1
TRIASSICJURASSIC
CRETACEOUS PARK
PALEONTOLOGY ADVENTURESIN
SOUTHERN UTAHDr. Barry Albright
Department of PhysicsUniversity of North Florida
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Grand Staircase-EscalanteNational Monument
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4
1.5 billion
500 million
250 million
74 million
93 million
220 million
165 million
180 million
80 million
Tria
ssic
Jura
ssic
Cre
tace
ous
150 million
220 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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Chinle Formation (220 my)
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180 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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Navaho Sandstone (185 my)
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
150 mya
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Morrison Formation (150 my)
100 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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93 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
93 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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Tropic Shale (93 my)
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Straight Cliffs Fm.
Dakota Fm.
Tropic Shale
Tropic Shale (93 my)
Plesiosaurs
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Mytiloides kossmati
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
Ma
ALBIAN
CENOMANIAN
TURONIAN
CONIACIANSTAGE POLARITY NA AMMONITE ZONES
Mammites nodosoidesVascoceras birchbyi
Pseudaspidoceras flexuosum
Modified from Gradstein et al. (1995)
Neocardioceras juddi
Sciponoeras gracile
Metoicoceras
E
M
Volcanic Ash Beds
Dakota Fm.
Straight Cliffs Fm.
Tropic Shale
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(From Monnet, 2009)
Major mass extinction event
• 26% marine genera• Highest sea level of Mesozoic• Highest atmos. CO2 levels• Globally warm temps• Global oceanic anoxic event• Global major + δC13 excursion• Global spread of hypoxic/anoxic
sea water
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Pelvis and rear paddle of Palmulasaurus quadratus
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(From Albright, Gillette, and Titus, 2007b)
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Nothronychus graffami
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75 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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75 mya
(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)
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Wahweap Formation (80 mya)
Kaiparowits Formation (75 my)
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(from Butler, 1992)
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(from Cox and Hart, 1986)
Methods- Hand tools and/or
core drill
- Min. 3 samples/site
- Stratigraphic separationdependent on amenability of lithology
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Paleomagnetics Laboratory, Berkeley Geochronology Center
(from Albright et al., 2008)
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Deep Creek Tuff27.89 0.57+_
Tin Roof Tuff25.9 0.3+_
K1
K2
L
M
Biotite Tuff27.18 0.13+_
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