The Morrison Formation Revisited: Polished Bones and Enigmatic Contacts
Dr. Robert G. Raynolds
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado School of Mines, Friends of Dinosaur Ridge
Abstract
This talk will review the basic framework of the Morrison Formation at Dinosaur Ridge west of Denver. Discussion will include an update on the stratigraphic record of the Type Morrison section preserved and exposed on Alameda Parkway. Environments of deposition, lower and upper boundary features, and issues of public communication will be covered. The beautifully displayed outcrops offer a natural classroom for visitors of all ages, with features including dinosaur bones and footprints well exposed. Many of the bones have become polished by the tender caress of 100,000's of school children. In conjunction with Jefferson County Open Space, the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge serve as the non-profit conservators of these resources. The presentation will place these outcrops into a regional context and highlight some of the research directions currently under way.
BIO
Bob Raynolds is a Consulting Geologist, a Research Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.