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Mammals of the Badlands

Mammals of the Badlands. By Christina Hurley. Badlands: Geologic History. Started forming about 75 million years ago Are composed of 6 different formations Pierre Shale Yellow Mounds Chadron Formation Brule Formation Rockyford Ash Sharps Formation. Pierre Shale.

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Mammals of the Badlands

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  1. Mammals of the Badlands By Christina Hurley

  2. Badlands:Geologic History • Started forming about 75 million years ago • Are composed of 6 different formations • Pierre Shale • Yellow Mounds • Chadron Formation • Brule Formation • Rockyford Ash • Sharps Formation

  3. Pierre Shale • Deposited 69-75 mya by shallow inland sea • Black mud hardened to shale • Fossil clams, ammonites, and sea reptiles have been found

  4. Yellow Mounds • Weathered black ocean mud • Had been exposed from formation of the Black Hills • Example of fossil soil (paleosol)

  5. Chadron Formation • Deposited 34-37 mya • River flood plain • New floods would make each deposit • Known for titanotheres fossils (large, rhinoceros-like mammals)

  6. Brule Formation • Deposited 30-34 mya • Open savannah • Bands of sandstone show rivers • Red bands paleosol • Oreodonts (sheep-like animals) dominated

  7. Rockyford Ash • Volcanic Ash • Bottom layer of Sharps Formation • Serves as a boundary between Sharps and Brule Formations

  8. Sharps Formation • 28-30 million years old • Deposited by wind and water • Volcanic eruptions from the west provided ash

  9. Hyracodon Subhyracodon Metamynodon Tapiroids Colodon Protapirus Mesohippus Miohippus Archaeotherium Protoceras Hyaenodon Poebrotherium Oreodont Nimravid Hesperocyon Paleontology

  10. Hesperocyon

  11. Hesperocyon • “Mongoose-like mammal” • One of the earliest Canidae family members • Spent little time in the trees and hunted mostly on the ground • Had retractable claws to allow ground walking and climbing trees “There once was a goose named Mon. He was a mongoose.” – Allison Moon

  12. Mesohippus celer

  13. Means “middle horse” Appeared suddenly (geologically speaking) Preceding horses had 4 toes, Mesohippus only had 3 Cerebral hemispheres notably larger Brain more distinctly equine Last 3 premolars are like the 3 molars Like today’s horses have 6 grinding cheek teeth Mesohippus celer

  14. Leptauchenia nitida (Oreodont)

  15. Leptauchenia nitida (Oreodont) • Called “ruminants hogs” • Have distinctive canine teeth • High set eyes and nostrils suggest aquatic life-style • Clawed toes indicate terrestrial habitat • Debated whether it is related to pigs or sheep • It’s a SHIG!

  16. Nimravids

  17. Nimravids • Are not saber-toothed cats, not even true cats • Illustrates parallel evolution • Differences are: • Paths of various nerve and blood vessels in skull are more primitive • Lack a two-chambered auditory bulla • Teeth are more coned shaped • No modern relatives – truly extinct

  18. B - nimravid; A, C - felids; D - marsupial Illustration of different evolution theories. Third being the most current.

  19. Conclusion • Hesperocyon – brought dogs down from the trees • Mesohippus celer – 4 toes down to 3, more equine like brain • Oreodont – importance still unknown • Nimravids – shows parallel evolution

  20. References • http://fossilmuseum.net/Fossil_Sites/badlands.html • http://fossilmuseum.net/Fossil_Galleries/Mammalia/Oreodont/Oreodont.htm • http://talkorigins.org/faqs/horses/horse_evol.html • http://laelaps.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/just-what-is-a-nimravid-anyway/ • http://www.nps.gov/badl/upload/07Newspaper.pdf • Warren, Dean M.. Small Animal Care and Management. 2. Thomson Delmar Learning, 2002.

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