An Elusive Carnivore Skeleton Discovered At The Ashfall Fossil Beds,
2012
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
An Elusive Carnivore Skeleton Discovered At The Ashfall Fossil Beds, Rick E. Otto
University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information
An articulated skeleton of the fossil dog Cynarctus has been revealed at the Ashfall Fossil Beds. Cynarctus fits into the subfamily of Canids known as Borophaginae, an extinct group - some of which are referred to as “bone-crushers”. Cynarctus and a few of its allies appear to have had an omnivorous diet; with dentition similar to Procyonthe modern raccoon. The skeleton, as well as a complete skull and mandibles of a separate individual also recovered from the volcanic ash bed, are the well-preserved remains of a species otherwise poorly represented in the fossil record.
Effectiveness Of Four Water-Bearing Zones Of The Glacierized Basin In Meltwater Runoff Modeling,
2012
University of Dayton
Effectiveness Of Four Water-Bearing Zones Of The Glacierized Basin In Meltwater Runoff Modeling, Umesh K. Haritashya
Department of Earth, Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications
Meltwater runoff modeling from glacierized basins needs several input data, including total meltwater contributing area. This study utilizes optical remote sensing data to assess glacierized basins in the central Himalayas where snow and glaciers contribute substantially to the water resources. Result shows that there are four main water-bearing zones in the basin: (a) dry snow, (b) wet snow, (c) exposed glacial ice, and (d) debris-covered glacial ice, and it is possible to differentiate and map these zones and their spatio-temporal variations from satellite sensor data. These zones can then be incorporated in meltwater runoff modeling as separate entities because they …
Guidebook To The Geology Of The Platte River Valley Between Duncan And Schuyler, Nebraska,
2012
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Guidebook To The Geology Of The Platte River Valley Between Duncan And Schuyler, Nebraska, P.R. Hanson, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Aaron R. Young, Dana Divine, Jesse T. Korus Dr.
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
The Platte River is considered to be a classic example of a braided stream, that is, a comparatively shallow stream with a high width:depth ratio.
Calcareous Nannofossil Assemblage Changes Across The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence From A Shelf Setting,
2012
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
Calcareous Nannofossil Assemblage Changes Across The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence From A Shelf Setting, Jean M. Self-Trail, David S. Powars, David K. Watkins, Gregory A. Wandless
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications
Biotic response of calcareous nannoplankton to abrupt warming across the Paleocene/Eocene boundary reflects a primary response to climatically induced parameters including increased continental runoff of freshwater, global acidification of seawater, high sedimentation rates, and calcareous nannoplankton assemblage turnover. We identify ecophenotypic nannofossil species adapted to low pH conditions (Discoaster anartios, D. araneus, Rhomboaster spp.), excursion taxa adapted to the extremely warm climatic conditions (Bomolithus supremus and Coccolithus bownii), three species of the genus Toweius (T. serotinus, T. callosus, T. occultatus) adapted to warm, rather than cool, water conditions, opportunists adapted to high productivity conditions (Coronocyclus bramlettei, …
Three Geologic Cross Sections Across Portions Of Eastern Nebraska Showing Quaternary Lithologic Units And Stratigraphy Of Uppermost Bedrock,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Three Geologic Cross Sections Across Portions Of Eastern Nebraska Showing Quaternary Lithologic Units And Stratigraphy Of Uppermost Bedrock, Jesse T. Korus, Dana Divine, P. R. Hanson, J. S. Dillon
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2011,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2011, Jesse T. Korus Dr., Mark E. Burbach, Leslie M. Howard
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2012,
2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2012, A. R. Young, M. E. Burbach, J. T. Korus, L. M. Howard
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
A Large Cervidae Holocene Accumulation In Eastern Brazil: An Example Of Extreme Taphonomical Control In A Cave Environment,
2012
Instituto do Carste
A Large Cervidae Holocene Accumulation In Eastern Brazil: An Example Of Extreme Taphonomical Control In A Cave Environment, Alex Hubbe, Augusto S. Auler
International Journal of Speleology
A remarkable cervid bone accumulation occurs at a single passage (named Cervid Passage; CP) at Lapa Nova, a maze cave in eastern Brazil. CP lies away from cave entrances, is a typical pitfall passage and contains bone remains of at least 121 cervids, besides few bats, peccaries and rodents remains. There is no evidence of water (or sediment) flow at the site and in general bones lack post depositional alterations and display anatomical proximity, suggesting that the majority of the remains found inside CP (mainly cervids) are due to animals that after entering the cave got trapped in the site. …
Three-Dimensionally Preserved Integument Reveals Hydrodynamic Adaptations In The Extinct Marine Lizard Ectenosaurus (Reptilia, Mosasauridae),
2011
Lunds Universitet
Three-Dimensionally Preserved Integument Reveals Hydrodynamic Adaptations In The Extinct Marine Lizard Ectenosaurus (Reptilia, Mosasauridae), Johan Lindgren, Michael J. Everhart, Michael W. Caldwell
Sternberg Museum of Natural History Faculty Publications
The physical properties of water and the environment it presents to its inhabitants provide stringent constraints and selection pressures affecting aquatic adaptation and evolution. Mosasaurs (a group of secondarily aquatic reptiles that occupied a broad array of predatory niches in the Cretaceous marine ecosystems about 98-65 million years ago) have traditionally been considered as anguilliform locomotors capable only of generating short bursts of speed during brief ambush pursuits. Here we report on an exceptionally preserved, long-snouted mosasaur (Ectenosaurus clidastoides) from the Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) part of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation in western Kansas, USA, that …
Extreme Variation In The Sagittal Crest Of Tapirus Polkensis (Mammalia Perissodactyla) At The Gray Fossil Site Northeastern Tn.,
2011
East Tennessee State University
Extreme Variation In The Sagittal Crest Of Tapirus Polkensis (Mammalia Perissodactyla) At The Gray Fossil Site Northeastern Tn., Aaron Randall Abernethy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The preservation and quantity of fossil tapirs (Tapirus polkensis) from the Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee provides a unique opportunity for comparison and analysis of skeletal characters. Intraspecifically, modern tapirs show little to no variation in the morphology of the sagittal crest. However, several different morphologies exist within the sample at Gray. No osteological evidence of sexual dimorphism exists for tapirs, and no correlation between crest shape and sex was observed. Several juveniles display well defined crests, while some adults have only minor thickening of the temporal ridges; therefore, no distinct correlation between age and crest state …
The Application Of Biostratigraphy And Paleoecology At Southern Ocean Drill Sites To Resolve Early To Middle Miocene Paleoclimatic Events,
2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Application Of Biostratigraphy And Paleoecology At Southern Ocean Drill Sites To Resolve Early To Middle Miocene Paleoclimatic Events, Ryan Farmer
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The diatom biostratigraphy and paleoceanography of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 744 on the Southern Kerguelen Plateau, southern Indian Ocean are documented for the early to middle Miocene to improve chronostratigraphic age control for the Southern Ocean and Antarctic region. Paleoenvironmental fluctuations in the Southern Ocean are inferred from changes in fossil diatom abundance, preservation, and assemblage composition. A robust, new age model for Holes 744A and 744B is constructed using Constrained Optimization (CONOP) model ages for diatom biostratigraphic datum levels and new magnetic polarity data, which enables assessment of a nearly continuous record of paleoenvironmental change from ~20.25 to …
New Stable Isotope Record Of Paleoecological Change In The Late Neogene Of The Western Great Plains From Enamel In Large Mammals,
2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
New Stable Isotope Record Of Paleoecological Change In The Late Neogene Of The Western Great Plains From Enamel In Large Mammals, Zachary Kita
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
An expansion of C4 grasslands occurred between 6 and 8 million years ago in the Great Plains of North America, as evidenced by a marked shift to more 13C-enriched carbon isotope compositions from large fossil mammal tooth enamel and paleosol carbonates. Prior to this expansion, habitats were comprised of exclusively C3 vegetation. To explore this problem I present a compilation of bulk stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope values from a variety of large mammals from 6 localities that span from the late Clarendonian to the late Blancan in Nebraska. As expected, …
Taxonomic Composition, Paleoecology And Biostratigraphy Of Late Cretaceous Diatoms From Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic,
2011
University of Warsaw, Poland
Taxonomic Composition, Paleoecology And Biostratigraphy Of Late Cretaceous Diatoms From Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic, Jakub Witkowski, David M. Harwood, Karen Chin
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications
Upper Cretaceous sediments of the Kanguk Formation exposed in Eidsbotn and Viks Fiord grabens on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic, yielded 91 fossil marine diatom species and varieties (including indeterminate taxa), representing 41 genera. Excellent preservation of the assemblages was aided by shallow burial, protection in downfaulted linear grabens, and the presence of abundant volcanic material. Planktonic species and resting spores comprise nearly 70% of the diatom assemblage, and provided abundant food resources for the Late Cretaceous Arctic ecosystem. Deposition of the approximately 225 m-thick stratigraphic sequence was predominantly in a shallow marine neritic setting, with an upward progression …
Variation In The Modified First Metatarsal Of A Large Sample Of Tapirus Polkensis And The Functional Implications For Ceratomorphs.,
2011
East Tennessee State University
Variation In The Modified First Metatarsal Of A Large Sample Of Tapirus Polkensis And The Functional Implications For Ceratomorphs., Patrick Lawrence Hawkins
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Mio-Pliocene age Gray Fossil Site of northeastern Tennessee has the largest collection of tapir postcranial skeletons in the world. Though representing a single species, a few localized structures show high variability. This paper deals with variation of the first metatarsal, which in tapirs was reduced as an early adaptation for running and then retrofitted to serve as a special origin for flexors and adductors of the proximal phalanges. The first metatarsal connects the medial ankle with a posterior process of the third metatarsal in tapiroids. In Tapirus indicus, T. webbi, and 6 out of 31 T. polkensis …
Population Structure Based On Age-Class Distribution Of Tapirus Polkensis From The Gray Fossil Site Tennessee.,
2011
East Tennessee State University
Population Structure Based On Age-Class Distribution Of Tapirus Polkensis From The Gray Fossil Site Tennessee., Matthew L. Gibson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Individuals of Tapirus polkensis from the Gray Fossil Site exhibit an excellent level of preservation. Intact skulls collected from the site were arranged in a rough age class system separated into 7 categories based on the teeth present and amount of dental wear. Such an eruption series is useful for general comparisons amongst the individual tapirs; however, the classes do not represent an age in years due to a lack of data on living tapirs. Consequently, it is possible that some age classes may contain several years of a tapirs life, or comparatively only a few months. In this study …
On The Cranial Osteology Of Eremiascincus And Its Use For Identification.,
2011
East Tennessee State University
On The Cranial Osteology Of Eremiascincus And Its Use For Identification., William B. Gelnaw
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A persistent problem for Australian paleontology has been a lack of diagnostic characters for identifying lizard fossils. Eremiascincus is one of the most widespread genera in Australia, so it was examined for distinguishing features and how it fits into a model of skink evolution. Skulls of Eremiascincus were examined within five separate contexts: 1) a description of the cranial osteology, 2) a qualitative comparison of individual cranial elements of Eremiascincus to closely related Ctenotus, 3) a description of the cranial allometry in Eremiascincus using linear morphometrics, 4) using cranial morphometrics of skinks to deduce their phylogeny, and 5) using …
The Occurrence Of An Abdominal Fauna In An Articulated Tapir (Tapirus Polkensis) Recovered From The Miocene Gray Fossil Site Northeast Tennessee.,
2011
East Tennessee State University
The Occurrence Of An Abdominal Fauna In An Articulated Tapir (Tapirus Polkensis) Recovered From The Miocene Gray Fossil Site Northeast Tennessee., Shannon M. Mcconnell
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The analysis of samples recovered from the abdominal area of an articulated tapir from the Late Miocene (4.5-7 million bp) Gray Fossil Site, revealed a rich palyno-fauna comprised of about 94% egg/oocyst-like structures and 6% pollen and other palynomorphs. In addition, a tight grouping of six hickory nuts (Carya) was recovered from the same area suggesting that the samples represent the abdominal contents. The analysis of a sample from immediately outside the tapir produced a sample with 98% pollen and less than 0.5% egg-like structures. The size, shape, and general morphology of egg-like structures were analyzed with light …
Vertebrate Taxonomic Composition, Species Diversity, And Paleoecology Of Two Pliocene Mid-Latitude, Inland-Basin Fossil Assemblages: Panaca Local Fauna (Lincoln County, Nevada) And Hagerman Local Fauna (Twin Falls County, Idaho),
2011
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Vertebrate Taxonomic Composition, Species Diversity, And Paleoecology Of Two Pliocene Mid-Latitude, Inland-Basin Fossil Assemblages: Panaca Local Fauna (Lincoln County, Nevada) And Hagerman Local Fauna (Twin Falls County, Idaho), Vicki Lynn Meyers
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
I studied the sedimentology, species diversity, relative abundance, paleoenvironment, and paleoecology of the vertebrate fauna of the early Pliocene (Blancan Land Mammal Age) Panaca Formation of southeastern Nevada, and I compared these data with the slightly younger Hagerman fauna of south-central Idaho. The purpose of this study is to characterize the paleoecology and species diversity of mid-latitude inland basins during the Blancan Land Mammal Age, a time of climate change and immigrating taxa from Asia and South America. This study involved surface collecting and screenwashing of the Panaca Formation sediment in Meadow Valley, as well as a compilation of data …
Review Of Barnum Brown: The Man Who Discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex. By Lowell Dingus And Mark A. Norell.,
2011
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Review Of Barnum Brown: The Man Who Discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex. By Lowell Dingus And Mark A. Norell., Donald M. Henderson
Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)
The book itself is well written, and follows Brown's life chronologically from birth to death. Along the way, the narrative delves, sometimes quite deeply, into the people and events, both American and foreign, that would have influenced Brown's life and work at the time. The reams of facts, figures, and dates in the book are meticulously referenced using the extensive archives of the AMNH. Brown was notorious for not keeping field notes, and correspondence to and from the field with his bosses, as well as annual reports, are the sources for most of the details of Brown's life while associated …
Secondary Minerals From Extrapedogenic Per Latus Acidic Weathering Environments At Geomorphic Edges, Eastern Nebraska, Usa,
2011
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Secondary Minerals From Extrapedogenic Per Latus Acidic Weathering Environments At Geomorphic Edges, Eastern Nebraska, Usa, Robert Matthew Joeckel, K.D. Wally, B.J. Ang Clement, P.R. Hanson, J.S. Dillon, S.K. Wilson
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
Acidic weathering of the sulfidic Upper Cretaceous Carlile and Pierre Shales in Nebraska has led to the precipitation of the Al sulfate–hydroxide minerals aluminite, alunite, “basaluminite”/felsöbányaite (e.g.,), the aluminum hydroxides gibbsite and bayerite, and the rare Al phosphate hydroxide vashegyite. Kaolinite has also been produced as a result of this acidic weathering. These minerals do not appear as neoformed constituents in any extant soils in the region, and their existence underscores the ability of pyrite oxidation to produce major changes in mineralogy on a Holocene to Recent time scale. Jarosite, hydronium jarosite, gypsum, halotrichite, and melanterite also appear as secondary …
