Reworking of Cretaceous dinosaurs into Paleocene channel deposits, upper Hell Creek Formation, Montana
- Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)
- State Univ. of New York, Binghamton (USA)
- Univ. of Texas, Austin (USA)
Dinosaur teeth from Paleocene channel fills have been interpreted as indicating dinosaur survival into the Paleocene. However, enormous potential for reworking exists because these records are restricted to large channel fills that are deeply incised into Cretaceous strata. Identification of reworked fossils is usually equivocal. This problem is illustrated by the Black Spring Coulee channel fill, a dinosaur-bearing Paleocene deposit in the upper Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana. In this example, the reworked nature of well-preserved dinosaur bones is apparent only after detailed sedimentological and palynological analysis. Because of the potential for reworking, dinosaur remains derived from Paleocene fluvial deposits should not be assigned a Paleocene age unless the (1) are found in floodplain deposits, (2) are articulated, (3) are in channels that do not incise Cretaceous strata, or (4) are demonstrably reworked from Paleocene deposits. To date, reports of Paleocene dinosaurs do not fulfill any of these criteria. Thus, the proposal that dinosaurs persisted into the Paleocene remains unsubstantiated.
- OSTI ID:
- 6212694
- Journal Information:
- Geology; (USA), Vol. 18:9; ISSN 0091-7613
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Timing of the deposition of uppermost Cretaceous and Paleocene coal-bearing deposits in the Greater Glendive area, Montana and North Dakota
Stratigraphy and environments of deposition of the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation (reconnaissance) and the Paleocene Ludlow Formation (detailed), southwestern North Dakota. Report of investigations No. 56
Related Subjects
FOSSILS
AGE ESTIMATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
PALEONTOLOGY
MONTANA
ANIMALS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEATH
DETECTION
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRATA
MIXING
PALYNOLOGY
RECOMMENDATIONS
SEDIMENTATION
TERTIARY PERIOD
CENOZOIC ERA
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
NORTH AMERICA
USA
580000* - Geosciences