Re: Hell Creek Eggshell

[Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>]

Ahh, everything's clearer now.
In retrospect, there may be an environmental reason that Hell Creek
eggshells are not reported that often.  Horner and Gorman (_Digging
Dinosaurs_, Workman Press) hypothesized that the prevalence of preserved
eggshells in the Two Medicine Formation is due to the upper flood plain
environment of the unit.  In contrast (H&G claim), the apparently
eggshell-sparse Hell Creek Formation is lower flood plain.

I am a bit dubious of this distinction, as it probably oversimplifies the
whole issue.  But it is clear that the relative scarcity of eggshells in
the Hell Creek Fm. is an undisputed characteristic of that unit.  Perhaps
the local groundwater did not treat H.C. egg shells kindly, or perhaps
fewer dinosaur taxa layed eggs in the Hell Creek ecosystem.  I find the
latter explanation unlikely and I tend to favor the former hypothesis. 

<pb>
--
"We recognize, however dimly, that greater efficiency, ease, and security
may come at a substantial price in freedom, that law and order can be a
doublethink version of oppression, that individual liberties surrendered,
for whatever good reason, are freedoms lost." - Walter Cronkite, preface
to the 1984 edition of George Orwell's _1984_.



On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:10:37 -0400 Lee Garrison <rgarrisonjr@hotmail.com>
writes:
> Perhaps I should have been more specific.  Carpenter's last book 
> (Eggs, 
> Nests and Baby Dinosaurs: A Look at Dinosaur Reproduction) was 
> published in 
> 1999.  I was just wondering if there was any new work since then.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >From: Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>
> >Reply-To: bigelowp@juno.com
> >To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> >Subject: Re: Hell Creek Eggshell
> >Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:21:07 +0000 (pd)
> >
> >
> >
> >On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 07:21:18 -0400 Lee Garrison 
> <rgarrisonjr@hotmail.com>
> >writes:
> >
> > > And nothing on Hell Creek eggshell
> > > since 1999?
> >
> >
> >Since 1999?  Where is this info found?
> >
> ><pb>
> >--
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
>