Re: Impact/Extinction Refs (Long) -Reply

[Tompaleo@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-01-23 08:54:11 EST, you write:

>
>Do the authors connect this crater in any way to the Eocene/Oligocene
>extinction event? The last date I heard quoted for this event was very
>uncertain (35-39 mya).
>

Quickly rescanning.  The authors, Poag et al,  did not make any claims to
extinctions. Their main objective appears to have been to identify the
progenitor of the tekties of the North American strewn field. But the obvious
result of a bolide that could make an 85Km crater would seem to have a direct
impact on the regional biota. Did I mention there is a second  ~15Km crater
found by the same authors off of Atlantic City N.J.? And "coeval" according
to these authors in their 1994 paper?

See also. Poag et al. 1992, Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 612 bolide event:
new evidence of a late Eocene  iimpact-wave deposit and possible impact site,
U.S. east coast. Geology, v.20, no.9, p.771-774

The only biostratigraphic information mentioned was that they occurred in
biozone P15, early Late Eocene. The timing is right but I have not seen any
paleontological studies that would support or refute this.


Hope this helps!

Thomas R. Lipka
Paleontological/Geological Studies