TAPHONOMY OF THE WHITE RIVER BADLANDS NEAR SHALIMAR RANCH, NEBRASKA

The White River Badlands around Shalimar Ranch in Northwest Nebraska were studied to obtain more information regarding fossil vertebrate deposition and environmental conditions during the Eocene-Oligocene transition. The stratigraphy of the area consists mainly of the Orella and Whitney members of the Brule Formation. Discovered in situ fossils were recorded for their long axis orientations and stratigraphic positions. Bones were found to be more highly concentrated in the first 1.8 meters of a measured section along a braided stream channel near the base of the Pine Ridge. Long axis orientations of the bones were measured and fell between N14°W and N90°W within the same section. These observations suggest fluvial reworking due to the evidence of similar orientations of solitary limb components emplaced in fluvial strata. Other associated attributes of these White River fossils include the Ultra Violet fluorescence of tooth enamel.