NEW ICHNOTAXA FROM THE MOWRY SHALE OF WYOMING MAY BE VERTEBRATE IN ORIGIN

Outcrops of the Mowry Shale (Lower Cretaceous) of Casper, Kaycee, and Greybull, Wyoming contain a diverse fossil assemblage of marine life including; reptiles, fish scales, and ammonites and other mollusks. Recent studies indicate that trace fossils can be added to the diversity of fossil evidence, which allows researchers to study the behavior patterns of the above taxa. Due to the fissile nature of the Mowry Shale, large scale trace fossils are difficult to collect. However, well preserved tracks and traces can be found under the bentonite beds, which are mined throughout Wyoming. A research project was recently funded by the NSF EPSCoR program to investigate reports of various sites that may contain these little known trace fossils. The sites studied are areas that have been uncovered by bentonite mine activity through the cooperation of the mining companies, landowners, and the BLM. Results from this study suggest that many of these traces are vertebrate in origin and represent new ichnotaxa.