|
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
Dinosaurs in Maryland
|
Home Page | Dr. Kranz's Articles
- COVER & INSIDE COVER
- PREFACE
In doing this revision of Dinosaurs in Maryland, I found myself falling prey to a malady common to scientists___the desire to write the definitive work.
- INTRODUCTION
Why are people today so interested in dinosaurs? This is a question frequently asked by the public. Oddly enough, it does have an answer.
- WHAT IS A DINOSAUR?
"Dinosaur" is a term freely used and, more often, misused by the public. A dinosaur was not any four-legged creature that lived long ago.
- DINOSAUR HISTORY
The position of dinosaurs in geologic time is illustrated in Figure 2. In this chart you may have noticed many unfamiliar words and names.
Dinosaur Hunters
It is true that amateurs are responsible for most fossil discoveries, a fact that will be discussed at length later in this booklet.
Earth History and Maryland Geology
Dinosaurs no longer walk the earth___they are in it! For this reason it is necessary for the reader to understand something of the local geology.
- THE DINOSAURS OF MARYLAND
As indicated in the preceding section, dinosaur remains are distributed in three different rock units in Maryland.
Dinosaurs of the Newark Group
Dinosaur bones and teeth have been reported from beds of this age outside of Maryland.
Dinosaurs of the Potomac Group
The record of Jurassic and very early Cretaceous time, if it exists at all in Maryland, is apparently buried.
Dinosaurs of the Severn and Related Formations
Dinosaur remains in the Severn Formation and other Upper Cretaceous units are scarce indeed.
- MARYLANDS DINOSAUR WORLDS
Each of the three major dinosaur periods in Maryland (the Late Triassic of the Newark Group, the Early Cretaceous of the Potomac Group, and the Late Cretaceous of the Severn and related formations) was unique in character
The Late Triassic World of the Newark Group
During this time period, life forms and environment (Fig. 5 and Table 2) can be considered similar to the well-known environments of the Connecticut Valley.
The Early Cretaceous World of the Potomac Group
Here one finds an interesting split.
The Late Cretaceous World of the Severn and Related Formations
By the Late Cretaceous, angiosperms (flowering plants) had become well established.
- BONE HUNTING AND THE ROLE OF THE AMATEUR
As noted earlier, some museum curators have estimated that 90 to 95 percent of the fossil specimens in museums are there as a result of discoveries by amateurs___not professionals.
Where to Look
Before you can decide where to look, you must first decide what it is you are looking for.
What's Important
As a rule, any bone or tooth found in these formations should be considered important, especially if you are unfamiliar with the fauna.
What to Do With Your Find
The hardest decision for most amateurs is what to do with a find.
- WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DINOSAURS?
Many people wonder what became of this important group of animals that dominated the earth for some 160 million years.
- SELECTED REFERENCES
- MAP SOURCES
- SUGGESTED READING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
