99 Paleontology (Posters) II: Extinction and Environment

Monday, 10 October 2011
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Hall C

GEOCORPS AMERICA 2011 PALEONTOLOGY INVENTORY OF THE LATE CRETACEOUS LOWER CANTWELL FORMATION IN DENALI NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA

Paper number: 99-31
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

This GeoCorps America project, a partnership between the Geological Society of America and the National Park Service, aims to expand the knowledge of fossil sites in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. This project is a continuation of the paleontological resources inventory of the Late Cretaceous lower Cantwell Formation in the park. Primarily, this work is focused in the lower Cantwell Formation, a sandstone/conglomerate unit many kilometers thick, known for its abundance of well-preserved plant material and dinosaur trace fossils. In addition to reconnaissance work in the field and fossil inventory, GeoCorps participants worked with the Murie Science and Learning Center to produce educational materials to aid programs sponsored by the center each year. These materials include a kid-friendly fact sheet available in the park and online as well as digital and printed versions of a poster summarizing our paleontology research.

During the 2011 season, reconnaissance work covered a large area of previously unexplored lower Cantwell exposure within the park. New fossil localities were recorded within the park’s paleontologic database. Among the fossil sites and specimens added to the database, notable entries include numerous well-preserved fossil leaf beds, high concentrations of fossilized wood and Equisetum (horsetail), as well as hadrosaur and theropod tracks.

A large portion of the Cantwell Formation remains to be explored and holds high potential for use in future research projects. Specifically, the well-preserved, fossil-rich leaf beds might be applied to climate analyses for this time period. Climate analyses, in conjunction with paleoenvironmental reconstructions, would contribute to the park’s educational and interpretive programs and enhance academic research both within and outside the park. There are numerous opportunities for future GeoCorps participants to contribute to this project in Denali. The work completed in the 2011 season, as well as the opportunities for further research, supports the continued affiliation between the GeoCorps program and Denali National Park.