Park Paleontology, Fall 1998  Page 1

PARK

PALEONTOLOGY

Volume 4, No. 4 Fall 1998

The 5th Conference on Fossil Resources 1998: Partners Preserving Our Past Planning Our

Future was held at the Rushmore Plaza

Holiday Inn, Rapid City South Dakota

from October 13-16. Rachel Benton,

Badlands National Park, and her committee were responsible for organizing

this event.

The primary purpose of this

conference

was to

serve as a

forum to

specifically discuss paleontological resource and research issues on federal

lands. This was the fifth occurrence of

a NPS sponsored fossil resource conference. The first three conferences dealt

primarily with NPS issues. The last two

have taken on a more national scope involving participants from multiple government agencies as well as non-federal

government participants. Several federally employed paleontologists (NPS,

USGS, BLM, USFS, etc.,) and state geologists were in attendance. Approximately 20 were affiliated with the NPS.

Overall, 200 people participated in this

conference.

The Unified NPS Paleontological

Community meeting was held on Tues-

 see page 2

The 5th Conference on Fossil Resources 1998

day, October 13. This was organized by

Vince Santucci and Bob Higgins to discus NPS paleontological issues. The

group discussed an agenda of items including the revision of management

policies and NPS 77. The importance

of web postings and the presence of the

GRD Geology Tour were also parleyed.

The NPS

paleontological

resources

are undergoing

a development

of a service-wide database in MS Access that will have a broader scope than

many of the park-based databases.

The Park Paleontology Newsletter continues to be published by the

GRD staff; it is also posted on the web.

NPS paleontologists were encouraged to

submit short articles for future issues.

The NPS Paleontological Research

Volume 3, a GRD technical report, was

distributed to contributing authors at the

meeting. A call for papers to be included

in the NPS Paleontological Research

Volume 4 also went out.

Fossil research and subsequent permits for excavation projects as well as

procedures for implementing permits

willcontinue to be a controversial topic.

There is the issue of consistency as to

how the NPS will need to deal with its

own permit that will be implemented (or

not implemented), and to the formulation of NPS policy (now in draft).

There is an undercurrent of feeling that fossil repositories were not being organized as efficiently as they

could be and therefore were not being

utilized effectively by federal government agencies, as well as other organizations.

Major discussions in the formal sessions and informal hall way chat revolved around the explotation of fossil

resources. This is being driven by economics as the price tag for fossil rehttp://www.nature.nps.gov/

grd/geology/paleo/index.htm

Table of Contents

5th Conference on Fossil Resources 1998 ..... 1

Fossil Vertebrate Tracks in NPS Areas ........... 2

Oligocene Tree Stump in BADL .................... 2

Permian Root Traces from NABR ................. 3

Hands On! Fossil Rubbings at FOBU ............ 3

NPS Paleo Reseach Vol #3 ............................. 4

Fossil Tracks: Implications ............................. 4

FOSSIL FORUM ............................................ 5

CANY & ARCH Proposed Paleo Survey ....... 6

Park Paleo Recognition Pin ............................ 6
Page 2  Park Paleontology, Fall 1998

Conference on Fossil Resources

continued from page 1

sources is continuing to be driven up by

demand as there is a viable market.

Sometimes this is a black market as collectors continue to illegally remove fossils from federal lands and place them

for sale on the commercial market. This

raised many issues on:

 law enforcement

 the lack of good paleontological resource surveys within

federal land management agencies

 the lack of substantial laws and

penalties for theft.

Numerous field trips significant to

NPS paleontological sites were offered

including the Badlands National Park

(lead by BADL paleontologist Rachel

Benton) and the former Fossil Cycad

National Monument (lead by Geologic

Resource Division paleontologist Vince

Santucci).

The resulting publication, Partners

Preserving Our Past, Planning Our

Future: Proceedings for the Fifth

Conference on Fossil Resources

Dakoterra volume 5, is composed of

15 papers pertaining to research, resource management, and conservation.

Papers address such topics as vertebrate

tracks in NPS areas (page 2), Ordovician biostratigraphy in the Delaware

Water Gap Recreation Area, and a survey of Entelodonts in the John Day Basin. These papers are quite informative

and reflect substantial efforts by both

planners and participants of the event.

These conferences facilitate better understanding of the fossil resources that

exist and management strategies for

them. n

Scientific and public interest in

fossil vertebrate tracks has grown

rapidily during the past decade.

Vincent Santuci-FOBU, Adrian HuntMesaland Dinosuar Museum, and Martin Lockley-University of Colorado

compiled a report on vertebrate tracks

within the National Parks. Fossilized

tracks of ancient vertebrates are widespread and known from at least 19 National Park Service areas. Fossil tracks

preserved within NPS areas provide

important opportunities for public education and interpretation of in situ fossils. Fossil tracks differ from fossil

bones in that they provide different types

of information about ancient organisms.

Fossil bones preserve data on the environment in which the animal died and

where it was buried, whereas fossil

tracks provide data related to the environment in which the animal lived.

Tracks represent the interface between

the animal and its environment. Environments that promote good preservation of tracks and footprints do not typically promote the fossilization of bone.

The ichnostratigraphic record of

vertebrates preserved in the national

parks ranges from the late Paleozoic Era

through the Quaternary Period. The

earliest tracks are known from the

Pennslyvanian Wescogame Formation at

Grand Canyon National Park. These

Fossil Vertebrate Tracks in National Park Service Areas

staff writer

early tetrapod tracks were identified as

amphibian. The largest concentration of

vertebrate ichnofossils occurs in the national parks on the Colorado Plateau.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

contains the greatest diversity and stratigraphic range of trackways in any national park. One of the tracksites appears to preserves evidence of a predator attacking a prey item. Dinosaur

tracksites are most common, but

tracksites from non-dinosaurian reptiles,

birds, and mammals are also known from

the national parks. The Copper Canyon

tracksite in Death Valley National Park

preserves one of the most abundant and

diverse Tertiary track localities in North

America. Nineteen fossil vertebrate

track types have been identified from

this locality, including birds, artiodactyls, perissodactyls, carnivores and rare

proboscideans.

The number of tracksites recognized

within national parks is likely to increase

in the future. Likewise, the demands of

park staff in management and protection

of these non-renewable resources will

also increase. Park management should

seek to understand the significance of

fossil tracksites and identify the variety

of human and non-human threats that

may adversely impact these paleontological resources. n

An Oligocene Tree Stump in

Badlands National Park

staff writer

During the summer of 1997, a

taphonomic field study of an

early Oligocene faunal assemblage in Tyree Basin uncovered the second recorded fossil tree stump in the

badlands and the first in Badlands National Park. The study area is

stratigraphically located in the lower

Scenic Member of the Brule Formation,

White River Group of South Dakota.

The stump was found in situ with a partially preserved root system penetrating

a lacustrine paleosol. The stump is approximately 15 cm in diameter with 20

cm of vertical exposure. A piece of attached bark extends 50 cm from the

stump in the direction of the

paleocurrent direction.The bark appears

twisted while still parallel to the horizontal. This level is marked by the presence of three carbonate sheets of varying thickness which recoerd the presence of ephemeral lacustrine/paludal environment. The tree genus is presently

unidentified, but based on preliminary

bark patterns, and ecological restriction

of a stream side habitat three potential

candidates are: Celtis (Hackberry),

Alnus (Alder), and Umbellularia

(Laurel).n

This is an excerpt from DiBenedetto, J.N. 1998. An Oligocene

tree stump from BADL In J.E. Martin, J.W. Hogenson, and R.C.

Benton (eds.), Partners Preserving Our Past, Planning Our Future: Proceedings for the Fifth Conference on Fossil Resources

Dakoterra volume 5.
Park Paleontology, Fall 1998  Page 3

The Cedar Mesa Member of the

Cutler Formation in southeastern

Utah dominates the canyons in

and adajacent to Natural Bridges National Monument. Primarily composed

of white sandstone with pink arkosic

shale and limestone lenses, the member

displays strong cross bedding suggesting an aeolian origin. Because of the

presence of fragmentary marine creatures within the sandstone, other interpretations conclude a marine origin.

This latter interpretation does not fully

take into account the abundant root casts

and traces found throughout the member. Originally, the casts and traces were

believed to have been transported to

their present position from regional

streams, however, the orientation of the

roots suggests an in situ origin.

The roots occur as casts, molds and

Permian Root Traces from Natural Bridges National Monument

Shawn Duffy

NABR

Hands On! Fossil Rubbings at

 Fossil Butte National Monument

staff writer

The art of interpretation has taken

on a new dimension. At the

Fossil Butte National Monument

visitors center, 3 different plates with

the skeletal impressions of the famous

Green River Formation fossils are

mounted on a low platform. The raised

skeletal structure provides an excellent

framework via rubbing to uncover the

details of the animals of FOBU. Twelve

fossils plates are available to switch out,

with a stingray, snake, 9 fishes and the

oldest known bat. Above the platform,

sit 2 slabs from the Green River Formation. One slab is partially prepared with

a Priscacara liops for visitors to examine. The other slab has a skeleton that

can be seen edge on, as it is still encased

in the matrix of the Green River FormaTo keep 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>

Park Paleontologys schedule is

quarterly. The winter issue is planned

for publication in February 1999. Written opinions regarding the Fossil Forum topic are also welcomed.n

traces staining the host rock. Most roots

are an average of 2.5 to 5 centimeters

thick and roughly 30 centimeters long.

Several roots were discovered to be over

3 meters in length and exhibit a branching or radiating pattern which suggests

connecting either to each other or to a

centralized point like a tree trunk. The

sandstone within the Cedar Mesa Member is primarily white, however, most

localities in which the roots occur display strong pink and brown mottled patterns suggesting a paleosol. During the

spring of 1997, a site was discovered in

Natural Bridges National Monument in

which the root casts were over 2 meters

in length. The most interesting feature

about the site was the fact that the roots

did not follow the bedding planes within

the sandstones as in most sites, but

rather, cut across the bedding planes.

tion. Visitors of all ages enjoy the opportunity of revealing their own fossil

and they have a rubbing of a Green

River Formation fossil to take home with

them.

This poem is posted at the rubbing

station.

The Rubbing Table

The art of rubbing takes a knack,

hold your paper like a tack.

Choose your crayon with some care,

multicolors add a flair.

Move your crayon in one direction,

avoiding tearing due to friction.

Carefully rubbing the fins is best,

less care is needed cross the rest.

Once completed take a look,

be sure youve covered every nook

Now roll it up and take some care

and on your trip dont let it tear.

Arvid Aasen

This pattern suggests that the roots were

growing down through the sand before

lithification. Along with these larger

roots were masses of smaller

intertwinning roots covering the sandstone surface. It has been determined

thus far that this smaller roots are not

connected to the larger ones and most

likely represent recent calcification of

park flora.

Taken as a whole, the random orientation, definite spacing, and the cutting across bedding planes along with

the association of mottled patterns

strongly suggests that we are dealing

with an in situ origin for the roots. This

in turn supports the interpretation that

the Cedar Mesa Member of the Cutler

Formation represents a series of terrestrial dunes containing islands of vegetation similar to todays coastal sabkhas.n

Invitation for

contributions
Page 4  Park Paleontology, Fall 1998

New Publication National Park Service Paleontological

Research Volume #3

staff writer

The National Park Service Paleontological Research Volume

#3 is in print. This volume compiles 38 articles representing paleontological research in 21 different parks.

These individual reports reflect a crosssection of the dedicated workers and the

research undertaken in the National Park

System. Several forms of paleontological studies are being accomplished in the

parks. The cover of this volume illustrates a Triassic fossil bees nest at Petrified Forest National Park. This illustration is from a paper on Triassic bee

and wasp nest ichnofossils at PEFO.

Systematic reviews include papers on

fossil birds in Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Park and and on fossil lizards and snakes at Badlands Na-

 Fossil Tracks: Implications on Evolution and Reports of Billion-Year-Old Tracks

staff writer

Ancient tracks paint a detailed

picture of a creatures life. As

stated in the fossil vertebrate

article on page 2, fossil tracks provide

information on where and how the organism lived. Probable behavior of organisms has been interpretated from

tracksites. In one instance, a group of

tetrapods were determined to have a gregarious social structure from evidence

of a tracksite. How is such an explanation reached? Analysis of the tracks indicated that the distribution of the directions and speeds of the trackmakers

were consistent with movement as a

group. Reconstruction of the locomotion dynamics of animals also aid in anatomical studies. Different functions of

digits in the different movement phases

can be produced. Those digits that have

a dominant function during the touchdown, the beginning of the weight-bearing phase and the propelling movement

can be determined.

Stephen Hasiotis, Russell Dubiel,

and Timothy Demko published the paper A Holistic Approach to Reconstructing Triassic Paleoecosystems:

Using Ichnofossils and Paleosols as a

Basic Framework in the NPS Park Paleontological Research volume #3. They

propose that paloesols and ichnofossils,

in conjunction with the sedimentology

and stratigraphy of a unit, be used as a

basic framework to build on in conjunction with other paleontological data for

reconstructing paleoecosystems.

Paleosols record the effects of climate,

ecology and the environment of the time.

The integration of ichnologic, sedimentologic, paleopedologic data allows for

a more concise interpretation of

paleoecosystems, including interpretation of their hydrologic and climatic settings.

 Ichnology is an extremly important

tool in resolving depositional environments and aid in uncovering the secrets

of life. A recent article in the 2 October

1998 issue of Science discusses the

claim of researchers determining 1.1 billion year old wriggly grooves on an ancient sandstone in central India as tracks

of burrowing, half-centimeter thick,

wormlike animals. The wormlike animal, about the thickness of a pencil,

tional Park. The first reports on paleontological inventories for Bryce Canyon

National Park, Denali National Park and

Preserve, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Mammoth Cave National

Park, and Ozark National Scenic

Riverway are included in this volume.

The multiple park ecosystem project on

the Morrison Formation, a joint USGS

and NPS collaboration, is reported on

in this issue. A compilation of such a

wide scope of paleontological research

is invaluable. The quest for knowledge

about the history of life is a continuous

endeavor that these devoted researchers

work on. This type of information can

only enhance the understanding of the

wonderful paleontological resources in

the National Parks. n

plowed through the sediment a few millimeters below a shallow sea. This

group of scientists argues that the organism propelled itself with rhythmic

muscle contractions, or peristalsis, leaving open burrows with raised edges like

those of modern worms that move by

peristalsis. Peristalsis implies a fluidfilled cavity that can be contracted by

muscles, and it is argued, for the presence of a coelom, a lined cavity between

the gut and the body wall. If this find is

substatiated, a major reorganization of

evolutionary lineages would occur. Proterozoic faunas consist of mostly of

nonmetazoans, with the exception of the

Ediacaran fossils of the late Proterozoic.

Ichnology has several important

functions. Ichnology aids in understanding the ethologic and ecologic significance of tracemaking organisms, the organism-substrate interrelationships and

the role of biogenic processes in environmental reconstruction, sediment dynamics, sequence or event stratigraphy,

biogeochemistry, and sedimentary diagenesis. The applications are far

ranging.n

Life reconstruction of Triassic fossil bee nests

in a conifer, Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Park Paleontology, Fall 1998  Page 5

FOSSIL FORUM

I

n recent years there has been increasing

interests in dinosaurs. Prompted by pub

lic support and increased funding, a

multidisciplinary approach to the study of

dinosaurs has been underway and includes,

among other aspects, the study of trace fossils and specifically fossil tracks. Although

traditionally ignored by earlier researchers,

fossil tracks have proven to be invaluable in

understanding locomotion and some behaviors.

Within the last decade thousands of

tracks and trackways have been discovered

and published creating both public awareness and interest. At the same time, a number of commercial entities have added tracks

to their inventory of specimens for sale. It

should come as no surprise that there is a

corresponding increase in theft and vandalism to tracks on public lands.

Public demand has created a market for

tracks and although some commercial enterprises carry casts, some are supplying the

Real McCoy. I have had the opportunity

to speak with the proprietors of several of

these companies and have received a mixture of rational for the removal of tracks.

The classic response was that they were obtained from private land, but other excuses

were centered upon interpretations of the

current laws and regulations. Some indicated that they believed that fossil vertebrate

tracks on public lands did not fall under the

same protection as other vertebrate fossils.

This seemed to be the general opinion among

most dealers.

The removal or casting of fossil tracks

from public lands requires a permit, but to

my knowledge, none or very few have been

requested. This trend suggests that individuals either didnt take the time to learn

this fact or they have ignored it altogether

anticipating that they would have been refused. The end result has been outright theft.

Earlier this decade, the Bureau of Land Management Office for The Grand Resource

Area in Southeast Utah reported to me an

attempted theft of some of their dinosaur

tracks. Someone had unsuccessfully attempted to chisel the tracks out of the rock.

A successful theft did take place at the

Dinosaur Probe Tracksite near Denver Colorado. Situated near a highway is a remarkable track site containing many dinosaur

tracks. Highly celebrated and visited often,

the site which is managed by the County

Parks Department has a barrier fence and

interpretive signs. Among the many excellent trackways are several circular holes the

remains of what were tracks chiseled from

the rock.

I had the opportunity to attend the gem

and mineral shows in Tucson and Denver

and have observed fossil tracks for sale. The

most common tracks were from the

Coconino Sandstone of northern Arizona,

but I also observed rare reptile tracks from

the Robledo Mountains of New Mexico, and

an ornithopod track from England.

In addition to theft of fossil tracks, the

vandalism of tracks has also become an increasing problem. The most common form

of vandalism occurs when individuals,

while attempting to create a cast, pour plaster into the track and damage it in the process. I have witnessed the aftermath of this

seemingly innocent practice too many

times. In Tuba City, Arizona, the Navajo

gentlemen I spoke with refused to allow me

to create a cast of their dinosaur tracks using my clay because recently some individual, without permission poured plaster

into their tracks resulting in it fusing to the

rock. Working with the gentlemen , we

were successful in carefully removing the

plaster, but it was a time consuming process and required the whole day.

 In Southeast Utah, I have observed 4

different plaster damaged tracksites within

the last year alone. While I was able to

remove most of the plaster, I was unable to

remove the stains. Some individuals, while

attempting to get around the stuck track

problem coat the track with a non-sticking

agent, but again this can permanently stain

the surface and sometimes hastens the erosion process.

 I strongly advocate for land managing

agencies and organizations to increase public awareness of this growing problem. Perhaps information can be incorporated into

conservation or interpretive literature.

There are also several organizations which

supply casts of tracks which were carefully

created without damage to the original for

those individuals desiring to have a keepsake. As both a conservation minded individual and as an advocate for scientific endeavor I strongly urge that we should act as

quickly as possible before common misconception becomes common practice.n

Tracking Troubles

The following editorial was written by Shawn Duffy, a National Park Service Ranger. This editorial does not necessarily reflect the

opinions of the National Park Service or any other agency, however, this reflects key issues related to management of geologic/paleontologic resources on federal lands.

Bird tracks with probe marks. Adapted from Frey, 1975,

The Study of Trace Fossils.
Page 6  Park Paleontology, Fall 1998

Park Paleontology

Recognition Pin

staff writer

I

ndividuals making noteworthy con

tributions 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 Newsletter

logo.

Lindsay McClelland, a Geologist

working for the Geologic Resources Division in Washington D.C., has provided

a strong voice to promote paleontology

and geology within the parks. He has

also assisted co-editing 2 NPS Paleontology research Publications.

Ted Fremd, a paleontologist at

JODA, has provided leadership in paleontological resource management and

important research at JODA.

Torrey Nyborg, a paleo intern at

DEVA and FOBU, is co-author on the

DEVA paleo survey in the final stages

of completion. Withstanding field work

in 120 degrees, Torrey documented and

discovered several important sites at

DEVA. n

Park Paleontology

c/o Fossil Butte NM

P.O. Box 592

Kemmerer, WY 83101

As the sun rose, its morning rays

transformed the muted browns

and beiges of the canyon edge

into brillant oranges and fiery reds.

From the rim I could now peer down

upon mile after mile of convoluted earth.

In that endless sea of rock, I imagined

the untold numbers of fossils that no human eye

had ever seen. From

petrified trees to both

dinosaur bones and

tracks, many of the

discoveries which

have made other

places (including

parks) famous are

also found here.

The sediments

which make up

this spectacular scenery of southeast

Utah contain a rich record of earths history from the Pennslyvanian through the

Quaternary Period.

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Prospective

 Paleontology Survey

Shawn Duffy

FOBU

Long awaited, a new project begins

this next season. Park staff are beginning to compile data for the first paleontological survey of the region in and

around both Arches and Canyonlands

National Parks. Requiring roughly two

seasons to complete, the survey will be

the most extensive ever undertaken for this area. This

will provide invaluable

information and references to public land

managers about the

known paleontological resources.

Other divisions such as interpretation

will also benefit. The scope

and the format for the project will be

similar to the Death Valley National Park

Survey currently nearing completion. n

Take only memories; leave only footprints!