RE: Ain't No Mountain Low Enough [elephants don't like steep terrain]

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> franklin e. bliss
>
>
> The Cretaceous Hell Creek I collect was deposited on a fairly flat
> surface.  Is/are there any formations that preserve dinosaurs/fossils
> in general that were obviously high angle environments on a large
> scale.  I would think that most depositional environments in a
> mountainous situation short of certain alluvial fan deposits would
> not be conducive for preservation.

By their very nature, sediments just aren't going to be preserved on slopes 
(beyond cases, like alluvial fans, where they ARE the
slopes!). So our paleo-knowledge of the actual high angle environments is 
pretty much non-existent. (Phil mentions some basin fill
desposits, but there we might be primarily sampling the critters that live in 
the basins rather than the ranges).

Not to lament too much, though: if it weren't for highlands, we wouldn't have 
sediment to entomb the lowlanders...

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
        Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
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