Edward Branson

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Edward B. Branson was an American geologist and paleontologist. He was a professor of geology at the University of Missouri.

Contents

Overview of career

Branson earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago and joined the Geology department at the University of Missouri in 1911. During his doctoral studies, he had spent time searching for fossils near Lander, Wyoming and so he determined to set up a camp for the hands-on study of geology and paleontology nearby. Also in 1911, he came to Lander with a group of students and established the Missouri Field Geology Camp, which is now known as the Branson Field Laboratory, near Sinks Canyon State Park. [1] The Branson Field Laboratory appears to be the oldest continually operated field geology camp in the United States. Eventually Branson formed a scientific partnership with Maurice "Doc" Mehl, another Chicago graduate who joined the Missouri faculty in 1919. Branson retired in 1948, which is when the camp was renamed in his honor. [2]

Contributions

In 1915, he wrote a paper on the origin of thick gypsum and salt deposits. [3]

In 1931, he and Mehl described the extinct genus of heterostracan agnathan Cardipeltis in the Jefferson Formation of Utah. [4]

in 1932, Branson and Mehl reported the presence of Carboniferous-aged fossil footprints of a new ichnospecies in the Tensleep Formation of Wyoming. They named the tracks Steganoposaurus belli and attributed them to an amphibian nearly three feet in length.
The same year, he and Mehl named a new kind of Late Triassic dinosaur footprint discovered in the Popo Agie Formation of western Wyoming. The new ichnogenus and species was named Agialopus wyomingensis .

In 1933, also with Mehl, he described the conodont species Wurmiella excavata .

In 1934, with Mehl, he described the conodont genera Pseudopolygnathus and Ancyrognathus . [5]

In 1938, with Mehl, he reviewed the conodont genus Icriodus . [6]

In 1941, he and Mehl described several conodont genera: [7] Bactrognathus , Doliognathus , Scaliognathus , Staurognathus and Taphrognathus .
Also in 1941, with C.C. Branson, he reviewed the geology of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. [8]

In 1944, he described with Mehl the conodont genus Siphonodella . [9]

In 1947, with C.C. Branson, he reviewed the Lower Silurian conodonts from Kentucky. [10]

In 1951, with Mehl and C.C. Branson, he published an article about the Richmond Group conodonts of Kentucky and Indiana. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "Branson Field Laboratory – Teaching Field Geology Since 1911". University of Missouri College of Arts and Sciences: Geology Field Camp. March 16, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ Pryor, Mick (July 15, 2022). "#Lookback: Missouri Geology Camp Branson Field Laboratory". County 10. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ Origin of thick gypsum and salt deposits. E. B. Branson, GSA Bulletin, volume 26, no. 1, pagess 231-242, doi : 10.1130/GSAB-26-231
  4. ↑ Fishes of the Jefferson Formation of Utah. E. B. Branson and M. G. Mehl, The Journal of Geology, Vol. 39, No. 6 (Aug. - Sep., 1931), pages 509-531 (Stable URL, retrieved 29 April 2016)
  5. ↑ Conodonts from Glassy Creek Shale of Missouri. EB Branson and MG Mehl, Univ. Missouri Studies, 1934
  6. ↑ The Conodont Genus Icriodus and Its Stratigraphic Distribution. E. B. Branson and M. G. Mehl, Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Mar., 1938), pages 156-166 (Stable URL retrieved 29 April 2016)
  7. ↑ New and Little Known Carboniferous Conodont Genera. E. B. Branson and M. G. Mehl, Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Mar., 1941), pages 97-106 (Stable URL, retrieved 29 April 2015)
  8. ↑ Geology of Wind River Mountains, Wyoming. E. B. Branson and C. C. Branson, AAPG Bulletin, Volume: 25 (1941), Issue: 1. (January), pages 120-151 (abstract retrieved 29 April 2016)
  9. ↑ Conodonts. EB Branson and MG Mehl, in HW Shimer and RR Shrock, Index Fossils of North America. 1944
  10. ↑ Lower Silurian Conodonts from Kentucky. E. B. Branson and C. C. Branson, Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 21, No. 6 (Nov., 1947), pages 549-556 (Stable URL retrieved 29 April 2016)
  11. ↑ Richmond Conodonts of Kentucky and Indiana. E. B. Branson, M. G. Mehl and C. C. Branson, Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan., 1951), pages 1-17 (Stable URL retrieved 29 April 2016)
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