TAPHONOMY OF THREE PLIOCENE MAMMAL LOCALITIES IN EAST OF ALIEN CANYON, MEADE COUNTY, KANSAS

Jenn Campbell1, Sam "Sammy Dean" Matson2, David L. Fox2
1Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267 2Dept. of. Geology & Geophysics, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455

The purpose of this study was to determine the similarities and differences in the taphonomy of three fossil mammal localities in the East of Alien Canyon, Meade County, Kansas. We set up 1 m2 grids at each locality and surface picked each quadrat for all bones. Two variables, bone size and weathering state, were compared statistically, both between the fossil localities and within each of the localities. It was discovered that one locality, Camelpod, was significantly different in terms of bone size from the other two localities, Bishop and Vasquez. All the localities differed significantly in terms of weathering state. The differences observed are likely a reflection of the differing depositional environments at the localities. In particular, there is evidence that Camelpod is a fossiliferous artesian spring deposit, while Bishop and Vasquez are both likely fluvial deposits. Within each locality there were no major statistically significant differences for either variable, with the exception of mean weathering state in 5 quadrats at Camelpod. This implies that uniform taphonomic processes were operating within each locality.
 
 

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