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Paleontology in Washington (state)

April 13, 2024

Paleontology in Washington encompasses paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Washington. Washington has a rich fossil record spanning almost the entire geologic column. Its fossil record shows an unusually great diversity of preservational types including carbonization, petrifaction, permineralization, molds, and cast.[1] Early Paleozoic Washington would come to be home to creatures like archaeocyathids, brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods, corals, and trilobites. While some Mesozoic fossils are known, few dinosaur remains have been found in the state. Only about two-thirds of the state's land mass had come together by the time the Mesozoic ended. In the Cenozoic the state's sea began to withdraw towards the west, while local terrestrial environments were home to a rich variety of trees and insects. Vertebrates would come to include the horse Hipparion, bison, camels, caribou, oreodonts. Later, during the Ice Age, the northern third of the state was covered in glaciers while creatures like bison, caribou, woolly mammoths, mastodons, and rhinoceros roamed elsewhere in the state. The Pleistocene Columbian Mammoth, Mammuthus columbi is the Washington state fossil.

The location of the state of Washington

Prehistory edit

 
Restoration of a Columbian mammoth

During the Cambrian, Washington was home to archaeocyathids, brachiopods, and trilobites.[2] The archaeocyathids are the oldest known fossils in the state.[3] Graptolites became abundant during the Ordovician period, and their remains were preserved in what are now the rocks of Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties. Possibly during the Silurian, but certainly by the Devonian, brachiopods and corals become the most abundant life forms represented in Washington's fossil record. During the Carboniferous, brachiopods, bryozoans, and corals inhabited. Permian life included corals, fusulinida, and gastropods.[3]

During the early Mesozoic, Triassic pelecypods were common Washington inhabitants.[4] Jurassic and Cretaceous life left behind their fossils in the north-central and northwestern part of Washington.[5] By the end of the Mesozoic only about two-thirds of the state's land mass had come together.[5] During the Cretaceous the regions now occupied by the northern Cascade Mountains and the San Juan Islands were home to creatures like cephalopods with both coiled and uncoiled shells as well as pelecypods.[4] Only one known dinosaur fossil has been found in Washington.[6][7][8]

In the Cenozoic the state's sea began to withdraw towards the west.[5] In the mid-Cenozoic volcanic activity started in the Cascade Mountains.[5] The Tertiary seas of Washington were inhabited by creatures like echinoderms, foraminferans, gastropods, pelecypods, and scaphopods. On land, the local flora included Ginkgo, oak, poplar, sequoia, and willow.[4] Terrestrial insects left behind fossils in Spokane and the area west of Latah Creek. Tertiary vertebrates of Washington included the horse Hipparion, bison, camels, caribou, oreodonts, and many different kinds of rodent.[9] Ten million years ago geologic uplift formed the Olympic Mountains.[5] Near the end of the Cenozoic the northern third of Washington was covered by glaciers, as were the peaks of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.[5] The more recent marine invertebrates of Washington from the Quaternary period were generally adapted to cold climates. These included pelecypods and tube-building worms. Like the states marine invertebrates, its terrestrial vertebrates were adapted to cold climates. These include creatures like bison, caribou, woolly mammoths, mastodons, and rhinoceros.[10]

History edit

Scientific research edit

 
Diatryma.

On May 3, 1992 the Seattle Times ran an article announcing the possible discovery of the first known Diatryma footprint in the Puget Group of Flaming Geyser State Park. The track dated back to the Eocene. A few months later, on July 17, the Times ran another article reporting that Allison Andors and several other experts on Diatryma concluded that the purported fossil footprint of Flaming Geyser State Park was actually a clever hoax. Nevertheless, in ichnologists Martin Lockley and Adrian Hunt's 1999 book on fossil footprints from western North America, the authors concluded that the track was legitimate after all.[11] In 1998, the Pleistocene Columbian Mammoth, Mammuthus columbi was designated the Washington state fossil.

People edit

Births edit

Deaths edit

Wesley C. Wehr died in Seattle on April 12, 2004.

Natural history museums edit

See also edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Murray (1974); "Washington", page 280.
  2. ^ Murray (1974); "Washington", pages 280-281.
  3. ^ a b Murray (1974); "Washington", page 281.
  4. ^ a b c Murray (1974); "Washington", page 282.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Nesbitt and Scotchmoor (2010); "Paleontology and geology".
  6. ^ Peecook, Sidor, Brandon R., Christian A. (May 20, 2015). "The First Dinosaur from Washington State and a Review of Pacific Coast Dinosaurs from North America". PLOS ONE. 10 (5): e0127792. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1027792P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127792. PMC 4439161. PMID 25993090.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture; "Frequently Asked Questions", and Seattle's Big Blog; "Have we Found Dinosaur fossils in Washington State?".
  8. ^ time.com; "First Dinosaur Bone Found in Washington State"
  9. ^ Murray (1974); "Washington", page 283.
  10. ^ Murray (1974); "Washington", page 284.
  11. ^ Lockley and Hunt (1999); "Big Bird Tracks Have Paleontologists All Aflutter", page 262.

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paleontology in Washington (state).
  • First Dinosaur Bone found in Washington State. Accessed May 30, 2015.
  • . Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Accessed August 25, 2012.
  • Lockley, Martin and Hunt, Adrian. Dinosaur Tracks of Western North America. Columbia University Press. 1999.
  • Murray, Marian (1974). Hunting for Fossils: A Guide to Finding and Collecting Fossils in All 50 States. Collier Books. p. 348. ISBN 9780020935506.
  • "Have we Found Dinosaur fossils in Washington State?" Seattle's Big Blog. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Accessed August 25th, 2012.
  • Nesbitt, Liz, Judy Scotchmoor. July 14, 2010. "Washington, US." The Paleontology Portal. Accessed September 21, 2012.

External links edit

  • Geologic units in Washington
  • Paleoportal: Washington

April 13, 2024
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Paleontology in Washington encompasses paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U S state of Washington Washington has a rich fossil record spanning almost the entire geologic column Its fossil record shows an unusually great diversity of preservational types including carbonization petrifaction permineralization molds and cast 1 Early Paleozoic Washington would come to be home to creatures like archaeocyathids brachiopods bryozoans cephalopods corals and trilobites While some Mesozoic fossils are known few dinosaur remains have been found in the state Only about two thirds of the state s land mass had come together by the time the Mesozoic ended In the Cenozoic the state s sea began to withdraw towards the west while local terrestrial environments were home to a rich variety of trees and insects Vertebrates would come to include the horse Hipparion bison camels caribou oreodonts Later during the Ice Age the northern third of the state was covered in glaciers while creatures like bison caribou woolly mammoths mastodons and rhinoceros roamed elsewhere in the state The Pleistocene Columbian Mammoth Mammuthus columbi is the Washington state fossil The location of the state of Washington Contents 1 Prehistory 2 History 2 1 Scientific research 3 People 3 1 Births 3 2 Deaths 4 Natural history museums 5 See also 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External linksPrehistory edit nbsp Restoration of a Columbian mammothDuring the Cambrian Washington was home to archaeocyathids brachiopods and trilobites 2 The archaeocyathids are the oldest known fossils in the state 3 Graptolites became abundant during the Ordovician period and their remains were preserved in what are now the rocks of Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties Possibly during the Silurian but certainly by the Devonian brachiopods and corals become the most abundant life forms represented in Washington s fossil record During the Carboniferous brachiopods bryozoans and corals inhabited Permian life included corals fusulinida and gastropods 3 During the early Mesozoic Triassic pelecypods were common Washington inhabitants 4 Jurassic and Cretaceous life left behind their fossils in the north central and northwestern part of Washington 5 By the end of the Mesozoic only about two thirds of the state s land mass had come together 5 During the Cretaceous the regions now occupied by the northern Cascade Mountains and the San Juan Islands were home to creatures like cephalopods with both coiled and uncoiled shells as well as pelecypods 4 Only one known dinosaur fossil has been found in Washington 6 7 8 In the Cenozoic the state s sea began to withdraw towards the west 5 In the mid Cenozoic volcanic activity started in the Cascade Mountains 5 The Tertiary seas of Washington were inhabited by creatures like echinoderms foraminferans gastropods pelecypods and scaphopods On land the local flora included Ginkgo oak poplar sequoia and willow 4 Terrestrial insects left behind fossils in Spokane and the area west of Latah Creek Tertiary vertebrates of Washington included the horse Hipparion bison camels caribou oreodonts and many different kinds of rodent 9 Ten million years ago geologic uplift formed the Olympic Mountains 5 Near the end of the Cenozoic the northern third of Washington was covered by glaciers as were the peaks of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains 5 The more recent marine invertebrates of Washington from the Quaternary period were generally adapted to cold climates These included pelecypods and tube building worms Like the states marine invertebrates its terrestrial vertebrates were adapted to cold climates These include creatures like bison caribou woolly mammoths mastodons and rhinoceros 10 History editScientific research edit nbsp Diatryma On May 3 1992 the Seattle Times ran an article announcing the possible discovery of the first known Diatryma footprint in the Puget Group of Flaming Geyser State Park The track dated back to the Eocene A few months later on July 17 the Times ran another article reporting that Allison Andors and several other experts on Diatryma concluded that the purported fossil footprint of Flaming Geyser State Park was actually a clever hoax Nevertheless in ichnologists Martin Lockley and Adrian Hunt s 1999 book on fossil footprints from western North America the authors concluded that the track was legitimate after all 11 In 1998 the Pleistocene Columbian Mammoth Mammuthus columbi was designated the Washington state fossil People editBirths edit Kirk Johnson was born in Seattle in 1960 Peter Ward was born in Seattle in 1949 Wesley C Wehr was born in Everett on April 17 1929 Deaths edit Wesley C Wehr died in Seattle on April 12 2004 Natural history museums editBurke Museum of Natural History and Culture Seattle Charles R Conner Museum Washington State University Pullman Slater Museum of Natural History Tacoma Stonerose Interpretive Center and Fossil Site RepublicSee also edit nbsp Paleontology portal nbsp United States portalPaleontology in Idaho Paleontology in OregonFootnotes edit Murray 1974 Washington page 280 Murray 1974 Washington pages 280 281 a b Murray 1974 Washington page 281 a b c Murray 1974 Washington page 282 a b c d e f Nesbitt and Scotchmoor 2010 Paleontology and geology Peecook Sidor Brandon R Christian A May 20 2015 The First Dinosaur from Washington State and a Review of Pacific Coast Dinosaurs from North America PLOS ONE 10 5 e0127792 Bibcode 2015PLoSO 1027792P doi 10 1371 journal pone 0127792 PMC 4439161 PMID 25993090 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Frequently Asked Questions and Seattle s Big Blog Have we Found Dinosaur fossils in Washington State time com First Dinosaur Bone Found in Washington State Murray 1974 Washington page 283 Murray 1974 Washington page 284 Lockley and Hunt 1999 Big Bird Tracks Have Paleontologists All Aflutter page 262 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paleontology in Washington state First Dinosaur Bone found in Washington State Accessed May 30 2015 Frequently Asked Questions Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Accessed August 25 2012 Lockley Martin and Hunt Adrian Dinosaur Tracks of Western North America Columbia University Press 1999 Murray Marian 1974 Hunting for Fossils A Guide to Finding and Collecting Fossils in All 50 States Collier Books p 348 ISBN 9780020935506 Have we Found Dinosaur fossils in Washington State Seattle s Big Blog Seattle Post Intelligencer Accessed August 25th 2012 Nesbitt Liz Judy Scotchmoor July 14 2010 Washington US The Paleontology Portal Accessed September 21 2012 External links editGeologic units in Washington Department of Natural Resources Paleoportal Washington Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paleontology in Washington state amp oldid 1054734248, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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