SGER: Excavations of a Pliocene Fossil Cormorant Locality in Florida

1989年春天，发现了一个新的独特的化石存款 在萨拉索塔理查森路贝壳坑的Pinecrest床， 佛罗里达县。 该存款主要由完整的 一种鸬鹚的骨头和关节骨架 （Phalacrocoracidae）以及数百个骨骼和耳石， 海鱼。 如此完整的一种鸟类样本 罕见，只有一个其他地方在北美（骨谷， 佛罗里达，4.5 Ma;见Becker 1985）已经产生了大量的 （一）完整的（但没有相关的）鸬鹚骨骼。 资金 NSF SGER赠款计划将允许挖掘这种独特的化石 在遗址被侵蚀、掠夺和采矿作业破坏之前， 因为这个地方正面临着彻底毁灭的危险， SGER计划的拨款将允许立即采取行动，以确保 这些沉积物被适当地挖掘和研究。 这些 挖掘工作将恢复大量的化石 并提供了关于这个组合如何 形成了

In spring 1989, a new and unique fossil deposit was uncovered in the Pinecrest Beds at the Richardson Road Shell Pit, Sarasota County, Florida. This deposit is composed primarily of complete bones and articulated skeletons of one species of cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae) as well as hundreds of bones and otoliths of marine fish. Such a complete sample of one species of bird is rare, and only one other locality in North America (Bone Valley, Florida, 4.5 Ma; see Becker 1985) has produced a large sample of complete (but no associated) bones of cormorant. Funds from the NSF SGER grants program will allow excavation of this unique fossil site before it is lost to erosion, looting and mining operations. Because this site is in imminent danger of total destruction, a grant from the SGER program will allow immediate action to ensure that the deposits are properly excavated and studied. these excavations will result in the recovery of substantial fossil material and provide taphonomic information on how this assemblage formed.