An Overview Of Secondary Aquifers In Nebraska,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
An Overview Of Secondary Aquifers In Nebraska, Dana Divine, Steven S. Sibray
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Interpretive Geologic Cross Sections Across Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, Nebraska (Ccs-20),
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Interpretive Geologic Cross Sections Across Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, Nebraska (Ccs-20), Dana Divine
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Locomotion And Skeletal Morphology Of Late Cretaceous Mosasaur, Tylosaurus Proriger,
2017
Georgia Southern University
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 …
A Floral Assemblage Of The Upper Cretaceous El Gallo Formation, El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico,
2017
Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island
A Floral Assemblage Of The Upper Cretaceous El Gallo Formation, El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico, Reilly F. Hayes, Marisol Montellano-Ballesteros, Gerardo Álvarez-Reyes, René Hernandez-Rivera, David E. Fastovsky
Senior Honors Projects
Over the past eight months, I have collaborated with paleontologists from the Universidad Nactional Autónoma de México to formally describe plant fossils they uncovered in Baja California between their 2013 and 2016 field seasons. We report the first floral assemblage of the dinosaur-aged El Gallo Formation, Baja California, Mexico, a small (82-specimen) collection of plant fossils from fossil soils contained within the 75.84 +/- 0.05 to 74.55 +/- 0.09 million-year-old El Disecado Member of the unit. A compound fruit belonging to the genus Operculifructus, previously reported from the 3.40 to 1.08 million year younger Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, …
Paleoimagery: The Artistic Restoration Of Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Life,
2017
Bowling Green State University
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 …
Paleoecological Analysis Of The Clayton Formation (Paleocene) Near Malvern, Arkansas,
2017
University of Southern Mississippi
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 …
Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus Arctos And U. Americanus,
2017
East Tennessee State University
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,
2017
East Tennessee State University
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 …
Behavioral Paleoecology Of Lower Cambrian Deposit Foragers: Reinterpreting Looping And Meandering Traces Using Optimal Foraging Theory And Quantitative Analysis,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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 …
Late Quaternary Dragon Lizards (Agamidae: Squamata) From Western Australia,
2017
East Tennessee State University
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 …
Results Of Test-Hole Drilling For Observation Well Planning In The Upper Loup Natural Resources District, Fall 2016,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Results Of Test-Hole Drilling For Observation Well Planning In The Upper Loup Natural Resources District, Fall 2016, Douglas Hallum, Sue Olafsen Lackey
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
The High Plains Aquifer underlies much of Nebraska (Figure 1). It is the primary source of groundwater within the Upper Loup Natural Resources District (ULNRD) of central Nebraska (Figure 2). Water derived from the aquifer is an important natural resource for the area and supplies water for recreation, wildlife and agriculture, as well as domestic, municipal, and industrial uses. A general lack of water level observations in the region (Figure 3), recently developed groundwater irrigated acres along the upper Calamus River (Figure 4), falling spring water levels measured in existing irrigation wells (Figure 5), and a stable to falling stream …
Basic Meteorological Data Derived 30-Year Normas (1981-2010) Of Actual Evapotranspiration Rates In Nebraska, Usa,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Basic Meteorological Data Derived 30-Year Normas (1981-2010) Of Actual Evapotranspiration Rates In Nebraska, Usa, Jozsef Szilagyi
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Evolution Of Floral Zygomorphy In Androecium And Corolla In Solanaceae,
2017
Virginia Commonwealth University
Evolution Of Floral Zygomorphy In Androecium And Corolla In Solanaceae, Jingbo Zhang, Peter Stevens, Wenheng Zhang
Biology Department Faculty Works
In Solanaceae, a group dominated by actinomorphic‐flowered species, floral zygomorphy is frequently observed among the early‐branching clades. Morphological studies indicated that a zygomorphic androecium is much more common than a zygomorphic corolla in the family. Ontogenic studies suggested the evolution of floral zygomorphy in these two whorls is independent. Here, we have examined the evolution of floral symmetry in the androecium and corolla in Solanaceae. The character states of floral symmetry were assembled for androecium and corolla separately, and ancestral state reconstructions were carried out at both the genus and species levels for Solanaceae and its outgroups. Correlation tests were …
Phylogenetic Patterns Of Rarity In A Regional Species Pool Of Tropical Woody Plants,
2017
University of Missouri
Phylogenetic Patterns Of Rarity In A Regional Species Pool Of Tropical Woody Plants, M. Loza, Iván Jiménez, Peter Jørgensen, Gabriel Arellano, Manuel Macía, Vania Torrez, Robert Ricklefs
Biology Department Faculty Works
AimRarity, which is believed to influence extinction risk, can be defined in terms of local abundance, geographical range size and habitat breadth. Phylogenetic patterns in these attributes provide insight into the extent to which rarity and extinction risk are conserved during evolution and the potential for species‐level heritability. We evaluated phylogenetic signal (i.e., related species resembling each other more than species drawn at random) and evolutionary conservatism (similarity among related species exceeding that expected from a Brownian model of evolution) in three axes of rarity (local abundance, geographical range size and habitat breadth) among species in a regional pool of …
Nebraska, Usa: Wonderful Fossils, Natural History Museums And Public Art Depicting Fossils,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska, Usa: Wonderful Fossils, Natural History Museums And Public Art Depicting Fossils, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.
Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., Publications
Nebraska is known by vertebrate palaeontologists as the place in North America where there is a very complete Cenozoic geologic record of mammalian evolution over the last thirty-five million years or so. All you have to do is visit any of the many major natural history museums in the USA and in many countries around the world, including the UK, to see fossil skulls, articulated skeletons and large slabs of rock containing bones of fossil mammals from Nebraska to verify this assertion. Nebraska is also the site of Cretaceous rocks containing the oldest known Cretaceous fossil flower and many other …
Dielasma Or Tunethyris? A Taxonomic Conundrum,
2017
Touro College
Dielasma Or Tunethyris? A Taxonomic Conundrum, Howard R. Feldman, Talia J. Belowich, Tova Braver, Sarah Laks
Lander College for Women - The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School Publications and Research
A new species of a dielasmid brachiopod from the Triassic Saharonim Formation of Makhtesh Ramon, southern Israel, was discovered in Anisian-Ladinian limestones that alternate with calcareous shales. The environment of deposition was an open shelf with normal salinity. The new species is homeomorphic with Paleozoic forms, but may not belong to the genus Dielasma; however, it may be a species of Tunethyris, a Triassic genus from Tunisia. If the Triassic specimens belong to the Paleozoic genus Dielasma, an important new Lazarus genus is added to the systematic literature. However, if the specimens belong to the Triassic Tunethyris, …
A Unique Petroglyph Carving On The Shawangunk Ridge, Lower Hudson Valley, New York,
2017
Touro College
A Unique Petroglyph Carving On The Shawangunk Ridge, Lower Hudson Valley, New York, Howard R. Feldman
Lander College for Women - The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School Publications and Research
A unique circular petroglyph from the Shawangunk Ridge in the lower Hudson Valley, New York was found carved into the resistant metaconglomerate/quartzitic rock not far from Mohonk Mountain House. The Shawangunk Formation crops out near Rosendale, New York and extends in a general southwestward direction accessible along Route 17 near Wurtsboro, again at the Delaware Water Gap and then can be traced in into Pennsylvania and Virginia. The ridge and surrounding area (e.g. Wallkill Valley) is lacking in chert, a vital raw material used in the carving of petroglyphs (Feldman, et al., 2016). However, there are numerous other examples of …
2016 Nebraska Water Leaders Academy - Final Report,
2017
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2016 Nebraska Water Leaders Academy - Final Report, Mark E. Burbach, Connie Reimers-Hild
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
The effective management of Nebraska’s water resources is evermore challenged by variations in weather, climate, technology, socioeconomic policies, and regulation. Anthropogenic climate change, declining water tables and stream flows, increasing demands on freshwater, aging water infrastructure, fiscal constraints, and impacts on aquatic organisms are particularly imminent challenges in Nebraska and around the world (Pahl-Wostl et al., 2013; Pittock et al., 2008; USACE, 2010). Sustaining freshwater ecosystem services in the face of emerging environmental threats presents an immense societal dilemma worldwide (Pittock et al., 2013; Rockström et al., 2009, Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). The rapidly changing conditions of water resources in …
Five Species Of Fossil Equids Preserved In-Situ At Ashfall Fossil Beds,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Five Species Of Fossil Equids Preserved In-Situ At Ashfall Fossil Beds, Rick E. Otto
University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information
Fully articulated, three-dimensionally preserved skeletons from five species of fossil Equids are now represented, and preserved in-situat the Ashfall Fossil Beds in northcentral Nebraska. The site is well known for dozens of barrel-bodied rhino (Teleoceras major) skeletons. A diversity of horse species that inhabited Nebraska during the late Miocene Epoch have been exposed in the fossil bed. Genera include Cormohipparion, Neohipparon, Pliohippus, Protohippus, and Pseudhipparion. An exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of the small-sized, three-toed species Pseudhipparion gratumwas recently exposed, and is on display only a few feet from where visitors stand.
Preservation Of Sea Anemone Burrows In Silurian (~432 Million Years Old) Carbonate Rocks Of Southeastern Indiana, Usa,
2017
The University of Akron
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 …
