2003-2004 USAP Field Season

Geology & Geophysics

Dr. Rama K. Kotra
Program Manager

G-298-M

NSF/OPP 02-29698
Station: McMurdo Station
RPSC POC: Melissa Rider
Research Site(s): McMurdo Station, Beardmore Glacier
Dates in Antarctica: Mid November to late December
Vertebrate Paleontology of the Triassic to Jurassic sedimentary sequence in the Beardmore Glacier area of Antarctica
Dr. William R. Hammer
Augustana College
Department of Geology
glhammer@augustana.edu
 
Vertebrate Paleontology of the Triassic to Jurassic sedimentary sequence in the Beardmore Glacier area of Antarctica
Deploying Team Members: Peter Braddock . James W. Collinson . Philip J. Currie . William R. Hammer . Kevin Kruger . Andrew Sajor . Nathan D. Smith
Research Objectives: During a 3-year study, we will investigate fossils from Triassic and Jurassic dinosaurs and other vertebrates in the central Transantarctic Mountains. A field program to search for Upper Triassic to Jurassic fossil vertebrates in the Beardmore Glacier region will be carried out in the 2003–04 austral summer. Initially, we will concentrate our efforts on the Hanson Formation, which has produced the only Jurassic dinosaur fauna in Antarctica. We will then further excavate the Hanson dinosaur locality on Mount Kirkpatrick and will follow that with an extensive search of other exposures of the Hanson, Falla, and Upper Fremouw Formations in the Beardmore area.

Our field party will operate for 3 to 4 weeks out of a small helicopter camp in the Beardmore area. The field party will consist of six persons, to allow two groups of three to work independently at different sites. One group will excavate the Mount Kirkpatrick site, while the other reconnoiters. In addition to collecting new specimens, we will interpret the depositional settings for each of the vertebrate sites. Our second and third years will be dedicated to preparing and studying the vertebrates.

Antarctic vertebrates provide a unique opportunity to study the evolutionary and biogeographic significance of high-latitude Mesozoic fauna, and this project should result in significant advances in knowledge.