ALONG A PROMINENT BLOYD FORMATION EXPOSURE: ASTEROSOMA MORPHOLOGY AND DISPERSION

Asterosoma traces are exposed among Bloyd Formation outcroppings in the Big Piney District of the Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. One prominent exposure is along a waterfall where fallen blocks bare bedding surfaces with the densely-clustered traces. The strata were measured at this exposure to assist in discovery of more Asterosoma in the region. From clear photographs of the block faces, a series of measurements were taken from each trace using vector-based image editing software. The Asterosoma tracemakers produced a clear radial pattern of lobes with some additional sprieten textures, each cataloged with measurements from clear photos using the software. Location of trace centers, the number of lobes on each trace, angle between each lobe, and trace center spacing were determined to interpret the conditions and potential biodiversity of the ancient environment the tracemakers inhabited. The shallow marine conditions represented in this section of the Bloyd Formation strata were active enough to host this community of organisms, persistently, indicated by the presence of these traces through multiple layers of the exposure. More work will determine if this particular type of community is present in other portions of the Bloyd Formation in the region.