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Missouri River Dig Sioux Falls
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| Title | Missouri River Dig Sioux Falls |
| Digitaization Specification | Master file format: ? bytes, application/doc, Uncompressed, DOC, ; Checksum: ; Adobe Photoshop CS3 |
| Transcript | Office of University Relations SDSM& T News 501 E. St. Joseph Street • Rapid City, SD 57701- 3995 Phone: ( 605) 394- 6082/ 2554 • Fax: ( 605) 394- 6177 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ( October 29, 1998) SIOUX FALLS RESIDENT DIGS FOR FOSSILS ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER Rebecca Johnson of Sioux Falls spent two weeks this past August digging for fossils with scientists from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology ( SDSM& T) Museum of Geology at an important paleontological site along the Missouri River. Johnson joined participants from as far away as Connecticut, New Jersey and New York who traveled to South Dakota to take part in the field dig for marine turtles, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and other Late Cretaceous fossils. " I was interested in doing some research for a photoessay about children looking for fossils, " said Johnson in describing her reasons for participating in the field dig. In addition to articles for children's magazines, Johnson also is working on an article for Discovery Channel Online. Discoveries during the field dig included a bison skull estimated to be 20, 000 years old and Xiphactinus, a bulldog face fish from the Niobrara Formation 80- 85 million years ago. The excavations were conducted in an area where the SDSM& T Museum of Geology previously made the important scientific discovery of Archelon, a giant marine turtle that lived toward the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. The shell of this largest known sea turtle measures 12 feet across. Numerous sea reptiles, especially mosasaurs, have been found in the area along the Missouri River where SDSM& T paleontologists have conducted field digs. Sea life at the end of the dinosaur age was dominated by mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Mosasaurs were giant, large- toothed marine reptiles that are distant relatives of modern- day lizards. They inhabited the shallow seas that covered the Great Plains from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic during the Late Cretaceous period between 90 to 65 million years ago. " These ferocious mosasaurs were top dog in the water, " says Dr. James Martin, SDSM& T Museum of Geology Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Professor of Geology. " A T- rex wouldn't stand a chance in the water against a mosasaur." A previous dig at this Missouri River site yielded an especially significant discovery of baby mosasaur remains found among the pelvic area of the mother specimen. This is the first definite evidence that these lizard- like creatures gave live birth to their young. SDSM& T's field paleontology program attracts students, teachers and volunteers from across the nation each summer. The public can participate on a limited, space- available basis. For information about future field digs, individuals should contact Dr. Philip Bjork, SDSM& T Museum of Geology, at 1- 800- 544- 8162, ext. 2467, or via email: pbjork@ msmailgw. sdsmt. edu. ++ 30++ Photo Caption: Rebecca Johnson ( left) of Sioux Falls assists Susan Haney ( center) of Howell, NJ and Kirsten Merker ( right) of Whitestone, NY in utilizing a grid to carefully document the Late Cretaceous fossils found along the banks of the Missouri River. ( Photo Courtesy of SDSM& T University & Public Relations) ( i: univ\ pressrele\ 1098\ Missouri River Sioux Falls) |
| Creator | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. University Relations; |
| Subject | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Museum of Geology; |
| Local Subject | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
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| Digital Publisher | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Devereaux Library
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| Date | 1998-10-29 |
| Type | Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Language | eng |
| Relation | Is part of Office of University Relations SDSM&T News Collection |
| Rights | The work from which this copy was made did not include a formal copyright notice. This work may be protected by U. S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code), which governs reproduction, distribution, public display, and other uses of protected works. Uses may be allowed with permission from the copyright holder, if the copyright on the work has expired, or if the use is fair use or within another legal exemption. The user of this work is responsible for compliance with the law. |
| Submitting Institution | Devereaux Library. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. |
| Date Digital | 2009 |
| CONTENTdm number | 1487 |
| CONTENTdm file name | 1488.pdf |
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