VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE REX HILL LOCALITY, HELL CREEK FORMATION, LATE CRETACEOUS

The Rex Hill local fauna is part of the Hell Creek Formation in Garfield County, MT (sec. 29, T22N, R35E). The material studied was collected in May of 1970 and has sat untouched for 30 years. The fossils were sorted out of the matrix material using a sieve screen (#80) and then hand picked from the residue left on top of the screen with a tweezers. Afterwards the fossils were cleaned using a cup of water and a small dental pick. The fossils were then sorted and categorized. Then a complete faunal list was derived from the fossils. Twelve different organisms were found and each was studied to examine the paleoecology of the site. It was determined that this site appears to have been a large, deep river (possibly a floodplain) with a muddy bed in a subtropical environment. Two separate, but related communities are represented in the material (a proximal aquatic community and a distal terrestrial community).