Paleobiology and Paleoenvironments of Eocene Rocks
McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
1st Edition
Published on 1. January 2000
Book
Hardback
372 pages
978-0-87590-947-9 (ISBN)
Description
Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Antarctic Research Series, Volume 76.
Michael K. Brett-Surman, George Washington University, observed that, "being a paleontologist is like being a coroner except all the witnesses are dead and all the evidence has been left out in the rain for 65 million years." In the study of paleontology in Antarctica it could also be added that, if not left out in the rain, most of the evidence remains buried beneath several thousand feet of ice. Elucidating the geologic history of the Antarctic continent will always be plagued with this problem. Nonetheless, numerous clever means have been used to extract as much information as is possible, and as presented in this volume. In this light, one of the most intriguing time intervals in Antarctic history is the Eocene Epoch. During this time, the climatic conditions deteriorated rapidly from the so-called "Greenhouse" conditions that dominated Earth's conditions from mid-Mesozoic time through the early Cenozoic to the "Icehouse" conditions that have dominated the climate since that time. Unfortunately, the record of Eocene rocks on the continent is sparse. On the Antarctic Peninsula, specifically on Seymour Island, a robust record of Eocene rocks and fossils has provided virtually all the information we possess about this time interval. Thus the discovery and description of Eocene erratic boulders in morainal deposits in the McMurdo Sound region provides only the second site on the entire continent where we can study the paleontology of this time interval. In all likelihood, the description of erratics containing fossils from any other place in the world would warrant little study and would attract even less attention. However, when most of the vast area of Antarctica lies beneath ice and when clues to the nature of the crust of that part of the continent can be extracted only from study of erratics, the discovery carries with it some excitement.
Michael K. Brett-Surman, George Washington University, observed that, "being a paleontologist is like being a coroner except all the witnesses are dead and all the evidence has been left out in the rain for 65 million years." In the study of paleontology in Antarctica it could also be added that, if not left out in the rain, most of the evidence remains buried beneath several thousand feet of ice. Elucidating the geologic history of the Antarctic continent will always be plagued with this problem. Nonetheless, numerous clever means have been used to extract as much information as is possible, and as presented in this volume. In this light, one of the most intriguing time intervals in Antarctic history is the Eocene Epoch. During this time, the climatic conditions deteriorated rapidly from the so-called "Greenhouse" conditions that dominated Earth's conditions from mid-Mesozoic time through the early Cenozoic to the "Icehouse" conditions that have dominated the climate since that time. Unfortunately, the record of Eocene rocks on the continent is sparse. On the Antarctic Peninsula, specifically on Seymour Island, a robust record of Eocene rocks and fossils has provided virtually all the information we possess about this time interval. Thus the discovery and description of Eocene erratic boulders in morainal deposits in the McMurdo Sound region provides only the second site on the entire continent where we can study the paleontology of this time interval. In all likelihood, the description of erratics containing fossils from any other place in the world would warrant little study and would attract even less attention. However, when most of the vast area of Antarctica lies beneath ice and when clues to the nature of the crust of that part of the continent can be extracted only from study of erratics, the discovery carries with it some excitement.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 274 mm
Width: 211 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
1306 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-87590-947-9 (9780875909479)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jeffrey D. Stilwell is the editor of Paleobiology and Paleoenvironments of Eocene Rocks: McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica, published by Wiley. Rodney M. Feldmann is the editor of Paleobiology and Paleoenvironments of Eocene Rocks: McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica, published by Wiley.
Content
Preface
Jeffrey D. Stilwell and Rodney M. Feldmann xi
The McMurdo Erratics: Introduction and Overview
David M. Harwood and Richard H. Levy 1
Glacial Geologya nd Origin of Fossiliferous-Erratic-BearinMgo raines,S outhernM cMurdo Sound, Antarctica: An Alternative Ice Sheet Hypothesis
Gary S. Wilson 19
Sedimentary Lithofacies of the McMurdo Sound Erratics
Richard H. Levy and David M. Harwood 39
Clay Mineral Composition of Glacial Erratics, McMurdo Sound
Mary Anne Holmes 63
Marine Diatom Assemblages from Eocene and Younger Erratics, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
David M. Harwood and Steven M. Bohaty 73
Ebridian and Silicoflagellate Biostratigraphy from Eocene McMurdo Erratics and the Southern Ocean
Steven M. Bohaty and David M. Harwood 99
Spores and Pollen from the McMurdo Sound Erratics, Antarctica
Rosemary A. Askin 161
Tertiary Marine Palynomorphs from the McMurdo Sound Erratics, Antarctica
Richard H. Levy and David M. Harwood 183
Eocene Plant Macrofossils from Erratics, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Mike Pole, Bob Hill and David M. Harwood 243
Fossil Wood from Eocene High Latitude Forests McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Jane E. Francis 253
Eocene Mollusca (Bivalvia, Gastropoda and Scaphopoda) from McMurdo Sound: Systematica s d
Paleoecologic Significance
Jeffrey D. Stilwell 261
Bryozoan Fragments from Eocene Glacial Erratics of McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
Urszula Hara 321
Rhynchonellide Brachiopods from Eocene to Earliest Oligocene Erratics in the McMurdo
Sound Region, Antarctica
Daphne E. Lee and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 325
A New Species of Austrobalanus (Cirripedia, Thoracicia) from Eocene Erratics, Mount Discovery, McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
John St. J. S. Buckeridge 329
Callichirus symmetricus (Decapoda: Thalassinoidea) and Associated Burrows, Eocene, Antarctica
Carrie E. Schweitzer and Rodney M. Feldmann 335
Fish Remains from the Eocene of Mount Discovery, East Antarctica
Douglas H. Long and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 349
A Probable Piscivorous Crocodile from Eocene Deposits of McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
Paul M.A. Willis and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 355
The First Record of a Fossil Bird from East Antarctica
Craig M. Jones 359
Paleobiogeographic Synthesis of the Eocene Macrofauna from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Jeffrey D. Stilwell and William J. Zinsmeister 365
Jeffrey D. Stilwell and Rodney M. Feldmann xi
The McMurdo Erratics: Introduction and Overview
David M. Harwood and Richard H. Levy 1
Glacial Geologya nd Origin of Fossiliferous-Erratic-BearinMgo raines,S outhernM cMurdo Sound, Antarctica: An Alternative Ice Sheet Hypothesis
Gary S. Wilson 19
Sedimentary Lithofacies of the McMurdo Sound Erratics
Richard H. Levy and David M. Harwood 39
Clay Mineral Composition of Glacial Erratics, McMurdo Sound
Mary Anne Holmes 63
Marine Diatom Assemblages from Eocene and Younger Erratics, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
David M. Harwood and Steven M. Bohaty 73
Ebridian and Silicoflagellate Biostratigraphy from Eocene McMurdo Erratics and the Southern Ocean
Steven M. Bohaty and David M. Harwood 99
Spores and Pollen from the McMurdo Sound Erratics, Antarctica
Rosemary A. Askin 161
Tertiary Marine Palynomorphs from the McMurdo Sound Erratics, Antarctica
Richard H. Levy and David M. Harwood 183
Eocene Plant Macrofossils from Erratics, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Mike Pole, Bob Hill and David M. Harwood 243
Fossil Wood from Eocene High Latitude Forests McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Jane E. Francis 253
Eocene Mollusca (Bivalvia, Gastropoda and Scaphopoda) from McMurdo Sound: Systematica s d
Paleoecologic Significance
Jeffrey D. Stilwell 261
Bryozoan Fragments from Eocene Glacial Erratics of McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
Urszula Hara 321
Rhynchonellide Brachiopods from Eocene to Earliest Oligocene Erratics in the McMurdo
Sound Region, Antarctica
Daphne E. Lee and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 325
A New Species of Austrobalanus (Cirripedia, Thoracicia) from Eocene Erratics, Mount Discovery, McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
John St. J. S. Buckeridge 329
Callichirus symmetricus (Decapoda: Thalassinoidea) and Associated Burrows, Eocene, Antarctica
Carrie E. Schweitzer and Rodney M. Feldmann 335
Fish Remains from the Eocene of Mount Discovery, East Antarctica
Douglas H. Long and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 349
A Probable Piscivorous Crocodile from Eocene Deposits of McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica
Paul M.A. Willis and Jeffrey D. Stilwell 355
The First Record of a Fossil Bird from East Antarctica
Craig M. Jones 359
Paleobiogeographic Synthesis of the Eocene Macrofauna from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Jeffrey D. Stilwell and William J. Zinsmeister 365