Previous studies on microtaphonomy have identified multiple different organic microstructures in fossil vertebrates from a variety of time periods and environmental settings. This study seeks to investigate the potential taphonomic, paleoclimatic, and geochemical controls on soft tissue and cellular microstructure preservation. To this end, fifteen vertebrate fossils were studied: eight fossils collected from the Oligocene Sharps Formation of the Arikaree Group in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, and seven fossils from formations in the underlying White River Group, including the the (Oligocene) Brule Formation of Badlands National Park, and the (Eocene) Chadron Formation of Flagstaff Rim, Wyoming; Toadstool Geologic Park, Nebraska; and Badlands National Park, South Dakota. A portion of each fossil was demineralized to identify any organic microstructures preserved within the fossils. I investigated several potential soft tissue preservation factors, including taxonomy, paleoclimate, depositional environment, and diagenetic history as shown through bone apatite crystallinity and trace element alteration.
Soft tissue microstructures were preserved in all fossil samples, and cellular material was recovered from most fossil specimens. Soft tissue and cellular preservation was found to occur independent of taxonomy, paleoclimate regime, depositional environment, and apatite crystallinity. The period of fossilization and diagenetic trace element addition, as shown through rare earth element (Lanthanum) diffusion profiles, may be connected to organic microstructure preservation, as longer estimated diffusion periods were correlated with poorer preservation of bone histology and greater cellular degradation in some of the fossil samples. / Geology / Accompanied by one Excel file: Thesis XRD Driffractograms Full.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/328 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Gallucci, John, 0000-0001-7648-5583 |
| Contributors | Terry, Dennis O., 1965-, Grandstaff, David E., Tumarkin-Deratzian, Allison, Ullmann, Paul V. |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 192 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/312, Theses and Dissertations |
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