Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Michigan, 2006. / (UMI)AAI3224898. Advisers: David K. Rea; Ben A. van der Pluijm. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3655.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Rice University, 2007. / (UMI)AAI3256669. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-03, Section: B, page: 1509. Advisers: Andre W. Droxler; Gerald R. Dickens.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 2007. / (UMI)AAI3263898. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-04, Section: B, page: 2206.

Thesis--Marseille. / Bibliography: v. 2, p. 436-456.

Diss.--Utrecht, 1936. / "Stellingen" (2 l.) inserted. "Bibliographie sommaire": p. 130-131.

<p> Measurement of bioturbation reflects physical and biological processes operating over time and can be used to reveal information about paleo-environments. The purpose of this study was to determine the intensity of bioturbation in Triassic Moenkopi Formation at Hurricane Mesa in Southwestern Utah. This formation is interpreted as having been deposited mostly in large ancient river channels, tidal flats, delta and shallow marine environments. Five stratigraphic sections measured in the Virgin Limestone Member provided the basis for this study. Detailed descriptions and quantification of bioturbation were recorded in each of the sections. Similar treatment was given to additional study sites in the rest of the formation, above the Virgin Limestone. Treatments on selected samples were implemented to better reveal evidence of bioturbation. In these treatments samples were coated with water or oil, etched with HCL and viewed under blacklight. Integrating the results of the treatments with x-ray diffraction and petrographic analysis suggest that there was minimal bioturbation. These findings are consistent with more rapid deposition than previously reported by other researchers.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2009. / "Publication number: AAT 3385841."

<p> Investigation of decapod fossils from the Pawpaw Shale, Albian, Texas, has yielded 17 new species, and seven new genera. In total, 14 brachyuran; 3 astacidean; 4 anomuran; 8 axiidean; 5 palinuridean, and one stomatopod species were described and classified according to the latest classification scheme. Shale samples from a single locality in Fort Worth were analyzed for their grain size, mineral and trace element content. The Pawpaw Shale consists of sediments derived from the Llanos uplift to the southwest of Fort Worth, and represents a fining upward sequence deposited in a restricted lagoonal environment. The decapod fauna of the Pawpaw Shale is one of the richest decapod faunas of Albian age known to date, composed of a population of adult and juvenile crabs and lobsters. The peculiar small size of the individual lobsters of this fauna is attributed to their representing an early ontogenetic stage. No trace elements known to affect the biology an physiology of extant decapods could be found in the shale samples analyzed to indicate an environmental cause for the reduced size of the Pawpaw lobsters.</p>

<p> The Ordovician strata of the Lower Member of the Vinini Formation comprise a sequence of greenstone, sandstone, shale, and siltstone representing the prograding and retrograding of submarine fans along the continental margin. Although graptolites are normally preserved within shale beds in the Lower Member of the Vinini Formation, the greatest abundance of well preserved graptolites is found within the sandstone turbidite beds. These graptolites are uniquely preserved in full relief as opposed to being flattened on shale. It is interpreted based on fragmentation and species composition within the sandstone that the graptolites flourished in an upwelling zone on the continental margin and that as their remains accumulated on the underlying seafloor, were swept downslope in turbidity currents. </p><p> Graptolites were collected from 10 beds within the stratigraphic section and represent 33 taxa from 17 genera. There are no new taxa. All taxa are described, illustrated, and compared to other collections.</p>

<p> The Sapeomithidae are a unique and poorly understood clade of Early Cretaceous birds from the Jehol Group of Liaoning Province, China. Four species of sapeomithids are known: <i>Sapeornis chaoyangensis, Didactylornis jii, Sapeornis angus tis</i>, and <i>Shenshiornis primita</i>. <i>Omnivoropteryx sinousaorum</i> is allied with sapeomithids, although its nomenclature remains a source of contention. The validity of these taxa is challenged via an in-depth anatomical revision and morphometric analyses involving 18 specimens of sapeomithids, including the aforementioned holotypes. The results reveal that the only anatomical difference separating each species is size, implying a growth series trend among the specimens. This provides clear evidence that these species are junior synonyms of <i>Sapeornis chaoyangensis</i>. In addition, critical anatomical descriptions previously unknown for these specimens expand our knowledge of this clade, paving the way for future anatomical and phylogenetic studies of this enigmatic avian taxon.</p>