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| Waukesha Dolomite | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Silurian | |
| Type | Formation |
| Location | |
| Region | Wisconsin |
| Country | United States |
The Waukesha Dolomite is a geologic formation in Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period. [1]
Paleontology in Illinois refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Illinois. Scientists have found that Illinois was covered by a sea during the Paleozoic Era. Over time this sea was inhabited by animals including brachiopods, clams, corals, crinoids, sea snails, sponges, and trilobites.
Paleontology in Wisconsin refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The state has fossils from the Precambrian, much of the Paleozoic, some a parts of the Mesozoic and the later part of the Cenozoic. Most of the Paleozoic rocks are marine in origin. Because of the thick blanket of Pleistocene glacial sediment that covers the rock strata in most of the state, Wisconsin’s fossil record is relatively sparse. In spite of this, certain Wisconsin paleontological occurrences provide exceptional insights concerning the history and diversity of life on Earth.
Paleontology in Minnesota refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Minnesota. The geologic record of Minnesota spans from Precambrian to recent with the exceptions of major gaps including the Silurian period, the interval from the Middle to Upper Devonian to the Cretaceous, and the Cenozoic. During the Precambrian, Minnesota was covered by an ocean where local bacteria ended up forming banded iron formations and stromatolites. During the early part of the Paleozoic era southern Minnesota was covered by a shallow tropical sea that would come to be home to creatures like brachiopods, bryozoans, massive cephalopods, corals, crinoids, graptolites, and trilobites. The sea withdrew from the state during the Silurian, but returned during the Devonian. However, the rest of the Paleozoic is missing from the local rock record. The Triassic is also missing from the local rock record and Jurassic deposits, while present, lack fossils. Another sea entered the state during the Cretaceous period, this one inhabited by creatures like ammonites and sawfish. Duckbilled dinosaurs roamed the land. The Paleogene and Neogene periods of the ensuing Cenozoic era are also missing from the local rock record, but during the Ice Age evidence points to glacial activity in the state. Woolly mammoths, mastodons, and musk oxen inhabited Minnesota at the time. Local Native Americans interpreted such remains as the bones of the water monster Unktehi. They also told myths about thunder birds that may have been based on Ice Age bird fossils. By the early 19th century, the state's fossil had already attracted the attention of formally trained scientists. Early research included the Cretaceous plant discoveries made by Leo Lesquereux.
The Cordell Formation is a geologic formation in Michigan. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Rochester Shale is a geologic formation exposed in New York and West Virginia. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Louisville Limestone is a geologic formation in Ohio. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Bisher Formation is a geologic formation in Ohio. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Osgood Formation, also known as the Osgood Shale is a geologic formation in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Laurel Formation, also known as the Laurel Limestone or the Laurel Dolomite, is a geologic formation in Indiana and Kentucky. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Racine Dolomite is a geologic formation in Illinois and Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Manistique Formation is a geologic formation in Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Byron Formation is a geologic formation in Michigan and Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Brandon Bridge Formation is a geologic formation in Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period, including those of graptolites, conodonts and Parioscorpio.
The Mayville Formation is a geologic formation in Wisconsin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period. It is the principle cliff-forming unit in the Niagara Escarpment.
The Manitoulin Dolomite is a geologic formation in Ontario. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Merrimack Formation is a geologic formation in Quebec. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
The Gun River Formation is a geologic formation in Quebec. It preserves fossils dating back to the early Silurian period.
The Cabot Head Shale is a geologic formation in Michigan. It preserves fossils dating back to the Silurian period.
Parioscorpio is an extinct genus of arthropod containing the species P. venator known from the Silurian-aged Waukesha Biota of the Brandon Bridge Formation near Waukesha, Wisconsin. This animal has gone through a confusing taxonomic history, being called an arachnid, crustacean, and an artiopodan arthropod at various points. This animal is one of the more famous fossil finds from Wisconsin, due to the media coverage it received based on its original description in 2020 as a basal scorpion.
The Waukesha Biota is an important fossil site located in Waukesha County and Franklin, Milwaukee County within the state of Wisconsin. This biota is preserved in certain strata within the Brandon Bridge Formation, which dates to the early Silurian period. It is known for the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied organisms, including many species found nowhere else in rocks of similar age. The site's discovery was announced in 1985, leading to a plethora of discoveries. This biota is one of the few well studied Lagerstätten from the Silurian, making it important in our understanding of the period's biodiversity. Some of the species are not easily classified into known animal groups, showing that much research remains to be done on this site. Other taxa that are normally common in Silurian deposits are rare here, but trilobites are quite common.
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