2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, Oct 5, 2008
Early-to mid-Pennsylvanian tracks and trackways of small, basal reptiles and amphibians have been... more Early-to mid-Pennsylvanian tracks and trackways of small, basal reptiles and amphibians have been recovered from the Wamsutta Formation, southeastern New England. Specimens from this site range from isolated tetradactyl and pentadactyl plantigrade, semi-plantigrade and digitigrade tracks to tetradactyl and pentadactyl manus and pedes arranged in quadrupedal trackways with and without tail drag marks. The tracks and trackways occur in an intermontane alluvial deposit and are associated with abundant plant fossils and trace ...
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Papers by Jacob Benner
While trace fossils have been found in varves of the CRV for over a century, in depth studies are relatively new. Ichnological research of the CRV varves has recovered piscine ichnogenera such as Undichna and Broomichnium as well as invertebrate traces such as Cochlichnus. More recent discoveries include five new trace fossils attributable to crustaceans. Apart from ostrocod body fossils, the five new trace fossils attributed to crustaceans are the first recorded presence of crustaceans within the CRV varves.
Established crustacean populations are indicators of maturity in freshwater environments. The appearance of five crustacean trace fossils suggests the transition from glacial to non-glacial conditions before deposition of varves in which they are found. Given the well-defined age correlations of the CRV varves and the systematic recovery of the ichnospecies, it is possible to accurately track the inhabitation of crustaceans into CRV lakes and their relative position to the glacial front as it receded. The age of transition from glacial to non-glacial conditions inferred from crustacean trace fossils matches the age of this transition inferred from varve thickness and sedimentologic changes. Data from this study could provide greater temporal control of the switch from dominantly glacial to nonglacial runoff within CRV paleodrainages.
a neopteran insect and, more importantly, fossil evidence of “ . . . surface skimming as a precursor to the evolution of flight in
insects” (Marden 2013) is found to be deficient on three fronts: (1) the principal specimen was never viewed firsthand which led
to significant morphological misinterpretations; (2) poorly designed and executed neoichnological experiments led to incredulous
results; and (3) the assumption that this specimen is fossil evidence supporting the surface skimming hypothesis of the origin
of insect flight despite the fact that since its induction into the literature that hypothesis has been refuted based on significant
paleontological, phylogenetic, genetic, and developmental evidence.
While trace fossils have been found in varves of the CRV for over a century, in depth studies are relatively new. Ichnological research of the CRV varves has recovered piscine ichnogenera such as Undichna and Broomichnium as well as invertebrate traces such as Cochlichnus. More recent discoveries include five new trace fossils attributable to crustaceans. Apart from ostrocod body fossils, the five new trace fossils attributed to crustaceans are the first recorded presence of crustaceans within the CRV varves.
Established crustacean populations are indicators of maturity in freshwater environments. The appearance of five crustacean trace fossils suggests the transition from glacial to non-glacial conditions before deposition of varves in which they are found. Given the well-defined age correlations of the CRV varves and the systematic recovery of the ichnospecies, it is possible to accurately track the inhabitation of crustaceans into CRV lakes and their relative position to the glacial front as it receded. The age of transition from glacial to non-glacial conditions inferred from crustacean trace fossils matches the age of this transition inferred from varve thickness and sedimentologic changes. Data from this study could provide greater temporal control of the switch from dominantly glacial to nonglacial runoff within CRV paleodrainages.
a neopteran insect and, more importantly, fossil evidence of “ . . . surface skimming as a precursor to the evolution of flight in
insects” (Marden 2013) is found to be deficient on three fronts: (1) the principal specimen was never viewed firsthand which led
to significant morphological misinterpretations; (2) poorly designed and executed neoichnological experiments led to incredulous
results; and (3) the assumption that this specimen is fossil evidence supporting the surface skimming hypothesis of the origin
of insect flight despite the fact that since its induction into the literature that hypothesis has been refuted based on significant
paleontological, phylogenetic, genetic, and developmental evidence.