1

TRIASSICJURASSIC

CRETACEOUS PARK

PALEONTOLOGY ADVENTURESIN

SOUTHERN UTAHDr. Barry Albright

Department of PhysicsUniversity of North Florida

2

Grand Staircase-EscalanteNational Monument

3

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)

5

Chinle Formation (220 my)

6

180 mya

(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)

7

Navaho Sandstone (185 my)

(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)

150 mya

8

Morrison Formation (150 my)

100 mya

(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)

9

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)

10

Tropic Shale (93 my)

11

Straight Cliffs Fm.

Dakota Fm.

Tropic Shale

Tropic Shale (93 my)

Plesiosaurs

12

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

13

(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

14

Pelvis and rear paddle of Palmulasaurus quadratus

15

16

(From Albright, Gillette, and Titus, 2007b)

17

Nothronychus graffami

18

19

75 mya

(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)

20

75 mya

(Courtesy R. Blakey (NAU), http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/RCB.html)

21

Wahweap Formation (80 mya)

Kaiparowits Formation (75 my)

22

23

24

25

(from Butler, 1992)

26

(from Cox and Hart, 1986)

Methods- Hand tools and/or

core drill

- Min. 3 samples/site

- Stratigraphic separationdependent on amenability of lithology

27

Paleomagnetics Laboratory, Berkeley Geochronology Center

(from Albright et al., 2008)

28

29

Deep Creek Tuff27.89 0.57+_

Tin Roof Tuff25.9 0.3+_

K1

K2

L

M

Biotite Tuff27.18 0.13+_

30