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1
Bushell, Matthew, and Chris Widga. "Reburying a Mastodon: A Digitization Workflow for Vertebrate Paleontological Spatial Data." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2019. https://dc.etsu.edu/asrf/2019/schedule/189.
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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be a powerful paleontological tool. This project’s goal was to digitally reconstruct a large, mostly-articulated mastodon (Mammut sp.) excavated from the Gray Fossil Site during the 2015 to 2018 field seasons. This was done by compiling total station survey data, field notes, sketch maps, and cataloged specimen data within ArcGIS Pro. Field drawn sketch maps were geo-referenced to relevant survey points. Then, a polygon layer was created by tracing the spatially referenced field drawings. Each polygon was given the specimen’s designated field number and connected to a table containing all associated field data. The result was a polygon layer that displayed all major bones and bone fragments of the mastodon which was linked to museum catalog information. Researchers can use this digital product to interpret site taphonomy, examine the distribution of skeletal elements or fossil taxa, or potentially identify areas of interest for future excavations. This workflow will streamline future specimen digitization efforts at the Gray Fossil Site.
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Jerve, Anna. "Development and three-dimensional histology of vertebrate dermal fin spines." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för organismbiologi, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-286863.
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Jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) consist of two clades with living representatives, the chondricthyans (cartilaginous fish including sharks, rays, and chimaeras) and the osteichthyans (bony fish and tetrapods), and two fossil groups, the "placoderms" and "acanthodians". These extinct forms were thought to be monophyletic, but are now considered to be paraphyletic partly due to the discovery of early chondrichthyans and osteichthyans with characters that had been previously used to define them. Among these are fin spines, large dermal structures that, when present, sit anterior to both median and/or paired fins in many extant and fossil jawed vertebrates. Making comparisons among early gnathostomes is difficult since the early chondrichthyans and "acanthodians", which have less mineralized skeleton, do not have large dermal bones on their skulls. As a result, fossil fin spines are potential sources for phylogenetic characters that could help in the study of the gnathostome evolutionary history. This thesis examines the development and internal structure of fin spines in jawed vertebrates using two-dimensional (2D) thin sections and three-dimensional (3D) synchrotron datasets. The development of the dorsal fin spine of the holocephalan, Callorhinchus milii, was described from embryos and compared to that of the neoselachian, Squalus acanthias, whose spine has been the model for studying fossil shark spines. It was found that the development of the C. milii fin presents differences from S. acanthias that suggest it might be a better candidate for studying "acanthodian" fin spines. The 3D histology of fossil fin spines was studied in Romundina stellina, a "placoderm"; Lophosteus superbus, a probable stem-osteichthyan; and several "acanthodians". The 3D vascularization reconstructed from synchrotron radiation microtomographic data reveal that "acanthodian" and Lophosteus spines grew similarly to what is observed in chondrichthyans, which differs slightly from the growth of the Romundina spine. Chondrichthyans and "acanthodians" also share similarities in their internal organization. Overall, Lophosteus and Romundina spines are more similar in terms of morphology and histology compared to chondrichthyans and "acanthodians". These results support the current hypothesis of gnathostome phylogeny, which places "acanthodians" on the chondrichthyan stem. They also emphasize the need for further study of vertebrate fin spines using 3D approaches.
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Shell, Ryan C. "Marine Vertebrate Communities from the Cisuralian Epoch (Permian Period) of central North America." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1607457243788428.
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Giles, Sam. "How to build a bony vertebrate in evolutionary time." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1df4ba59-c709-4e3c-99c0-b49d1132743f.
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Jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) account for over 99% of living vertebrate diversity, with origins that stretch back nearly half a billion years, and comprise two groups: Osteichthyes (fishes and land-dwelling vertebrates) and Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays and chimaeras). Osteichthyans are the dominant clade, with at least 60,000 species approximately evenly divided between two clades: the Actinopterygii and the Sarcopterygii. However, our understanding of early osteichthyan evolution is skewed in favour of sarcopterygians, leaving the origin of nearly half of all vertebrate diversity critically understudied. Furthermore, recent upheavals in the early gnathostome tree have destabilised relationships amongst fossil taxa and eroded our understanding of primitive anatomical conditions of key groups. Central to understanding early gnathostome evolution is the braincase, an anatomically complex structure that provides a wealth of morphological characters. However, braincases rarely fossilise, and their position inside the skull makes them difficult to attain. X-ray tomography allows a comprehensive description of the internal and external anatomy of fossils, including the braincase. This thesis sets out to target phylogenetically pivotal taxa and incorporate new anatomical data in building up a picture of character evolution in early jawed vertebrates. In particular, I target the gnathostome stem, describing a new taxon that helps bridge the morphological gap between placoderms and crown gnathostomes, allowing a more comprehensive understanding of both dermal and endoskeletal evolution. I also focus on early actinopterygians, describing the endoskeleton of the first members of the group in order to understand primitive anatomical conditions. I then investigate actinopterygian braincase anatomy in the context of a revised phylogenetic analysis, illuminating the early evolution of the actinopterygians. Finally, I present a synthetic review of braincase anatomy across the early gnathostome tree. These results provide a more accurate picture of braincase evolution across gnathostomes and actinopterygians, clarifying our understanding of their evolution while revealing new information about when key innovations arose in the brains of the very first ray-finned fishes.
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Snyder, Daniel. "A study of the fossil vertebrate fauna from the Jasper Hiemstra Quarry, Delta, Iowa and its environment." Diss., University of Iowa, 2006. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/54.
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Wilborn, Brooke K. "Two New Dinosaur Bonebeds From the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, Bighorn Basin, Wy: an Analysis of the Paleontology and Stratigraphy." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35709.
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Vertebrate fossils have been discovered at several locations in the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming). The Virginia Museum of Natural History's (VMNH) digsite is located in the eastern part of the Bighorn Basin, in the Coyote Basin. Many scientists have worked within these basins trying to describe the stratigraphy. One question specifically asked is where the boundary between the Morrison Fm. (Jurassic) and the Cloverly Fm. (Cretaceous) lies. This new study attempted to show if the current method (Kvale, 1986) of determining the boundary is appropriate. The stratigraphy of the area was examined using Kvale, 1986, Ostrom, 1970, and Moberly, 1960's work in order to see which model was more robust. The fossils in the VMNH digsite were used to supplement the stratigraphic data in determining the age of specific beds.
All of Ostrom's units were identified throughout the study area. There is some doubt as to whether the units would be acceptable outside of the Coyote Basin because of laterally discontinuity. Nevertheless, his description of units is satisfactory for the study area, and is more appropriate than other methods. The geologic age of the dinosaurs uncovered in the VMNH quarry is in agreement with the age determined stratigraphically. The VMNH site is below Ostrom's Unit II, which would place it in the Late Jurassic. The determination of the Jurassic/Cretaceous stratigraphic boundary has not been resolved. However, since the Pryor Conglomerate member of the Cloverly Fm. can be identified throughout this area, it is proposed as the Morrison Fm./Cloverly Fm. boundary.Master of Science
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Komarower, Patricia 1950. "The development of vertebrate palaeontology in China during the first half of the twentieth century." Monash University, School of Geosciences, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/9337.
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Soehner, Jennifer R. "Why is There Such a High Concentration of Vertebrate Remains Within a Bone-bed Along Clapp Creek, Williamsburg County, South Carolina?" Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1346191790.
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Carney, David. "Spatial Analyses of Gray Fossil Site Vertebrate Remains: Implications for Depositional Setting and Site Formation Processes." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2021. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3930.
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This project uses exploratory 3D geospatial analyses to assess the taphonomy of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS). During the Pliocene, the GFS was a forested, inundated sinkhole that accumulated biological materials between 4.9-4.5 mya. This deposit contains fossils exhibiting different preservation modes: from low energy lacustrine settings to high energy colluvial deposits. All macro-paleontological materials have been mapped in situ using survey-grade instrumentation. Vertebrate skeletal material from the site is well-preserved, but the degree of skeletal articulation varies spatially within the deposit. This analysis uses geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze the distribution of mapped specimens at different spatial scales. Factors underpinning spatial association, skeletal completeness, and positioning of specimens were examined. At the scale of the individual skeleton, analyses of the Mastodon Pit explore how element completeness and orientation/inclination of the mastodon reflect post-depositional processes.
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Cunningham, Christopher R. "Genetic stratigraphy, depositional environments, and vertebrate paleontology of the speiser shale (gearyan stage, lower permian series) in northern Kansas." Kansas State University, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/18445.
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Dzenowski, Nicole D. "The Neoichnology of Two Ambystomatid Salamanders, Pennsylvanian Paleosols, and Their Use in Paleoenvironmental, Paleoecological, and Paleoclimatic Interpretations." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1338574841.
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Clayton, Angela Ann. "Analysis of an Eocene Bone-bed, Contained within the Lower Lisbon Formation, Covington County, Alabama." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1310391028.
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James, John M. "MARINE VERTEBRATE REMAINS FROM MIDDLE-LATE DEVONIAN BONE BEDS AT LITTLE HARDWICK CREEK IN VAUGHNS MILL, KENTUCKY AND AT THE EAST LIBERTY QUARRY IN LOGAN COUNTY, OHIO." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1316463911.
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Cidade, Giovanne Mendes. "Revisão sistemática do gênero Mourasuchus (Alligatoroidea, Caimaninae), com comentários sobre filogenia, biogeografia e paleoecologia de Caimaninae." Universidade de São Paulo, 2015. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/59/59139/tde-03072015-102326/.
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Mourasuchus (Alligatoroidea, Caimaninae) é um táxon extinto de crocodilianos restrito ao Cenozoico da América do Sul. Representa um dos grupos de crocodilianos mais peculiares de todos os tempos, devido ao formato longo, largo e achatado de seu rostro (lembrando o bico de um pato) entre outras características. Apesar dessas peculiaridades, relativamente poucos trabalhos foram feitos sobre esse grupo. A maioria das descrições morfológicas dos fósseis do gênero são sucintas e breves, incluindo as dos holótipos de duas das quatro espécies a ele assinaladas: M. amazonensis e M. arendsi. Do mesmo modo, as diagnoses das quatro espécies também se mostram sucintas. Poucas também são as análises filogenéticas realizadas com Mourasuchus a maioria das quais, porém, recupera Orthogenysuchus olseni, do Eoceno dos Estados Unidos, como táxon-irmão de Mourasuchus, gerando um impasse biogeográfico. Além disso, a maneira exata pela qual Mourasuchus se alimentava, fazendo uso de seu peculiar rostro bico de pato, bem como seus itens alimentares, ainda não foram plenamente esclarecidos, ainda que algumas teorias tenham sido propostas na literatura. Assim, este trabalho se propôs a: oferecer uma re-descrição dos holótipos de M. amazonensis e M. arendsi; revisar as diagnoses das espécies e do próprio gênero; realizar uma análise filogenética investigando as relações das espécies entre si e do gênero, como um todo, em Caimaninae; investigar a relação de Orthogenysuchus olseni como táxon-irmão de Mourasuchus; elucidar o modo de forrageio e os itens alimentares consumidos pelo grupo. As re-análises das diagnoses das espécies revelaram que duas delas constituem, na verdade, espécies não-válidas, enquanto a análise de um novo material craniano descrito neste trabalho (MCNC-PAL-110-72V) revelou a existência de uma nova espécie de Mourasuchus, fazendo com que este trabalho reconheça três espécies válidas para o gênero. A análise filogenética revelou M. atopus como o táxon mais basal, enquanto M. amazonensis e a nova espécie proposta formam um clado mais derivado. Orthogenysuchus olseni não foi recuperado como táxon-irmão de Mourasuchus em nenhuma das análises, mas seu posicionamento ainda dentro de Caimaninae faz com que impasses biogeográficos permaneçam. Este trabalho defende que Mourasuchus coletava presas em grande quantidade usando a musculatura da parte de baixo de seu rostro uma alimentação coletora enquanto ainda não há evidências de que esses animais fariam uma filtração da massa alimentar coletada. É possível, também, que tal hábito tenha evoluído a partir do hábito alimentar durófago exibido por Caimaninae basais, especialmente o gênero Gnatosuchus.Mourasuchus (Alligatoroidea, Caimaninae) is an extinct crocodilian taxon restricted to the Cenozoic of South America. It represents one of the most peculiar crocodilian groups of all time, due to the long, wide, flattened shape of its rostrum (resembling the beak of a duck), among other features. Regardless these peculiarities, relatively few works have been done about this group. Most of morphological descriptions of the fossils belonging to this genus are shot and brief, including those of two from the four species assigned to it: M. amazonensis and M. arendsi. Similarly, the diagnoses of all the four species are also very brief. The phylogenetic analyses involving Mourasuchus are also very few most of them, however, recover Orthogenysuchus olseni, from the Eocene of the United States, as Mourasuchus sister-taxon, creating a biogeographically problematic scenario. Furthermore, the exact way by which Mourasuchus feed itself, using its peculiar beak of duck rostrum, as well as its prey items, are yet to be determined, even though some proposals have already been made in the literature. As such, this work had the following objectives: offer a redescription of the holotypes of M. amazonensis and M. arendsi; re-evaluate the diagnoses of Mourasuchus species and the genus itself; perform a phylogenetic analysis to evaluate the relationships between Mourasuchus species and of this group, as a whole, within Caimaninae; evaluate the position of Orthogenysuchus olseni as a sister-taxon of Mourasuchus; elucidate the foraging tactics and the prey items consumed by this group. The re-evaluation of the diagnoses of the species revealed that two are in reality non-valid species, while the analysis of a new cranial material described in this work (MCNC-PAL-110-72V) revealed the existence of a new species of Mourasuchus, taking this work to recognize the existence of three valid species for the genus. The phylogenetic analysis recovered M. atopus as the basalmost taxon, while M. amazonensis and the new species proposed in this work form a more derived clade. Orthogenysuchus olseni was not recovered as a Mourasuchus sister-taxon in any of the analyses made, but its position still within Caimaninae maintains biogeographically problematic scenarios in this clade. This work defends that Mourasuchus collected a high number of prey items using the musculature between the lower jaws a collecting foraging tactic while there is still no evidence that these animals could perform a straining of the entire concentration of food it collected. It is possible, as well, that such habit may have evolved from the durophagous feeding habit of some basal Caimaninae, especially Gnatosuchus.
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Esker, Donald Anton. "An Analysis of the Morrison Formation’s Terrestrial Faunal Diversity Across Disparate Environments of Deposition, Including the Aaron Scott Site Dinosaur Quarry in Central Utah." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1233009882.
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Lambert, Olivier. "Long-snouted dolphins and beaked whales from the Neogene of the Antwerp area: systematics, phylogeny, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography =." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/211020.
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This work is mainly based on the collection of Neogene (Miocene-Pliocene) odontocetes (toothed whales) from the area of Antwerp (northern Belgium, southern margin of the North Sea Basin) preserved at the Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique (IRSNB). The systematic revision of members of the long-snouted dolphin family Eurhinodelphinidae leads to the description/re-description of five species in the genera Eurhinodelphis (E. cocheteuxi and E. longirostris), Schizodelphis (S. morckhoviensis), and Xiphiacetus n. gen. (X. cristatus and X. bossi). Furthermore, the systematic status of several eurhinodelphinid species from other localities in the world is revised. A cladistic analysis with the parsimony criterion is undertaken to highlight the phylogenetic relationships of several eurhinodelphinid taxa with other fossil and extant odontocetes. Eurhinodelphinids are more closely related to the beaked whales; the latter are distinctly separated from the sperm whales. A second analysis, with a likelihood criterion, reaches nearly identical results. Then a separate parsimony analysis investigates the relationships within the family Eurhinodelphinidae; the results suggest sister-group relationships between Schizodelphis + Xiphiacetus and Ziphiodelphis + (Mycteriacetus + Argyrocetus) and a more stemward position for Eurhinodelphis. After that, anatomical, palaeogeographic, and phylogenetic data allow several suggestions about the ecological features of the eurhinodelphinids. The extinction of this family, before the end of the Miocene, is commented, related to the changes in the biodiversity of other odontocete groups and to a contemporary major sea level drop.
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Doctorat en sciences, Spécialisation biologie animale
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
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McGarrity, Christopher Thomas. "Cranial Anatomy and Variation of Prosaurolophus maximus (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae)." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/31336.
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Prosaurolophus maximus is a crested hadrosaurine known from numerous specimens from the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta. Therefore, it is an ideal taxon to reconstruct patterns of growth and variation in hadrosaurids, and improve our understanding of their evolutionary relationships. This study describes the cranial anatomy of P. maximus, quantitatively examines its range of variation, and provides the first ontogenetic series for this taxon. A second species, P. blackfeetensis, was named based on morphological differences in the characteristic nasal crest; however, morphometric results fail to quantitatively differentiate P. blackfeetensis from P. maximus. A species-level phylogenetic analysis of hadrosaurids recovers P. maximus and P. blackfeetensis as sister taxa. Based on both the morphometric and phylogenetic data, this study supports the previous hypothesis that P. blackfeetensis is a junior synonym of P. maximus thereby substantially increasing its temporal range, and suggests a long period of morphological stasis in this taxon.
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Parker, William Gibson active 21st century. "Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Aetosauria (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) including a new species from the Upper Triassic of Arizona." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/24985.
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Aetosaurians are a clade of pseudosuchian archosaurs that were globally dispersed during the Late Triassic Epoch. Aetosaurians are characterized by a suite of osteoderms that covered much of the body. These osteoderms are commonly recovered as fossils and possess characteristic surface ornamentation that can be diagnostic for taxa. The abundance of these osteoderms and the ease of identification have made aetosaurians ideal index taxa for Late Triassic biostratigraphy. Of special interest are specimens from South and North America and Europe that have been assigned to the genus Stagonolepis, which have been utilized for correlation of continental sedimentary units and to approximately date the timing of important biotic events. New finds have called the synonymy of these Stagonolepis-like specimens into question, jeopardizing their ability to serve as biochronological markers. Detailed examination of all of the specimens assigned to Stagonolepis robertsoni demonstrates that all of these specimens do not represent the same species. The South American material is assigned to the genera Aetosauroides, Aetobarbakinoides, and Polesinesuchus; the European material to Stagonolepis; and the North American material to Calyptosuchus, Adamanasuchus, and a newly recognized taxon, Scutarx deltatylus. Scutarx deltatylus can be differentiated from other aetosaurians by the presence of a strongly raised, triangular boss, on the posteromedial corner of the paramedian osteoderms. Scutarx deltatylus also preserves the first good skull material from a Stagonolepis-like aetosaur from North America. A dorsoventrally thickened skull roof and an anteroposteriorly short parabasisphenoid further demonstrate the distinctness of this material from that of South America and Europe. A detailed phylogenetic analysis of all known aetosaurians further demonstrates the distinctness of these taxa. This new expanded analysis of 28 taxa and 83 characters recovers Aetosauroides scagliai as the sister taxon to all other aetosaurians. Stagonolepis robertsoni from Scotland does not clade with Stagonolepis olenkae from Poland. Calyptosuchus wellesi is the sister taxon to a clade consisting of Scutarx deltatylus and Adamanasuchus eisenhardtae. However, distribution of autapomorphies across these taxa precludes them from being synonymized. As a result the Stagonolepis-like aetosaurs cannot be used for global scale correlations of Upper Triassic strata, but do appear to be of utility for regional correlations, in particular those between the Chinle Formation and Dockum Group in the American Southwest.text
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Jass, Christopher Nathan 1970. "New perspectives on Pleistocene biochronology and biotic change in the east-central Great Basin: an examination of the vertebrate fauna from Cathedral Cave, Nevada." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/3612.
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The interaction between climate, environments, and mammalian faunas during the late Pleistocene-Holocene has been studied intently over the last several decades. Cave deposits play an important role in our understanding of these complex interactions, but they are especially significant for our understanding of the faunal history of the Great Basin. In order to develop a deeper time perspective on mammalian faunal change, I began a project that integrated several elements necessary for identifying and interpreting biotic change in the Great Basin of the western United States. These elements included development of a framework for understanding the importance of cave deposits for the paleontological record, collection of a mammalian fauna that pre-dates the terminal Pleistocene, identification of that fauna in the midst of shifting taxonomic paradigms, and evaluation of the fauna in the context of previous regional biogeographic models. I utilized data from the FAUNMAP database to evaluate the significance of the contribution that cave deposits make to the Pleistocene mammal record. Caves do provide unique faunal data in addition to contributing a high percentage of the individual species records for late Pleistocene mammals. Fieldwork was conducted at Cathedral Cave, NV, in order to assess a fauna that was thought to predate the late Pleistocene-Holocene transition. In excess of 30,000 identifiable fossils were recovered in an excavation area that was roughly 1.5 x 2 x 0.7 m. Prior to fieldwork in 2003, age estimates for the fauna were between 750 ka to 850 ka. New chronologic analyses suggest a more recent age (≤146.02±2.584 ka to 151.2±4.4 ka) that extends the known chronologic distributions of several taxa and alters previously established biochronologic frameworks for the Pleistocene. This work also calls into question previous age assignments for portions of Smith Creek Cave. Individual faunal identifications were made using a conservative data-reliant approach in order to minimize geographic assumptions and render an independent data set useful for broad biogeographic analyses. Although the faunal data presented here do not explicitly support or refute regional biogeographic models, they do indicate that patterns of faunal change can be found even when species-level identification are not achieved.
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"Late Campanian vertebrate fauna of the Frankstown site, Prentiss County, Mississippi; systematics, paleoecology, taphonomy, sequence stratigraphy." Tulane University, 2006.
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An early late Campanian transgressive lag, a 'shark tooth bed', in the local base of the Demopolis Formation overlying the Coffee Formation at the Frankstown site in Prentiss County, northeastern Mississippi, reveals a diverse vertebrate fauna of fragmentary remains pertaining to a wide variety of habitats of the northern Mississippi Embayment. By comparing the Frankstown taxa to those of less mixed faunas elsewhere in America, it is possible to separate the large primary shallow-water marine fauna from the smaller secondary deep-water marine, estuarine, fluviatile and terrestrial faunas mixed with it. The site includes 53 taxa---the most diverse Cretaceous vertebrate fauna known from Mississippi, including a chimaeroid, 13 sharks, 5 rays, 15 bony fish, 6 turtles, a lizard, 5 mosasaurs, a plesiosaur, 2 crocodilians, and 4 dinosaurs. Many of these (26) are new records for the state. A review of the 42 known Mississippi Late Cretaceous vertebrate taxa not present at the site is also included, 26 of which are also new records for the state. The deep-water (pelagic) marine fauna was likely washed inshore by storms, but the other secondary faunas were probably reworked from underlying beds. By separating the various faunas of a diverse transgressive lag assemblage, a broad overview of the paleoecology of the area can be obtained from a single site. Vertebrate faunas from the base of a stratigraphic sequence are fundamentally different in nature from those of the deep-water marine (maximum transgression) middle part of a sequence, and not, as has been thought, just a poorly preserved high-energy version of the well-preserved low-energy middle sequence fauna Based on X-ray diffraction analyses done for this study, it is argued that, in an early stage of lag formation, unstable phosphate was leached from the vertebrate material of the lag, and redeposited as a more stable form in wood, rip-up clasts, and steinkerns Contrary to previous work, it is shown that the shallow-water marine vertebrate fauna of the American Cretaceous changed little through that time---there was no major faunal change after the Turonianacase@tulane.edu
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"Geology and vertebrate paleontology of Cretaceous and Tertiary strata on the Pitcock Rosillos Mountain Ranch, Brewster County, Texas." Texas Christian University, 2006. http://etd.tcu.edu/etdfiles/available/etd-05012006-090652/.
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Mallison, Heinrich [Verfasser]. "Virtual dinosaurs : developing computer aided design and computer aided engineering modeling methods for vertebrate paleontology / vorgelegt von Heinrich Mallison." 2007. http://d-nb.info/985342218/34.
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Stocker, Michelle Renae. "Conceptualizing vertebrate faunal dynamics : new perspectives from the Triassic and Eocene of Western North America." 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/22086.
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Conceptualizations of actual biological patterns as preserved in the fossil record must accommodate the results of biotic and abiotic drivers of faunal dynamics. However, those conceptualizations also may reflect cognitive biases resulting from foundational philosophical stances. Whether fossils are conceptualized as the remains of biological entities or as geological objects will affect both taxonomic identifications and secondary inferences derived from those identifications. In addition, operational research bias centered on relativistic views of ‘importance’ of particular components (i.e., taxonomic or skeletal region) of the assemblage results in preferential documentation of some taxa and marginalization of others. I explored the consequences of those specific cognitive and operational biases through examination of Triassic and Eocene faunal assemblages in western North America. For the Triassic I focused on taxonomic and systematic treatments of Paleorhinus, a group of phytosaurs important for the establishment of biochronologic correlations. Specimen-level reexamination of Paleorhinus supported a restricted usage of Paleorhinus as a clade, dissolved a biochronologic connection between terrestrial and marine deposits, and indicated a prior compression of the early part of the Late Triassic as a result of previous conceptualizations of species. I reexamined the Otis Chalk tetrapod assemblage in light of new specimens and modern phylogenetic frameworks. My examination supported a restricted usage of the Otischalkian for biochronologic correlation of the Late Triassic, and emphasized the importance of apomorphic character-based specimen examinations in conjunction with detailed lithostratigraphy prior to the development of biochronologic schema. For the Eocene I focused on undocumented terrestrial reptiles from the late Uintan fauna of West Texas. Specifically I discovered new taxa and new geographic occurrences of amphisbaenians and caimanine crocodylians. The amphisbaenians represent the southernmost record of the clade in the North American Paleogene, and, when combined with other amphisbaenian records, document that the clade responded to late Paleogene climatic changes in ways different from the inferred mammalian response. The new taxon of caimanine crocodylian represents a new geographic and temporal record of that clade. That new record indicates that the biogeographic range of extant caimans represents a climate-driven restriction from a formerly more expansive range, and suggests that the previous geographic and temporal gap in paleodistribution data is related to sampling biases and is not a solely a biological phenomenon. These data indicate that reliable characterization of vertebrate faunal dynamics requires open acknowledgment and appropriate documentation of cognitive and operational biases that affect interpretations of paleontological data.text
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Walshe, Keryn A. "A taphonomic analysis of the vertebrate material from Allen's Cave : implications for Australian arid zone archaeology." Phd thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/109962.
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This thesis analyses an extensive bone deposit from Allen's Cave,
which is situated on the southern Nullarbor, South Australia. Excavation
of the site in 1989 yielded evidence for 38,000 years of human occupation,
the first 25,000 years of which took place under extremely arid conditions.
A taphonomic analysis of the bone debris was undertaken in order to
identify patterns of Aboriginal arid zone subsistence and occupation. The
bone debris consists of skeletal material from a range of small to large prey.
The smaller species are both better represented and preserved than larger
species. Primary deposition by owls and carnivores and significant
modification of human-deposited bone is clearly demonstrated.
Previous vertebrate analyses which have aimed at identifying humandeposited
bone from such mixed and. fragmented deposits were found to
display on-going methodological problems. These problems were largely
based on misunderstandings about the behavior of predators associated with
the cave sites. Therefore a comprehensive review of the taphonomic
effects of a range of carnivores in human occupation sites has been
undertaken.
Revision of earlier methodologies also revealed that expectations
concerning the capacity of the highly fragmented and diminished amount of
human discard to provide evidence of subsistence and occupation were
overstated. Thus a taphonomic methodology focussing on the far greater
quantity of non-cultural bone debris has been formulated for Allen's Cave.
It is anticipated that this will also be applicable to similar deposits in sites
elsewhere.
25
DeBee, Aj McLellan. "A taxonomic and anatomic assessment of the extinct Zygodactylidae (Aves) from the Green River Formation of Wyoming and placement of Zygodactylidae within Aves." 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/22279.
Full textAbstract:
Birds are the most diverse extant group of terrestrial vertebrates, and relationships amongst major extant and extinct avian lineages remain hotly debated. A clade of Aves which has received limited attention is the extinct Zygodactylidae, a species-rich group of perching birds that possess a foot with a retroverted fourth toe, an elongate tarsometatarsus and a large intermetacarpal process in the wing. Specimens currently included within Zygodactylidae previously were thought to be sister taxa to songbirds (Passeriformes) or woodpeckers and allies (Piciformes). Zygodactylids were most abundant during the Eocene in North America and Europe and persisted to the Early Miocene. Five exceptionally preserved fossils from the Early Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming are described, and provide insights into the interrelationships of zygodactylid taxa and the position of the clade within Aves. In an attempt to resolve systematic relationships within zygodactylids, and the position of the clade within Aves, I conducted two sets of phylogenetic analyses. The first focused on clarifying relationships within Zygodactylidae. Each taxon was evaluated for 37 morphological characters. Resulting strict consensus cladograms yield topologies in which two of the new Green River specimens are positioned in a clade within Zygodactylus, a taxon previously known only from the Early Oligocene and Early Miocene of Europe. The second set of analyses sought to assess which extant avian lineage is most closely allied with Zygodactylidae. Those analyses used a dataset of 135 characters evaluated for 57 species and a supraspecific terminal, Zygodactylidae. Scoring of Zygodactylidae was based on morphological observations from all described taxa within Zygodactylidae. The extant species sample was chosen to evaluate previously proposed hypotheses of relationships between Zygodactylidae and other avian clades and included songbirds, parrots and 43 species from the coraciiform-piciform clade (e.g., woodpeckers, galbulids, rollers and motmots). Outgroup species were iteratively swapped to determine if outgroup choice affected recovered estimates of zygodactylid relationships within Aves. Zygodactylidae is the sister taxon to songbirds in the resultant tree topologies. These results forward our understanding of the relationship between Zygodactylidae and Passeriformes within Aves.text
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McHenry, Colin Richard. "Devourer of Gods: the palaeoecology of the Cretaceous pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/935911.
Full textAbstract:
Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)The large pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus is known from numerous specimens from the Early Cretaceous marine sediments of the Australian Great Artesian Basin. The preservation of these specimens in nodular limestone generally lacks pronounced taphonomic distortion, allowing the three-dimensional shape of the osteology, in particular the skull, to be inferred with confidence. Three-dimensional geometry is critical data for the functional analyses that can form the basis for reconstruction of palaeoecology, in particular, approaches based in computational biomechanics that make use of high resolution Finite Element Modelling. These techniques have been used successfully to infer diet and feeding behaviour in various species of extinct carnivore, and are here applied to a species of large pliosaur for the first time. The cranial anatomy of Kronosaurus queenslandicus is here summarised for the first time, and outstanding questions concerning the taxonomy of the relevant material are addressed as fully as possible given available data. Overall body proportions and size are estimated in the context of other known material from specimens of large pliosaurs. The material examined supports the hypothesis that there is one species of large pliosaur in the Late Albian the Great Artesian Basin, and this material is referred to Kronosaurus queenslandicus Longman 1924. Material from the Late Aptian of the Great Artesian Basin is also Kronosaurus, and is presently referred to Kronosaurus queenslandicus Longman 1924: however questions about the anatomy of Kronosaurus boyacensis Hampe 1992 mean that further examination of material to hand, or recovery of new specimens from the Late Aptian, may require the taxonomic status of the Late Aptian material to be reviewed. Kronosaurus is a member of the Brachaucheniidae Williston 1925. Maximum size is 10.5 metres total length and approximately ~11,000 kg body mass. Biomechanical analysis of the skull of Kronosaurus shows that it had a high bite force, comparable to that predicted for a hypothetical similar sized saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus. The magnitude of its maximum bite force, around 30,000 Newtons, was likely exceeded by Tyrannosaurus rex and Carcharocles megalodon. Finite element modelling of the skull, compared with the skull of a 3.1 metre Crocodylus porosus, suggests that the skull of Kronosaurus carried more strain under loads simulating feeding on large prey. Accordingly, maximum prey size, relative to predator body size, is interpreted as lower in Kronosaurus than for a 3.1 metre C. porosus, although the magnitude of this limit is unknown due to incomplete data on the feeding ecology of C. porosus. Other evidence, from functional morphology, taphonomy, and comparison with extant aquatic carnivores suggests that Kronosaurus was the apex predator of the Australian Early Cretaceous inland seas. Relatively small prey were likely to be an important component of the diet of Kronosaurus, although certain morphological features of the skull appear to have permitted predation upon larger prey when available. Several of these morphological features may constitute evolutionary adaptations to the conflicting mechanical demands of feeding on small and large prey.