Re: Hell Creek Eggshell

[Guy Leahy <xrciseguy@sbcglobal.net>]

The fossil soils (paleosols) of the Hell Creek
Formation are significantly more acidic than those of
the Two Medicine Formation, which probably accounts in
large part for the rarity of dinosaur eggshells in the
Hell Creek relative to the Two Medicine.

Guy Leahy


--- Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com> wrote:

> Ahh, everything's clearer now.
> In retrospect, there may be an environmental reason
> that Hell Creek
> eggshells are not reported that often.  Horner and
> Gorman (_Digging
> Dinosaurs_, Workman Press) hypothesized that the
> prevalence of preserved
> eggshells in the Two Medicine Formation is due to
> the upper flood plain
> environment of the unit.  In contrast (H&G claim),
> the apparently
> eggshell-sparse Hell Creek Formation is lower flood
> plain.
> 
> I am a bit dubious of this distinction, as it
> probably oversimplifies the
> whole issue.  But it is clear that the relative
> scarcity of eggshells in
> the Hell Creek Fm. is an undisputed characteristic
> of that unit.  Perhaps
> the local groundwater did not treat H.C. egg shells
> kindly, or perhaps
> fewer dinosaur taxa layed eggs in the Hell Creek
> ecosystem.  I find the
> latter explanation unlikely and I tend to favor the
> former hypothesis. 
> 
> <pb>
> --
> "We recognize, however dimly, that greater
> efficiency, ease, and security
> may come at a substantial price in freedom, that law
> and order can be a
> doublethink version of oppression, that individual
> liberties surrendered,
> for whatever good reason, are freedoms lost." -
> Walter Cronkite, preface
> to the 1984 edition of George Orwell's _1984_.
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:10:37 -0400 Lee Garrison
> <rgarrisonjr@hotmail.com>
> writes:
> > Perhaps I should have been more specific. 
> Carpenter's last book 
> > (Eggs, 
> > Nests and Baby Dinosaurs: A Look at Dinosaur
> Reproduction) was 
> > published in 
> > 1999.  I was just wondering if there was any new
> work since then.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > >From: Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>
> > >Reply-To: bigelowp@juno.com
> > >To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> > >Subject: Re: Hell Creek Eggshell
> > >Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:21:07 +0000 (pd)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 07:21:18 -0400 Lee Garrison 
> > <rgarrisonjr@hotmail.com>
> > >writes:
> > >
> > > > And nothing on Hell Creek eggshell
> > > > since 1999?
> > >
> > >
> > >Since 1999?  Where is this info found?
> > >
> > ><pb>
> > >--
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>