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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Paleontology
Using Foraminifera In Stemseas Site 1 To Understand The Recent Paleoceanographic And Paleoclimatic History Of Tanner Basin, California Borderland, Michael Stanley Stone
Using Foraminifera In Stemseas Site 1 To Understand The Recent Paleoceanographic And Paleoclimatic History Of Tanner Basin, California Borderland, Michael Stanley Stone
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
In May of 2016, the STEMSEAS Educational Transit cruise OC1605-tranA collected the STEMSEAS Site 1 core from the Tanner Basin in the California Borderland. This research serves as the first formal survey of the foraminifera preserved within that core. The purpose of this research is to use foraminifera preserved within that core to understand the recent depositional and paleoenvironmental conditions at Site 1, and to place that information into a regional paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic context. In pursuing this purpose, this research aims to answer three questions: 1) Can biostratigraphic markers in the foraminiferal assemblages in STEMSEAS Site 1 core be …
Ordovician Continental Paleogeography And Paleoenvironment For The Michigan Basin From Paleomagnetic Analysis, Michelle Macrae
Ordovician Continental Paleogeography And Paleoenvironment For The Michigan Basin From Paleomagnetic Analysis, Michelle Macrae
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
This study investigates the paleomagnetic record of Paleozoic rocks from two Michigan basin localities in southwestern Ontario to help close the 40 myr gap in Paleozoic paleomagnetic data. Paleomagnetic data from the Queenston (Upper Ordovician) formation consistently exhibits easily removed viscous remanence, an intermediate and a high temperature component consistent with the unblocking temperatures of magnetite and hematite respectively. Alternating-field and thermal demagnetization in 16–20 steps up to 670º C typically reveal a southeastern, shallow up direction removed from magnetite, and a southwestern, steep up direction removed from hematite. A Late Paleozoic overprint was preserved in the magnetite and a …
A Method For The Geometric Analysis Of Rugose Coral Growth Ridges As Paleoenvironmental Indicators In The Middle Devonian Hungry Hollow Member Of Widder Formation, Michigan Basin, Andrew Thomson
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Skeletons of Devonian rugose corals feature submillimetre-scale growth ridges on their outer surface (epitheca) that record the successive positions of the coral polyp during longitudinal corallite growth. Specimens of rugose corals Eridophyllum and Cystiphylloides from the Hungry Hollow Member of the Middle Devonian Widder Formation were sectioned longitudinally and imaged by SEM, and image processing techniques were applied to extract a line representing the epithecal surface. Local extrema found through peak detection allowed growth ridges to be represented as simplified triangles, so that geometric measurements (area, length) could be related to coral growth and analyzed in reference to possible paleoenvironmental …
When, How, And Why Did The West Antarctic Ice Sheet Retreat In The Ross Sea Since The Last Glacial Maximum Using Foraminiferal And Porewater Geochemistry, Matthew Decesare
When, How, And Why Did The West Antarctic Ice Sheet Retreat In The Ross Sea Since The Last Glacial Maximum Using Foraminiferal And Porewater Geochemistry, Matthew Decesare
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The Antarctic Ice Sheets (AIS) began to retreat from their Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) position sometime after 19,000 years ago. However, the corrosive waters circulating around Antarctica has prevented the recovery of radiocarbon-dateable material, hindering the development of deglacial chronologies. During Expedition NBP1502B to the eastern Ross Sea, an unprecedented quantity of fossil foraminifera and bivalves were recovered. Radiocarbon-dated specimens have been used to constrain the timing of West-AIS retreat from Whales Deep basin and Ross Bank. Whales Deep samples show that the WAIS retreated from its LGM position on the continental shelf edge by 14,700 ± 400 calibrated radiocarbon …
Genetic And Biological Studies On Solanum Plants: Insights Into The Leaf Wax Alkane Paleoclimate Proxy, Amanda Lorraine Dorothy Bender
Genetic And Biological Studies On Solanum Plants: Insights Into The Leaf Wax Alkane Paleoclimate Proxy, Amanda Lorraine Dorothy Bender
Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2H) of precipitation records fluxes of water in the hydrological cycle, and can reflect climatic variables such as temperature and humidity. Leaf wax n-alkanes can record δ2H of precipitation; consequently, n-alkanes extracted from sedimentary archives are commonly used as proxies for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. However, the utility of the leaf wax paleoclimate proxy is modulated by uncertainty about how physiological processes affect hydrogen isotopic compositions during alkane biosynthesis. This work aims to improve our understanding of the leaf wax paleoclimate proxy by examining biological and environmental sources of variability on cuticular leaf waxes. We used Solanum (tomato) …
Stratigraphy, Petrology, And Paleontology Of The Late Cretaceous Campanian Mesaverde Group In Northeastern Utah, Christopher Ward
Stratigraphy, Petrology, And Paleontology Of The Late Cretaceous Campanian Mesaverde Group In Northeastern Utah, Christopher Ward
All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023
This project examines a poorly studied sandstone ridge called Snake John Reef located 22 miles southeast of Vernal, in northeastern Utah. Previously this ridge was mapped as exposures of late Cretaceous, undifferentiated Mesaverde Group, and recently unidentified dinosaur fossils have been found along the ridge by the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. Stratigraphic sections, petrographic thin sections, and collection and study of fossils from Snake John Reef were undertaken to understand the stratigraphic relationship as well as to reconstruct the depositional environment of the dinosaur bearing units. Snake John Reef represents exposures of three late Cretaceous …
Dental Microwear Textures Of Paranthropus Robustus From Kromdraai, Drimolen, And An Enlarged Sample From Swartkrans: Ecological And Intraspecific Variation, Alexandria Sachiko Peterson
Dental Microwear Textures Of Paranthropus Robustus From Kromdraai, Drimolen, And An Enlarged Sample From Swartkrans: Ecological And Intraspecific Variation, Alexandria Sachiko Peterson
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The original microwear texture baseline for South African hominins was done by Scott et al. (2005) and concluded that Paranthropus robustus exhibited higher complexity values (Asfc) that are seen in occasional hard object feeders. Australopithecus africanus has higher anisotropy values (epLsar) consistent with consuming tough objects. This study expands upon this baseline by increasing the sample size from n = 9 for P. robustus and n = 10 for Au. africanus to n = 66 and n = 44, respectively. Additionally, this study incorporates multiple different sites and deposits. The P. robustus sample includes Drimolen, Kromdraai, and an expanded sample …
Locomotion And Skeletal Morphology Of Late Cretaceous Mosasaur, Tylosaurus Proriger, Jesse A. Carpenter
Locomotion And Skeletal Morphology Of Late Cretaceous Mosasaur, Tylosaurus Proriger, Jesse A. Carpenter
Honors College Theses
Mosasaurs (Reptilia: Squamata) are apex marine predators from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian to Maastrichtian) epicontinental seas of North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. From previous studies, it has been suggested that this group trends towards increased rib compactness, lengthening and increased posterior inclination of neural spines of intermediate and terminal caudal vertebrae to support a caudal fluke, and a transition from anguilliform to carangiform locomotion, closer to thunniform in pelagic adapted species. This study examined multiple Tylosaurus specimens using centrum length/width (CL/CW) and width/height (CW/CH) ratios along with neural spine height and angle of posterior inclination to (1) describe the …
Paleoimagery: The Artistic Restoration Of Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Life, Colin Mcnulty
Paleoimagery: The Artistic Restoration Of Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Life, Colin Mcnulty
Honors Projects
My purpose in creating this paper is to research a holistic view of paleontological illustration (also called paleoimagery or paleoart). A thorough history of paleoimagery is outlined from its roots in biblical illustration in the 17th and 18th centuries approaching the modern day. A two-fold examination of the utility of art to communicate science and its use within the science of paleontology is also given. This includes discussions of the specific components of art pieces that help them to successfully communicate scientific ideas and examples of how paleoimagery contributes to paleontology. The author then outlines the conception and …
Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus Arctos And U. Americanus, Benjamin James Hillesheim
Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus Arctos And U. Americanus, Benjamin James Hillesheim
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite being separated by millions of years of evolution, black bears (Ursus americanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be difficult to distinguish based on skeletal and dental material alone. Complicating matters, some Late Pleistocene U. americanus are significantly larger in size than their modern relatives, obscuring the identification of the two bears. In the past, fossil bears have been identified based on differences in dental morphology or size. This study used geometric morphometrics to look at overall differences in cranial shape and used step-wise discriminant analysis to identify specific characters that distinguish cranial morphology between …
Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) Versus Brown Bears (U. Arctos): Combining Morphometrics And Niche Modeling To Differentiate Species And Predict Distributions Through Time, Theron Michael Kantelis
Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) Versus Brown Bears (U. Arctos): Combining Morphometrics And Niche Modeling To Differentiate Species And Predict Distributions Through Time, Theron Michael Kantelis
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Late Pleistocene American black bears (Ursus americanus) often overlap in size with Pleistocene brown bears (U. arctos), occasionally making them difficult to diagnose. Large U. americanus have previously been distinguished from U. arctos by the length of the upper second molar (M2). However, the teeth of fossil U. americanus sometimes overlap size with U. arctos. As such, there is need for a more accurate tool to distinguish the two species. Here, 2D geometric morphometrics is applied to the occlusal surface of the M2 to further assess the utility of this tooth for distinguishing U. americanus and …
Late Quaternary Dragon Lizards (Agamidae: Squamata) From Western Australia, Julie Rej
Late Quaternary Dragon Lizards (Agamidae: Squamata) From Western Australia, Julie Rej
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fossil Agamidae from Western Australia have been the subject of limited study. To aid in fossil agamid identification, Hocknull (2002) examined the maxilla and dentary of several extant species from Australia and determined diagnostic characters for various species groups. In the study here, fossil agamids from two localities in Western Australia, Hastings Cave and Horseshoe Cave, were examined, grouped, and identified to the lowest unambiguous taxonomic level. Morphometric analyses were conducted to compare morphotypes, and find additional diagnostic characters. From Hastings Cave there were two maxilla morphotypes and three dentary morphotypes. Based on identifications, taxa present at this locality were …
The Homology And Phylogeny Of The Diploporita (Blastozoa: Echinodermata), Sarah Lynne Sheffield
The Homology And Phylogeny Of The Diploporita (Blastozoa: Echinodermata), Sarah Lynne Sheffield
Doctoral Dissertations
Evolutionary relationships of extinct echinoderms are poorly understood, especially within stem-bearing blastozoans, a large group of echinoderms with unique respiratory structures and feeding brachioles. They were highly experimental in their body plans and very unlike echinoderms today (e.g., sea urchins). Many of the blastozoan subgroups recognized in recent classifications do not represent clades (natural associations of organisms derived from a single ancestor); they are either grades of organization or groups united by superficially similar features. Consequently, these ‘traditional’ groupings cannot be used to analyze evolutionary questions, such as biogeography or rates of evolution. This problem is highlighted within the diploporitan …
Behavioral Paleoecology Of Lower Cambrian Deposit Foragers: Reinterpreting Looping And Meandering Traces Using Optimal Foraging Theory And Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Andrew Jensen
Behavioral Paleoecology Of Lower Cambrian Deposit Foragers: Reinterpreting Looping And Meandering Traces Using Optimal Foraging Theory And Quantitative Analysis, Zachary Andrew Jensen
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The early Cambrian was a period of transition during which the seafloor environment was changing from a microbial-mat-dominated environment to a bioturbation-dominated environment. The result was a patchy landscape of variable food resources for foraging burrowers to exploit. Looping trace fossils, such Psammichnites gigas and Taphrhelminthopsis nelsoni, appear in strata worldwide during this transitional period, and the ecological niche they filled is a subject of debate among ichnologists. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the foraging strategies preserved by looping traces through the application of optimal foraging theory and quantitative analysis, and (2) use those results to …
Paleoecological Analysis Of The Clayton Formation (Paleocene) Near Malvern, Arkansas, Brenna J. Hart
Paleoecological Analysis Of The Clayton Formation (Paleocene) Near Malvern, Arkansas, Brenna J. Hart
Honors Theses
The Clayton Formation is a section of the Midway Group immediately above the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary that contains marine fossils from the Paleocene Epoch. The formation is composed of glauconitic sand, clay, marl, and limestone. Fossils within the formation commonly occur in clay or are concentrated in conglomeratic lag lenses. To assess paleoecology of the region during the Paleocene, the Clayton Formation was sampled for fossil content at a distinctly visible exposure along Interstate 30 near Malvern, Arkansas, that was excavated as part of a landslide mitigation project. Complimentary sites were sampled nearby along the Ouachita River and behind a shopping …
Preservation Of Sea Anemone Burrows In Silurian (~432 Million Years Old) Carbonate Rocks Of Southeastern Indiana, Usa, Marissa Tomin
Preservation Of Sea Anemone Burrows In Silurian (~432 Million Years Old) Carbonate Rocks Of Southeastern Indiana, Usa, Marissa Tomin
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Preservation of trace fossils (ichnofossils) in siliciclastic environments is often quite different from preservation in carbonate environments, representing an important source of variation that must be well understood in order to enhance interpretations of paleoenvironments and paleoecology. This study focuses on Conostichus, a relatively common burrow constructed by solitary sea anemones. These trace fossils are generally well-preserved (i.e., they display detailed external features) in siliciclastic rocks but are typically little more than conical masses in carbonate rocks. However, certain specimens recovered from the middle Silurian Massie Formation at the Napoleon quarry of southeastern Indiana are composed entirely out of …
Paleoecology Of Foraminifera From The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Pullen And Saint George Formations, Northwestern California, Trenton J. Ryan
Paleoecology Of Foraminifera From The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Pullen And Saint George Formations, Northwestern California, Trenton J. Ryan
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
The Pullen and Saint George formations are coeval late Miocene-early Pliocene sedimentary formations in northwestern California. The type localities of both formations were studied from a micropaleontologic perspective that focused primarily on Foraminifera, but with additional observations of other fossil groups to reconstruct their past depositional environments. The results obtained in this study provided a photomicrographic inventory of the microfossils from both formations, aided in investigating changes in paleobathymetry of the formations during the late Miocene and early Pliocene based on Foraminifera, and allowed for interpretation of paleoecological signals from the foraminiferan associations. Foraminifera have not been previously described in …