Re: K-T mammals

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@lycos.com>]

On Sun, 12 May 2002 14:42:21  
 Dinogeorge wrote:
>In a message dated 5/12/02 8:14:12 AM EST, jbois@umd5.umd.edu writes:
>
><< They're not talking about elimination before--they're saying that there
> was a steep decline in diversity and numbers (if memory serves) in the
> Hell Creek formation. >>
>
>If there was indeed a pre-KT dinosaur decline in the Hell Creek (big "if"), 
>it could have had any number of different local explanations and probably had 
>very little to do with the global KT dinosaur extinction event.

Exactly.  IIRC, much of the new data seem to indicate that the Western Interior 
Seaway was still active (i.e., transgressing and regressing) much later than 
originally thought.  Obviously, the action of this seaway would have been a 
major influence on the flora and fauna of the area (as has already been 
indicated by Sampson and others in older sediments).  It would be nice if there 
were a few other Hell Creekesque sites on other continents where these data 
collected in the Hell Creek could be tested better.

And, if memory serves me correctly, I thought Jack Horner didn't care about 
dinosaur extinction! :-)

Steve

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