arthropods consist of the following Species classes: arachnids, chilopods, diplopods, crustaceans and hexapods (insects). All arthropods possess: • Exoskeleton. A hard protective covering around the outside of the body (divided by sutures into plates called sclerites). An insect's exoskeleton (integument) serves as a protective covering over the body, but also as a surface for muscle attachment, a water-tight barrier against desiccation, and a sensory interface with the environment. It is a multi-layered structure with four functional regions: epicuticle (top layer), procuticle, epidermis, and basement membrane. • Segmented body • Jointed limbs and jointed mouthparts that allow extensive specialization • Bilateral symmetry, whereby a central line can divide the body Insect molting or removing its into two identical halves, left and right exoesqueleton • Ventral nerve
    [Show full text]
  • The Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte Reveals Insights Into Early Jurassic Lifematt Williams, Michael J
    XXX10.1144/jgs2014-144M. Williams et al.Early Jurassic Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte 2015 Downloaded from http://jgs.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 27, 2021 2014-144review-articleReview focus10.1144/jgs2014-144The Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte reveals insights into Early Jurassic lifeMatt Williams, Michael J. Benton &, Andrew Ross Review focus Journal of the Geological Society Published Online First doi:10.1144/jgs2014-144 The Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte reveals insights into Early Jurassic life Matt Williams1, Michael J. Benton2* & Andrew Ross3 1 Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16–18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN, UK 2 School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BU, UK 3 National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The Strawberry Bank Lagerstätte provides a rich insight into Early Jurassic marine vertebrate life, revealing exquisite anatomical detail of marine reptiles and large pachycormid fishes thanks to exceptional preservation, and especially the uncrushed, 3D nature of the fossils. The site documents a fauna of Early Jurassic nektonic marine animals (five species of fishes, one species of marine crocodilian, two species of ichthyosaurs, cephalopods and crustaceans), but also over 20 spe- cies of insects. Unlike other fossil sites of similar age, the 3D preservation at Strawberry Bank provides unique evidence on palatal and braincase structures in the fishes and reptiles. The age of the site is important, documenting a marine ecosystem during recovery from the end-Triassic mass extinction, but also exactly coincident with the height of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, a further time of turmoil in evolution.
    [Show full text]
  • SVP's Letter to Editors of Journals and Publishers on Burmese Amber And
    Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 300 McLean, VA 22102 USA Phone: (301) 634-7024 Email: [email protected] Web: www.vertpaleo.org FEIN: 06-0906643 April 21, 2020 Subject: Fossils from conflict zones and reproducibility of fossil-based scientific data Dear Editors, We are writing you today to promote the awareness of a couple of troubling matters in our scientific discipline, paleontology, because we value your professional academic publication as an important ‘gatekeeper’ to set high ethical standards in our scientific field. We represent the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP: http://vertpaleo.org/), a non-profit international scientific organization with over 2,000 researchers, educators, students, and enthusiasts, to advance the science of vertebrate palaeontology and to support and encourage the discovery, preservation, and protection of vertebrate fossils, fossil sites, and their geological and paleontological contexts. The first troubling matter concerns situations surrounding fossils in and from conflict zones. One particularly alarming example is with the so-called ‘Burmese amber’ that contains exquisitely well-preserved fossils trapped in 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) tree sap from Myanmar. They include insects and plants, as well as various vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, birds, and dinosaurs, which have provided a wealth of biological information about the ‘dinosaur-era’ terrestrial ecosystem. Yet, the scientific value of these specimens comes at a cost (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/science/amber-myanmar-paleontologists.html). Where Burmese amber is mined in hazardous conditions, smuggled out of the country, and sold as gemstones, the most disheartening issue is that the recent surge of exciting scientific discoveries, particularly involving vertebrate fossils, has in part fueled the commercial trading of amber.
    [Show full text]
  • Vertebrates and Invertebrates
    Vertebrates and invertebrates The animal kingdom is divided into two groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates have been around for millions of years but have evolved and changed over time. The word vertebrate means “having a backbone." Many animals have backbones. You have a backbone. So does a cow, a whale, a fish, a frog, and a bird. Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. Most animals have a backbone that is made of bones joined together to form a skeleton. Our skeleton gives us our shape and allows us to move. Mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have Vertebrae backbones so they are all vertebrates. Each bone that makes up the backbone Scientists classify vertebrates into five classes: is called a vertebra. These are the • Mammals building blacks that form the backbone, • Fish also known as the spinal cord. The • Birds vertebrae protect and support your • Reptiles spine. Without a backbone, you would not • Amphibians be able to move any part of your body. Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates. Most The human animals are invertebrates. In fact, 95% of all living creatures backbone has 26 on Earth are invertebrates. vertebrae. Arthropods are the largest group of invertebrates. Insects make up a large part of this group. All insects, such as ladybugs, ants, grasshoppers, and bumblebees have three body sections and six legs. Most arthropods live on land, but some of these fascinating creatures live in water. Lobsters, crabs, and shrimp are arthropods that live in the oceans. Many invertebrates have skeletons on the outside of their A frog only has bodies called exoskeletons.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Phylum Chordata
    Unifying Themes 1. Chordate evolution is a history of innovations that is built upon major invertebrate traits •bilateral symmetry •cephalization •segmentation •coelom or "gut" tube 2. Chordate evolution is marked by physical and behavioral specializations • For example the forelimb of mammals has a wide range of structural variation, specialized by natural selection 3. Evolutionary innovations and specializations led to adaptive radiations - the development of a variety of forms from a single ancestral group Characteristics of the Chordates 1. Notochord 2. dorsal hollow nerve cord 3. pharyngeal gill slits 4. postanal tail 5. endostyle Characteristics of the Chordates Notochord •stiff, flexible rod, provides internal support • Remains throughout the life of most invertebrate chordates • only in the embryos of vertebrate chordates Characteristics of the Chordates cont. Dorsal Hollow Nerve Cord (Spinal Cord) •fluid-filled tube of nerve tissue, runs the length of the animal, just dorsal to the notochord • Present in chordates throughout embryonic and adult life Characteristics of the Chordates cont. Pharyngeal gill slits • Pairs of opening through the pharynx • Invertebrate chordates use them to filter food •In fishes the gill sits develop into true gills • In reptiles, birds, and mammals the gill slits are vestiges (occurring only in the embryo) Characteristics of the Chordates cont. Endostyle • mucous secreting structure found in the pharynx floor (traps small food particles) Characteristics of the Chordates cont. Postanal Tail • works with muscles (myomeres) & notochord to provide motility & stability • Aids in propulsion in nonvertebrates & fish but vestigial in later lineages SubPhylum Urochordata Ex: tunicates or sea squirts • Sessile as adults, but motile during the larval stages • Possess all 5 chordate characteristics as larvae • Settle head first on hard substrates and undergo a dramatic metamorphosis • tail, notochord, muscle segments, and nerve cord disappear SubPhylum Urochordata cont.
    [Show full text]
  • Fins, Limbs, and Tails: Outgrowths and Axial Patterning in Vertebrate Evolution Michael I
    Review articles Fins, limbs, and tails: outgrowths and axial patterning in vertebrate evolution Michael I. Coates1* and Martin J. Cohn2 Summary Current phylogenies show that paired fins and limbs are unique to jawed verte- brates and their immediate ancestry. Such fins evolved first as a single pair extending from an anterior location, and later stabilized as two pairs at pectoral and pelvic levels. Fin number, identity, and position are therefore key issues in vertebrate developmental evolution. Localization of the AP levels at which develop- mental signals initiate outgrowth from the body wall may be determined by Hox gene expression patterns along the lateral plate mesoderm. This regionalization appears to be regulated independently of that in the paraxial mesoderm and axial skeleton. When combined with current hypotheses of Hox gene phylogenetic and functional diversity, these data suggest a new model of fin/limb developmental evolution. This coordinates body wall regions of outgrowth with primitive bound- aries established in the gut, as well as the fundamental nonequivalence of pectoral and pelvic structures. BioEssays 20:371–381, 1998. ௠ 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Introduction over and again to exemplify fundamental concepts in biological Vertebrate appendages include an amazing diversity of form, theory. The striking uniformity of teleost pectoral fin skeletons from the huge wing-like fins of manta rays or the stumpy limbs of illustrated Geoffroy Saint-Hilair’s discussion of ‘‘special analo- frogfishes, to ichthyosaur paddles, the extraordinary fingers of gies,’’1 while tetrapod limbs exemplified Owen’s2 related concept aye-ayes, and the fin-like wings of penguins. The functional of ‘‘homology’’; Darwin3 then employed precisely the same ex- diversity of these appendages is similarly vast and, in addition to ample as evidence of evolutionary descent from common ances- various modes of locomotion, fins and limbs are also used for try.
    [Show full text]
  • Vertebrate Paleontology of the Cretaceous/Tertiary Transition of Big Bend National Park, Texas (Lancian, Puercan, Mammalia, Dinosauria, Paleomagnetism)
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1986 Vertebrate Paleontology of the Cretaceous/Tertiary Transition of Big Bend National Park, Texas (Lancian, Puercan, Mammalia, Dinosauria, Paleomagnetism). Barbara R. Standhardt Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Standhardt, Barbara R., "Vertebrate Paleontology of the Cretaceous/Tertiary Transition of Big Bend National Park, Texas (Lancian, Puercan, Mammalia, Dinosauria, Paleomagnetism)." (1986). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4209. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4209 This Dissertation 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 Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a manuscript sent to us for publication and microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to pho­ tograph and reproduce this manuscript, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. Pages in any manuscript may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. Manuscripts may not always be complete. When it is not possible to obtain missing pages, a note appears to indicate this. 2. When copyrighted materials are removed from the manuscript, a note ap­ pears to indicate this. 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Vertebrates in the Animal Kingdom
    Science Enhanced Scope and Sequence – Grade 5 Vertebrates in the Animal Kingdom Strand Living Systems Topic Investigating characteristics of organisms Primary SOL 5.5 The student will investigate and understand that organisms are made of one or more cells and have distinguishing characteristics that play a vital role in the organism’s ability to survive and thrive in its environment. Key concepts include b) classification of organisms using physical characteristics, body structures, and behavior of the organism; c) traits of organisms that allow them to survive in their environment. Related SOL 5.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which a) items such as rocks, minerals, and organisms are identified using various classification keys. Background Information To study organisms, scientists first look at their characteristics and group the organisms based on the characteristics they share. Some animals are so small that they live on or inside other animals. Others, such as the giant squid, are many meters long and live in the depths of oceans. Animals can swim, crawl, burrow, fly, or not move at all. No matter what their size, where they live, or how they move, all animals must have some basic characteristics in common. All organisms in the animal kingdom (1)) are made of cells, (2 reproduce, (3) grow and develop, (4) have a life cycle, (5) obtain and use energy, and (6) responds and adapt to their environment. In the 18th century, a Swedish scientist named Carolus Linnaeus developed a system to organize living things.
    [Show full text]
  • Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology • Number
    The ECPHORA The Newsletter of the Calvert Marine Museum Fossil Club Volume 33 Number 4 December 2018 Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology • Number 100 Features Paleo of Calvert Cliffs The Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, President’s Column Maryland, USA Lester Park Stromatolites Inside Fossilized Hinge Tissue Megalodon Life-Model Ward Megalodon Tooth Dinosaur Research in the National Capital Region Pathological Ecphora Crocodile Fern Ponderous Parotodus Galeocerdo mayumbensis Pathological Eagle Ray Tooth Plate U of Michigan Museum CMMFC Events Croc along Calvert Cliffs Dinosaur Prints in Gettysburg, PA Pathological Horseshoe Crab Dinosaur in the U.S. Botanic Garden Membership Renewal Time Next Club Meeting. The Open SI publishing portal/archive now features the book Saturday, April 27th, 2019. (https://opensi.si.edu/index.php/smithsonian/catalog/book/107), as does Dr. Ralph Eshelman will the SISP website (https://scholarlypress.si.edu/store/new- present a public lecture releases/geology-and-vertebrate-paleontology-calvert-cliffs/). Each of entitled: “Terrestrial these websites has links to access and download the searchable PDF at no Mammal Fossils from the cost. Images from Dr. Daryl Domning’s review of the Miocene sea cows. Miocene Chesapeake Life restoration by Tim Scheirer. Line drawing by S. Godfrey. Images Group.” courtesy of Smithsonian Scholarly Press. ☼ CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM www.calvertmarinemuseum.com 2 The Ecphora December 2018 President's Column Our society has become so embraced with technology that it detaches us from one another and from nature. The simple act of gathering at our meetings and on Greetings CMM Fossil Club members! My field trips allows us to connect, experience hands-on name is Paul R.
    [Show full text]
  • The Benefits of Commercial Fossil Sales to 21St Century Paleontology
    Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org The benefits of commercial fossil sales to 21st century paleontology Peter L. Larson and Donna Russell The luckiest people on this planet are the ones that have also made their passion their career. This is equally true for vertebrate paleontologists and commercial fossil dealers. We have other things in common as well. We all agree that fossils are import- ant. We agree that it is our responsibility to educate the public about fossils. And we agree that scientifically important specimens should be in museums. Fossils have been collected, bartered, bought and sold for thousands of years (Mayor 2000). Commercialism has remained a crucial and functionally key element of paleontology throughout its history. Although all facets of paleontology are permeated with continuing scientific contributions by commercial entities (Manning 2001), this essay will only reference a few of the more notable. In Europe, much of what we know about the Jurassic marine faunas and environ- ments of the Posidonia Shale Lagerstätten of Holzmaden (Germany), and the Blue Lias of Lyme Regis, Dorset (England) are based upon collections made by people who sold fossils. Mary Anning, an iconic person in the field of paleontology, is one of the more famous commercial collectors. Academics and curators at British institutions accepted Anning as a colleague, despite her lack of a formal degree or position at a university (McGowan 2001, Emling 2009). A congenial and civilized working relation- ship still exists today in England between commercial “professional” collectors and museum and university academics (Manning 2001). In Germany the government actively buys important specimens from private col- lectors (Rupert Wild, personal communication).
    [Show full text]