Joint 55th Annual North-Central / 55th Annual South-Central Section Meeting - 2021

Paper No. 2-1
Presentation Time: 1:00 PM

NEW CRETACEOUS FOSSILS FROM UTAH: TESTING SPECIES IDENTITY, REPRODUCTION STRATEGY, AND PALEOENVIRONMENT


O’MEARA, Kelly, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

In this project, I will identify and analyze a set of newly collected fossil crustaceans from the Jurassic Moenave Formation in Southwestern Utah. These crustaceans belong to the Order Spinicaudata. Spinicaudatan fossils from North America are poorly known, and these fossils likely represent new species. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging will be used to analyze and classify these spinicaudatan specimens. Spinicaudatans live exclusively in temporary pond environments, and are key environmental indicators that can be used to help reconstruct the Mesozoic environment in North America. This work is important in expanding our understanding of this important order of freshwater crustaceans.