Some Observations on Nyctosaurus

["James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

The ones I was thinking about are not in prep.  There are two
Slingerland papers that already address the topic. The one on cyclone
crossings on the Western Interior Seaway, and the one on mean annual
windfield and currents.  The time period for both is the early
Turonian.  Perhaps 2 to 3 million years earlier than Nyctosaurus (but
don't hold me to that either).  :-)

Overlay the fossil sites for KJ1 & KJ2 over the map of currents to
compare with the center of the gyre and the area of low velocity.  The
fossils were not particularly near the eastern shore (nor the western
shore either). 

And yes, he is cautious with his statements.

I've already gotten the information that I think you're referring to. 
Did some work regarding it for the recent Brisbane and Stanford talks,
and the upcoming talk at the APS conference next month.

Jim

Jaime Headden wrote:

> but this appears to be in prep data as Slingerland's page at Penn State does 
> not list this topic, and some news reports apparently
> show him being cautious with his statements. I don't know. But it seems that 
> the eastern shore of the sea should flow northward in
> the anticyclonic Northern gyre, so alignment of the bones, if effects at the 
> seafloor parallel the mid-ocean or surface conditions
> (as suggested by transport of the bones in a directional flow), would be 
> expected to follow this. When Chris gets back from SVP,
> maybe we can get some information on this topic?
>