8 Undergraduate Research Posters I

Wednesday, 2 April 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sierra Ballroom

FIRST WALRUS BODY FOSSIL IN OREGON

Paper number: 8-13
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

Fossil Point, located in Coos Bay, Oregon, is a site of great geological interest, but little previous work has been made in documenting the precise location of specimens discovered in the deposit. As it is largely agreed that the two members make up Fossil Point, the Empire Formation proper and the stratigraphically higher Coos Conglomerate member. However, these are actually likely from different geological time periods, thus yielding a significant barrier in research regarding the formation(s). Few fossils are described from the site, despite a collection history of nearly 150 years. A notable example of this is a fossil walrus (O.r. divergens) mandible found at the site in the early 1900s, the sole Odobenus rosmarus body fossil (a foraging trace fossil exists in Washington) documented in Oregon or Washington. This walrus could provide noteworthy evidence for the age of the formation, but the lack of information regarding its origin hinders its usefulness. Utilizing three dimensional scanning, we hope to develop a precise small scale mapping system for sites of geological interest. Through the use of drone footage, a 3D model of Fossil Point was constructed. In the future, ground level scans will be collected, allowing for automated placement on this model, and thereby providing an interactable map of fossil distribution throughout the site. We will also conduct XRF geochemical analysis on the sediment trapped in the foramen of the jaw, to try to better match the exact formation the specimen came from, as the early collector didn’t record stratigraphic data.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025CD-410343

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