Re: Paleocene Dinosaurs

[tumarkia@sas.upenn.edu (Allison R Tumarkin)]

Tomporowski, Steve wrote:
> 
> Is there any evidence 
> of dinosaur survival past the K-T line?

As I understand it, dinosaur material discovered above the K-T boundary 
has consisted mainly of unassociated bone fragments and teeth preserved 
in fluvial channel deposits. 

 The problem with channel deposits is that a 
stream will transport (1) remains of recently-dead animals AND (2) 
previously buried (sometimes already fossilized) remains derived from the 
older deposits which the stream is eroding.  Thus the presence of 
unassociated, disarticulated dinosaur bits in Paleocene stream deposits 
does not necessarily mean that dinosaurs survived into the Paleocene, but 
only shows that the Paleocene stream eroded Mesozoic strata and picked up 
some dinosaur bones/teeth in the process.

Now, if someone were to find some nice, articulated dino material in 
Paleocene strata, that may be cause to start thinking about survival 
possibilities..... 



-------
Allison R. Tumarkin
Dept. of Geology
University of Pennsylvania