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North-Central Section - 46th Annual Meeting (23–24 April 2012)

Paper No. 3
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM

THE MOST COMPLETE VERTEBRAL COLUMN OF DUNKLEOSTEUS TERRELLI: RESULTS OF THE CONTINUING LATE DEVONIAN CLEVELAND SHALE (FAMENNIAN) FISH RESEARCH AT THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY


JACKSON, Gary1, CHAPMAN, David1, BOYLE, James T.2, ZELINSKI, Dale1, MARTIN, Terry G.1, KLUNDER, Joseph F.1, REICH, Kurt3, REICH, Mark4, ROBISON, Terry L.5 and RYAN, Michael J.1, (1)Dept. of Vertebrate Paleontology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr, University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106, (2)Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 126 Cooke Hall, North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260, (3)24785 Gessner Rd, North Olmstead, OH 44070, (4)5891 Rockport Lane, Fairview Park, OH 44126, (5)Natural Resources Division, Cleveland Metroparks, 4500 Valley Parkway, Fairview Park, OH 44126, gjackson@cmnh.org

The existence of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) is based, in large part, on the rich fossil resources of the Late Devonian (Famennian) Cleveland Shale in the Cleveland area. In the 1830's, a group of amateur natural historians put their large collection of fossils and natural artifacts on display for the public. This collection formed the basis for the foundation of the CMNH in 1920. The Vertebrate Paleontology (VP) Department was established in 1923 as the “Department of Geology and Paleontology”. Its first collector and preparator, Peter A. Bungart also helped amass significant fossil fish collections for the American Museum of Natural History and what is now the Natural History Museum (London), and was instrumental in establishing the study of Devonian fish in North America. The department's first curator, Dr. David H. Dunkle, established the new arthrodire Bungartius perissus in 1947 in Bungart's honor based on the only known two specimens, currently housed at the CMNH. Dunkleosteus was named in Dunkle's honor in 1956. Subsequent work by Dunkle’s successor, Dr. Michael E. Williams investigated arthrodire feeding strategies and predator/prey relationships. Fossil fish collection, preparation and research continues on material collected, in part, from the Cleveland Metroparks. Assisted by the efforts of VP departmental volunteers and local enthusiasts, recent discoveries have included a new specimen of Titanichthys that is being used to rediagnosis this problematic taxon, and the most complete segment of vertebral column known for the Famennian arthrodire Dunkleosteus terrelli. The latter specimen includes a partially articulated skull with at least 12 plates, including lower jaws, and a 14.6 cm long section of at least 20 vertebrae (each approximately 2.5 cm wide x 0.7cm long) that came from a subadult-sized Dunkleosteus that is estimated to have exceeded 3 m in length.

Session No. 24--Booth# 3

Paleontology (Posters)
Tuesday, 24 April 2012: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
Exhibit Hall 101/102 (Dayton Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 44, No. 5, p.66
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