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Scanning Electron Microscopic Analysis of Fossil Bone (Mosasaurs) from Marine Deposits of the Upper Cretaceous of North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

M. Amy Sheldon
M. Amy Sheldon*
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Physical Therapy, University of Mobile, 3 Infirmary Circle, Suite 308, Mobile, AL36607
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Extract

Research into bone histology of fossil material is a growing area of inquiry in vertebrate paleontology. Incorporating histological study into ontogenetic investigation presents new opportunities for gaining data to better understand ontogeny, ecology, and evolution of mosasaurs. Adding scanning electron microscopy to the growing technology being applied to fossil research can only further the understanding of long extinct animals.

Mosasaurs were totally marine lizards which inhabited both open ocean and epicontinental seas during the late Cretaceous (Turonian through Maestrichtian), approximately 90-65. million years ago. Mosasaurs have been collected from many areas of North America. The specimens used in this study were collected from Alabama, Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas. I have restricted the fossil material for destructive analysis to ribs and vertebrae. Ribs have not been shown to have importance in morphological analysis relating to systematics or evolution, therefore their destruction does not imped the research of others. Vertebrae were isolated on outcrop but could be identified to genus and growth stage.

Type
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 5 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '99, Microscopy Society of America 57th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 33rd Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon August 1-5, 1999 , August 1999 , pp. 328 - 329
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

1.Sheldon, A. and Donachy, J. E.. Biomineralization, Oceanographique, Monaco (1996) 369–375Google Scholar
2.Bell, G. L.. Ancient Marine Reptiles, Academic Press (1997) 302–332Google Scholar
3. Appreciation is extended to the staff and for access to faculties supplied by the Department of Pathology, University of South Alabama Medical Center, Mobile Alabama.Google Scholar