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Re: Weishampel et al.'s Formation Dates in The Dinosauria



Saint Abyssal wrote:

> Now I have concerns about the accuracy of some of my contributions and
> about using The Dinosauria as a reference for the ages of geologic
> formations. I was hoping some of you could give me advice:
>
> Would taking the oldest age and the youngest age given by Weishampel et
> al. be a reliable way to determine the start and end dates that the
> formation was deposited?
>
> What if there are outcrops of the formation outside that age range that
> are unlisted because they haven't produced dinosaur fossils?
>
> Is there a relatively comprehensive and trustworthy guide to the ages of
> geologic formations online that I can use as an alternative, or should I
> stick to The Dinosauria?

Preferentially, the ideal method for the most precise dating would be to
consult the most recent published papers in the stratigraphic literature
for the appropriate formation (or set of formations). For a single source,
Dinosauria II is still the most up-to-date comprehensive publication.

-- 
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA