Park Paleontology, Spring 1999  Page 1

PARK

PALEONTOLOGY

Volume 5, No. 2 Spring 1999

GEOLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS:

THE INVENTORY AND MONITORING PROGRAM

Table of Contents

Geologic Assessment of NPS areas ......... 1

Paleontology and the Presidents ............ 2

Geology in the NPS .................................. 2

Dino Innards .............................................. 3

Your Man in the Field at Zion ................ 3

Missing Mastadon Tooth at COLM ....... 3

DEVAs 1st Ranger-Geologist .................. 4

Carl Sandburgs Gingko ............................. 4

Fossil Forum .............................................. 5

GRD Paleo Resources ............................... 6

Park Paleo Pin Awards ............................. 6

The Natural Resource Inventory

and Monitoring (I&M) Program

was established to gather information and develop techniques for maintaining the integrity of the approximately

250 National Park Service units with significant natural resources. Since its inception in 1992,

the I&M Program

has funded mapping of geologic

features; compiling park-based bibliographic databases;

initiated several prototype monitoring and

inventory programs; and developed data

management standards and protocols.

The National Park Service (NPS)

Geologic Resources Inventory is a cooperative endeavor between the Geologic Resources Division(GRD), Inventory and Monitoring Program, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and state geological surveys to implement a systematic, comprehensive inventory of the geologic resources in NPS units. The inventory consists of four main phases: (1) a

geologic resource bibliography and maps

called GeoBib; (2) an evaluation of geologic maps, and geologic resources including paleontology; (3) the production

of digital map products and information;

and, (4) a report with basic geologic information, hazards, and existing data and

studies. The importance of these inventories is fundamental in resource management strategies.

The GRD and the I&M Program

sponsored a workshop in baseline geologic data in Denver in the fall of 1997

to receive information from the NPS, the

USGS and state survey personnel about

needed baseline geologic data. At the

meeting, Colorado, North Carolina, and

Utah were chosen as pilot project states.

The collection of existing geologic

maps and literature in each NPS unit for

the GeoBib and the publication of the data

on the Internet are in progress (see web

address). Index maps for the location of

associated geologic maps are being prepared for the parks in Colorado and

Utah. Pilot geologic meetings by park

teams were organized in 1998 to evaluate the resources in Colorado parks and

are organized for the parks in Utah during 1999.

Upon completion of an inventory in

a park, the available geological literature

and data from the NPS, USGS, state,

and academic institutions will be documented in a summary report. The inventory report will contain summaries of the

exploration history, geology, paleontology,

disturbed lands issues, geologic hazards,

and other issues to describe the geologic

resources of each park. Additional sections will include summaries of ongoing

programs such as the paleontological inventories in the NPS.

The Geologic Resources Inventory

is being developed in

cooperation with the

USGS and state geological surveys, but

may reveal many

other opportunities for collaboration with

other agencies or institutions. The diversity of geologic resources in the National

Park Service will provide a continuing

challenge for management. n

http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/index.html
Page 2  Park Paleontology, Spring 1999

Paleontology and the U.S. Presidents

staff writer

To The Secretary Of State: Wednesday Afternoon [March 21, 1792].

Dear Sir: Tomorrow I shall be engaged all day; but will, in the course

of it, fix a time to view the Big bones

at Doctr. Wisters.

George Washington

This excerpt is taken from

Fitzpatricks The Writings of

George Washington. Washington is not generally recognized for his

interest in paleontology. This passage

reflects the first president of the United

States was interested in many facets of

the natural world.

 Around 1784, George Washington

was too busy with the Continental Army

to inspect the giant animals grave that

the Reverend Annan had discovered.

Washington inquired about the Reverend

Annans familiarity with the graveyard

of giant animals at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. One of the Big Bone Lick teeth,

a mastodon tooth, was a prized memento

in his study at Mount Vernon.

In the late eighteenth century, PhilaMany of the national parks were

established to recognize and

protect the nations outstanding geologic features. Of equal importance to the entire spectrum of park management are all geologic resources in the

National Park Service, which consist of

the materials of the Earth, the processes

that act on those materials, the chemistry and composition of its constituent

materials, and the history of the planet

and its life forms since its origin. The

administrative history documents the role

of geological science and geological scientists in the establishment, development,

and operation of national parks and the

National Park Service as well as the relationship of the parks to/with the U.S.

Geological Survey. Studies include significant topics in geological history, paleontological research, prominent developments and trends in the history and

philosophy of the geosciences, and historical events and their interrelationship

with national parks and the geosciences.

A proposed study will emphasize

important issues relating to the development and expansion of geological science and geological professions during

the conception and expansion of the National Park Service. The study will assess changes and trends in NPS organization and management and the impact of these developments on the geosciences, policy formulation, and change

relating to management of geological resources in the national parks.

Research for the study will be conducted in a variety of repositories housing archival collections and published

source materials. An examination on significant files and records in national parks

will be conducted. Individuals who have

played a significant role in the development of the geosciences in the National

Park Service will be interviewed. The

knowledge gained by this study will be

of particular value to NPS administrators and managers, as well to the broader

geological community in the U.S. NPS

personnel will better understand circumstances and make better decisions regarding geologic and paleontologic

resources.n

delphia was the cultural and learning

center in North America. The American Philosphical Society (APS) was established in 1743 in Philadelphia and became the preeminent learned society in

the New World. In 1787, Benjamin

Franklin, president of the APS, was presiding over a meeting when Caspar

Wistar, a Philadelphia physician, presented a large,

dark, heavy bone. The

bone was from

Woodbury Creek

in Gloucester

County, New

Jersey. The

rich, fossiliferous marl beds

of southern

New Jersey

had yielded

this find. George Washington, who

had previously viewed Dr. Wistars fossil finds in 1792, was present with a

group of individuals to examine the bone.

After speculating on this oddity, the

members decided that it was the thigh

bone of an extremely large human. The

specimen was placed into the APS collection. Many years later, the bone was

identified as the left metatarsal of a

hadrosaurian dinosaur by Dr. Donald

Baird. The bone is currently in curation

at the Academy of Natural Sciences in

Philadelphia.

The American Musuem of Natural

History has a skull of a Miocene baleen

whale on display that was excavated

from the grounds of the George

Washington Birthplace in the

1900s. The curatorial staff at

George Washington Birthplace

report fossil shark teeth in their

museum. There is no confirmation that George Washington collected these teeth. For that matter, there is little information on

how the fossils arrived at George

Washington Birthplace in the

1700s.n

We solicit any information on Paleontology

and the Presidents that the reader may wish to share.

Please contact: Vince Santucci at Fossil Butte National Monument; 307/877-4455.

Email: vincent_santucci@nps.gov

GEOLOGY IN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:

AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

staff writer
Park Paleontology, Spring 1999  Page 3

Your Man in the Field at Zion National Park

staff writer

Dino Innards: More Fuel to the Warm-Blooded/Cold-Blooded Discussion

staff writer

Using an 80-watt ultraviolet (UV)

lamp, a respiratory physiologist

coaxed out internal patterns in

a juvenile dinosaur imperceptible in ordinary light. Outlines of intestines, liver,

trachea, and muscles of the theropod

from Italy, Scipionyx samniticus, were

revealed. Identifying the arrangement

of the internal organs, some researchers believe that dinosaur lungs were

structurally simple, similar to modern

crocodilians.

In the 120 million-year-old raptor

Scipionyx samniticus, the liver expanded from the top to the bottom of the

abdominal cavity, just behind the lungheart cavity and the muscle next to the

pubis bone. In modern crocodiles this

muscle runs from the pubis to the liver

and helps move the liver back and forth

like a piston, causing the lungs to expand

and contract. An airtight layer of tissue

(the diaphragm) separates the liver and

lungs. This organization is called a hepatic piston diaphragm (HPD). Finding

a HPD in theropod dinosaurs rules out

the possibility that they breathed with

complex bird-like lungs. Recent work

by other researchers indicates that a

well-ventilated reptilian lung might be

capable of high rates of gas exchange.

The only extant animals with HPD

are living crocodilians. The lead scientist of this study suggests ancestral

crocodiles were dynamic, bipedal land

dwellers whose present languid, aquatic

lifestyle is a secondary adaptation. The

idea is that land dwelling crocodiles utilized a HPD for vigorous activity as dinosaurs might have.

This analysis would imply these animals were basically cold-blooded. The

lead scientist has offered an interesting

idea. He thinks these elementary lungs

were able to energize periods of intense

activity and high metabolism; suggesting a composite of cold and warmblooded metabolisms.

The concept of a metabolically hybrid dinosaur is appealing. For more information, the 22 January 1999 issue of

Science discusses this technique of UV

light and related discussions on the metabolism of dinosaurs.n

Missing Mastodon Tooth

 at COLM

staff writer

Has anyone seen the missing

Mastodon tooth from Colorado

National Monument?

The tooth was discovered by Dr.

Jack Roadifer in the late 1960s as he

was walking up a streambed in No Thoroughfare Canyon. Dr. Roadifer was

leading an introductory geology field trip

from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. Roadifer stated he looked

down at the right moment and the tooth

was lying on its side in a jumble of rocks.

It is believed that the tooth was returned

to the Monument staff soon after it was

examined at Mesa State College. The

current whereabouts of this tooth is unknown. If any one has any information,

contact Pat Perrotti at NP-COLM.n

Mention the words, dinosaur

tracks in Zion National Park

and its likely that Joshua

Smith, paleontology intern, will enthusiastically respond! Josh has been reconnoitering Zion National Park for paleontological resources, and has hit pay dirt

in the form of dinosaur tracks. Josh puts

in long days and his worn boots reveal

treks off the beaten pathways. He

spends most of his time in the field

searching for stratigraphically probable

areas where tracks, and other paleontological resources, may occur. Occasionally these areas are just a few minutes

hike, but it is likely that several hours

and miles of rugged terrain are involved

in reaching these sites. Using a systematic approach with extensive field notes,

sketches, photodocumentation and GPS

data, Josh is gathering a wealth of information on the paleo resources in Zion

National Park.

Josh has located phytosaur teeth and

bone fragments in the Triassic Chinle

Formation. Moving up the stratigraphic

column, in the Whitmore Point Member

of the late Triassic/early Jurassic

Moenave Formation, Josh has located

numerous track sites. Most of these are

theropod tracks, probable Grallator,

and/or Eubrontes. The Springdale Member of the Moenave Fm. has ceded unusual tridactyl ornithopod tracks and possibly Anomepus tracks. Also in the

Moenave Fm. are curved scratches that

appear to be swimming traces of a large

crocodile-like aquatic or semi-aquatic

reptile.

The early Jurassic Kayenta Formation has yielded an intriguing horseshoeshaped trackway. Josh is working out

the possibility that these may be some

sort of juvenile sauropod swim track or

fish feeding traces. He also found gar

scales and theropod tracks in the

Kayenta Fm. All of the tracks he has

located are accompanied by invertebrate

traces of some kind.

Josh has compiled some invaluable

information. Working with personnel in

the park and informed persons outside

of the park, Josh has located several significant paleontological resources. Josh

is furthering identification and evaluation

of fossil resources within Zion National

Park, crucial steps in paleontological resource management.n
Page 4  Park Paleontology, Spring 1999

Death Valley National Parks First Ranger-Geologist: H. Donald The Kid Curry

staff writer

Most geologists working in Death

Valley National Park recognize

the contributions that H.

Donald Curry has made to the understanding of the regional geology. In 1999,

original unpublished Death Valley maps

produced by Curry during the 1930s were

donated to the National Park Service.

Curry attended the State University

of Iowa between 1925 and 1932, receiving B.A. and M.S. degrees in geology.

He then enrolled in the geology graduate program at the California Institute of Technology between 1932

and 1934. As a student,

Curry learned to map with

the U. S. Geological Survey. Notably in this time period, a geologist that worked

for the U.S. Geological Survey had rigorous field training--for a geologist seeking field experience could obtain it in such

quantity and variety nowhere else.

On February 11, 1933, President

Herbert Hoover proclaimed Death Valley as a national monument. The following year, Don Curry was hired as the first

ranger naturalist at Death Valley National

Monument. Curry is possibly the first

professional geologist to wear the

ranger uniform. He presented interpretive programs to the public in the

evenings and performed

geologic work during

the day.

Curry made many

contributions to the

understanding of Death Valleys geology. He produced numerous plane table

contour and cross-section maps, first

described the Turtleback structures in

the Black Mountains, and was the first

to recognize the rich paleontological resources in Death Valley. Curry is credited with the discovery of titanothere remains in Titus Canyon, fossil plant material from the Furnace Creek Formation, new Tertiary fish fossils, and three

fossil vertebrate track localities, most notably the Copper Canyon

Tracksite. Two fossil species

have been designated curryi

in his honor: a fish, Fundulus

curryi; and a titanothere,

Protitanops curryi.

Currys career with the

National Park Service was interrupted by his participation

in World War II. He was

documented as a staff member until his departure to work

for the oil industry. In 1941,

Curry joined Shell Oil Company as a geologist and later

became a Senior Geologist

with the company. He maintained his interest in Death Valley geology and in Tertiary fossil tracks and published numerous articles on these subjects. Don Curry passed away at the

age of 90 in January 1999 leaving a rich

legacy as a ranger  geologist with the

National Park Service.n

After a decade of

tracking down

fossils in National Park Service areas, it is becoming more

challenging to add to our

list of 123 parks with paleontological resources.

Recently, Independence

NHS, George Washington

Birthplace NM, DeSoto NM,

and San Juan Islands NHS have

been identified as parks with fossil resources. During a recent visit to Carl

Sandburg Home NHS, North Carolina,

the typical inquiries were made relative

to any potential fossils linked to the site

or the family. A tour of the home revealed

that the Sandburgs were attuned to the

Invitation for

contributions

To keep the Park Paleontology

Newsletter fresh and informative

we would like to hear from you.

If you have paleontological news relevant to the national parks please write

a few paragraphs and send to:

Vince Santucci

Fossil Butte National Monument

P.O. Box 592

Kemmerer, WY 83101

VINCENT_SANTUCCI@nps.gov

 Written opinions regarding the Fossil Forum topic are also welcomed. Park

Paleontology is a quarterly publication.

The summer issue is planned for publication in August 1999. n

Carl Sandburgs Gingko

staff writer

natural world. Pine cones,

seashells and rocks decorated shelves throughout

the home. Was there a fossil hidden in the collections,

is there a reference in one

of Carls poems? Unfortunately, interviews with

park staff failed to reveal

any ties between

Sandburg and fossils.

The absence of a fossil discovery

during the tour of Sandburgs home did

not diminish our hopes. At the end of

the interpretive tour, VIP Dorothy Hall

directed visitors to notice the Gingko

trees in the Sandburgs yard - trees that

existed during the time of the dinosaurs.

I knew there had to be a link!n
Park Paleontology, Spring 1999  Page 5

FOSSIL FORUM

As the first hints of Spring emerge and

the interpretive embers are rekindled, I reflect upon the arrival of

springtime over the previous eons. Many

images come to mind from the observations

and experiences I have gained during my 40

encounters with spring. A moments reflection upon the sights, sounds, and smells

identified with spring leads me to ponder the

characters of life that are not preserved in the fossil record.

Our understanding of the history of life comes largely from the

fragmentary pieces of bone, teeth,

shells, petrified wood and other similar types of evidence. These prehistoric remains known as fossils,

combined with information gained

from the enclosing rock provide the

ingredients for interpreting ancient

landscapes and lifeforms. Fossils

serve as the foundation upon which

our imaginations reassemble body

parts, resculpt the flesh and breath

life into ancient organisms.

Our dreams, and perhaps

nightmares, about prehistoric creatures may sometimes be more vivid

than the science might be willing

to accept. Although the rules of

science define the way that scientists should conduct research, my

guess is that even some of the

stuffiest-shirt paleontologists

play with their plastic dinosaurs

when nobody is looking.

We do need to recognize that

the testability principle is an important and valuable aspect of science.

The testability principle states propositions

can be examined and proved as false or workable. This principle keeps us all on the same

playing field, keeps us honest, and is open

minded enough to allow realignment of our

understandings. Our understanding of the

history of life is only as good as the previous field season! That means as we discover new fossils, we can better assemble

our paleontological puzzle.

As we attempt to interpret the fossil

record, we utilize a wide range of tools for

communicating concepts, ideas, and stories.

There are challenges with developing effective paleontology exhibits, publications, or

campfire chats for the public. Often the curious visitors interests straddle both the

scientific and the imaginative boundary.

Some individuals may be turned off by complex scientific discussions or unfathomable

concepts. Occasionally, someone may raise

the untestable questions in paleontology.

Do we hide behind the rules of science

to avoid addressing the untestable questions in paleontology? Do we find it taboo

to relate to both the right-brained and leftbrained perspectives of the fossil record? If

you are slightly jarred by these questions or

find yourself a little on edge by this discussion - perhaps it is time to mellow for a moment.

Let us release our burden of scientific

dogma and take advantage of our ability to

think of the primitive world from a broader

vantage-point. What sounds would we hear

from the insects or amphibians after a rainfall in a Triassic swamp? What types of

scents would be emitted by a Miocene

flower? How would you feel to view the first

flight of a young pterosaur or to watch a

Cambrian trilobite cruise along the seafloor

creating Cruiziana traces? What would it

be like to be awaken by the trumpeting of a

wooly mammoth on a cold ice-age morning

or to hear the peetrified birds asingin their peetrified songs sittin

in the petrified trees that mountain man Jim Bridger reported on in

the early 1800s? Could you imagine watching a butterfly emerge

from a coccoon during the Eocene

and display wonderful coloration?

Perhaps your stroll in the Cretaceous lowlands is interrupted by a

stampeding group of

ceratopisians.

We may never be able to test

the Runny Nose Theory of Dinosaur Extinctions that may have

occurred during the pollen emitting heyday of the angiosperm

revolution, BUT SHOULD WE BE

AFRAID TO ASK?

The methods of science have

provided us with a wonderful understanding of the ancient world.

Advancements in technology

may be able to help us address

some currently unresolvable

questions in the future. Perhaps

not all questions need to be answered by science.

During our interpretive opportunities, focusing on paleontological themes, we should be clear to differentiate the testable and non-testable questions. Likewise, we should strive to incorporate the greatest level of current scientific

understanding in our presentations. However, if we limit our interpretation to preaching the facts, at times we may lose the opportunity to inspire. Although paleontology deals with old stuff, we should strive to

keep our interpretive contacts fresh. Ultimately, our imagination may be the only

means of relating to aspects of past life not

preserved in the fossil record. n

LISTEN TO THE ECHOS FROM THE PAST:

 INTERPRETING ANCIENT LIFE

 Figure from Carpenter, et. al. 1994. Dinosaur babies.
Page 6  Park Paleontology, Spring 1999

I

ndividuals making noteworthy contributions to promote paleontology

in the national parks and to the National Park Service Paleontological Resource Program are recognized and rewarded with gold pins modeled after the

Park Paleontology Resource logo.

Karyl Yeston, a NPS Ranger at

Arches National Park, has strived to

build relationships among agencies in protecting paleontological resources. Her

endeavors in resource management

have been crucial in preserving the paleontology in Arches NP and surrounding areas.

Jim Wood and Tim Connors,

Geologic Resources Division in

Denver, have provided tremendous assistance and innovation in paleontology

and geology in the national parks. They

have drafted a paleontological database,

developed a GRD web site (which contains park paleontology publications and

news items), provided technical support

and assisted in visual images for park

publications.n

Park Paleontology

Recognition Pin

staff writer

Park Paleontology

c/o Fossil Butte NM

P.O. Box 592

Kemmerer, WY 83101

Poached Dinosaur Eggs!

I

n the Geologic Resource Divisions

attempts to better understand the

scope of paleontological resources

within the national parks, two types of

inventories have been implemented.

The first type of inventory is directed

towards comprehensive park specific

paleontological resource surveys. The

Yellowstone Paleontological Survey

was initiated in 1996 and published in

1998. This was the first paleontological survey at Yellowstone and the format serves as the prototype for similar

surveys in other NPS areas. Paleo surveys are currently underway at Death

Valley, Arches, Big Bend, Zion and

other park areas.

A second type of paleontological

resource inventory is directed towards

thematic resource surveys. The first

servicewide thematic paleo resource

inventory was directed towards identifying fossil vertebrate tracksites in NPS

areas. During 1998, fossil vertebrate

tracks and footprints were identified in

23 national park areas. This data was

presented at the Society of Vertebrate

GRD PALEO RESOURCE SURVEYS

Paleontology annual meeting and at the

5th Conference on Fossil Resources and

published in a Proceedings Volume.

Additional servicewide thematic paleontological surveys are currently underway including: paleontological resources

associated with NPS caves, paleobotanical specimens (fossil plants) in parks, fossil birds in parks, and an inventory of fossil type specimens from NPS areas. In

conjunction with these surveys, a list of

repositories containing NPS fossil specimens is being compiled.

The GRD and the Ranger Activities

Division have partnered to conduct a

servicewide assessment of paleontologic

resource theft and vandalism incidents

throughout the national parks.

Data acquired through both the park

specific and the thematic paleo resource

surveys will increase our understanding

of the significance of paleontological resources within the national parks and in

turn increase our ability to manage and

protect these valuable non-renewable

resources.n

staff writer