Paleontology in Colorado

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state of Colorado

Paleontology in Colorado refers to

paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Colorado
. The
trace fossils
are known from these deposits.

The sea returned during the

state dinosaur
of Colorado.

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistory of Colorado

No

ichnospecies Limnopus cutlerensis, which may have been left by a temnospodyl amphibian.[5] During the Permian the sea withdrew once more from the state. In its place were fields of sand dunes. Tracks left by ancient insects and reptiles were preserved in these dune deposits.[2] Also like the Carboniferous, despite the presence of contemporary trace fossils, the fossil record of Permian life in Colorado is relatively poor compared to states like Kansas and Texas.[1]

Allosaurus.
Diplodocus.

Seawater returned to Colorado during the ensuing

theropod dinosaur left behind footprints of the ichnogenus Agialopous. These tracks contain large number of the ichnogenus Rhynchosauroides, which resembles lizard footprints. The Chinle of Colorado also bears the greatest known abundance of the ichnogenus Gwynnedichnium.[7] Both Triassic amphibians and reptiles left behind footprints near what is now the Fall Creek Post Office.[3]

During the

theropods left behind footprints.[8] Only two large tracksites of fossil footprints are known from the Morrison Formation and both of them are located in Colorado.[8] A tracksite called Rancho del Rio preserves both sauropod and theropod tracks. The Rancho del Rio site is located along the Colorado River in central Colorado. The other large tracksite is the Purgatoire Valley tracksite of the eponymous Purgatoire River in southeastern Colorado.[8] The Purgatoire Valley tracksite is 400 meters at its widest and contains four track-bearing strata. One of the four track bearing strata bears more than 1,300 individual prints.[9] A series of five parallel trackways left by young sauropods provides important evidence for dinosaur social behavior.[10] The trackways of young sauropods found at the Purgatoire Valley site fill important gaps in the local body fossil record, as the vast majority of sauropods skeletal remains in the Morrison come from grown individuals.[11]

Much of Colorado was covered by an expanding sea during the ensuing

deciduous trees. Other contemporary plants included ferns and palms.[18]

The uplift of the Rocky Mountains persisted into the early part of the

mammoths also inhabited the state at this time.[2]

History

Indigenous interpretations

Not far from

proboscidean remains. Johnson Holy Rock, who told the story, was inclined to think of the animal as a proboscidean or giant tapir.[24]

Scientific research

Camarasaurus supremus.

Around March 1877 a man named

Ceratosaurus nasicornis.[26]

In 1890 paleontologist

trace fossils left by worms.[3]

After the Felch brothers ended their field work, the so-called Marsh-Felch quarry lay unworked for twelve years. However, in 1900

Weld County.[19] In 1925 small duckbilled dinosaurs were discovered in eastern Colorado.[3] Later, in 1955, the American Museum of Natural History uncovered a stone block in south-central Colorado preserving several Eocene Eohippus skeletons.[19]

Stegosaurus.

In 1960

National Museum in Washington D.C.[21] The site is now managed and protected as Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve. In the spring of 1963, road work in Limon County near the town of Limon uncovered a mammoth tooth and tusk.[21]

In 1965, the

state dinosaur that same year.[29]

Protected areas

Paleontologists

Births

Elaine Anderson was born in Salida on January 8, 1936.[30] Anderson would come to be known primarily for her book, The Pleistocene Mammals of North America and her research on Ice Age carnivores.[31]

Myra Keen was born in Colorado Springs in 1905.[32] She would go on to become one of the world's foremost paleomalacologists.[32]

Deaths

Denver on March 26, 2002 at age 66.[31]

Malcolm McKenna died in Boulder on March 3, 2008.[33] McKenna was best known for publishing a comprehensive classification of mammals.[33]

shrews.[35]

Natural history museums

Notable clubs and associations

  • Western Interior Paleontological Society[42]
  • Denver Gem & Mineral Show[43]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 105.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Johnson, Springer, Scotchmoor (2010); "Paleontology and geology".
  3. ^ a b c d e f Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 109.
  4. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Western Traces in the 'Age of Amphibians'", page 34.
  5. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Interpreting Tracks and Track Habtitats", page 51.
  6. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "The Northern Colorado Plateau Region of the Chinle", page 93.
  7. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "The Northern Colorado Plateau Region of the Chinle", page 94.
  8. ^ a b c Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Morrison Formation Tracks of the Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Brontosaurs", page 166.
  9. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Morrison Formation Tracks of the Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Brontosaurs", pages 166-167.
  10. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Morrison Formation Tracks of the Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Brontosaurs", page 171.
  11. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1995); "Morrison Formation Tracks of the Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Brontosaurs", pages 171-172.
  12. ^ Everhart (2005); "One Day in the Life of a Mosasaur", page 5.
  13. ^ Everhart (2005); "Stratigraphy", page 25.
  14. ^ Everhart (2005); "Where the Elasmosaurs Roamed", page 127.
  15. ^ Everhart (2005); "Where the Elasmosaurs Roamed", page 133.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 107.
  17. ^ Murray (1974); "Colorado", pages 109-110.
  18. ^ Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 108.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 110.
  20. ^ Murray (1974); "Colorado", pages 108-109.
  21. ^ a b c Murray (1974); "Colorado", page 111.
  22. ^ Mayor (2005); "Paiute and Ute Fossil Knowledge in the Great Basin", page 152.
  23. ^ Mayor (2005); "Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota", page 257.
  24. ^ Mayor (2005); "Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota", page 257-258.
  25. ^ Foster (2007); "Garden Park (1877-1901)", page 72.
  26. ^ Foster (2007); "Garden Park (1877-1901)", page 73.
  27. ^ Foster (2007);"Garden Park (1877-1901)", page 74.
  28. ^ Murray (1974); "Colorado", pages 110-111.
  29. ^ Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration; "State Fossil".
  30. ^ Schubert, Mead, and Graham (2003); page v.
  31. ^ a b Graham and McDonald (2002); "In Memoriam Elaine Anderson 1936-2002", pages 8-9.
  32. ^ a b Graham and McDonald (2002); "Memorial Resolution Myra Keen 1905-1986", pages 8-9.
  33. ^ a b Wilford (2008); "Malcolm McKenna, 77, Fossil Seeker, Dies".
  34. ^ Bell and Repenning Forsberg (2011); "Introduction".
  35. ^ Bell and Repenning Forsberg (2011); "Biographical Sketch".
  36. ^ Denver Museum of Nature and Science; "Directions, Parking and Entrances".
  37. ^ Morrison Natural History Museum; "Maps and Directions".
  38. ^ Museum of Western Colorado; "Visit: Dinosaur Journey Museum".
  39. ^ O'Connor, Amber Delay. "Field museum of discovery: Ever-growing dinosaur bone collection at CNCC educates inside and out". www.craigdailypress.com. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  40. ^ "Tibia and fibula of a longneck sauropod dinosaur discovered in southern Colorado". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  41. ^ University of Colorado Museum of Natural History; "Plan Your Visit".
  42. ^ Garcia and Miller (1998); "Appendix C: Major Fossil Clubs", page 199.
  43. ^ Garcia and Miller (1998); "Appendix B: Major Fossil Shows", page 195.

References

Wikisource has original works on the topic: Paleontology in the United States#Colorado
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paleontology in Colorado.

External links

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