A NEW OCCURRENCE OF VERTEBRATE TRACKWAYS FROM THE LATE PALEOCENE (BULLION CREEK FORMATION) OF WANNAGAN CREEK, NORTH DAKOTA

The recent discovery of vertebrate track ways from the Late Paleocene of Wannagan Creek, North Dakota has produced a remarkable assemblage of specimens, most notably manus and pes prints of a large crocodylomorph. The tracks are in-situ and are preserved in a layer of finely laminated sandstones approximately 2 meters thick. Also present are micro lizard track ways and indeterminate invertebrate tracks. This site is approximately 19.8 meters below the contact of the overlying Sentinel Butte Formation and is stratigraphically equivalent to the Wannagan Creek Quarry 1/2 mile to the southwest. This location is important because of its proximity to the Wannagan Creek Quarry and also as a new Paleocene trackway horizon. Current fieldwork is focusing on the surrounding sandstones to locate more track-bearing deposits.