MadSci Network: Earth Sciences
Query:

Re: What fossils were found in the polar region?

Date: Mon Feb 4 11:37:07 2002
Posted By: Dan Berger, Faculty Chemistry/Science, Bluffton College
Area of science: Earth Sciences
ID: 1007085326.Es
Message:

Cryolophosaurus elliotti What fossils were found in the polar region?

We are studing the polar regions,I picked paleontolgy found there because I like to study prehistoric animal and plant life.I am having problems locating info on fossils there.I could use some help,thanks,Robbie


Dear Robbie,

The first thing we should do is check the library. There are TONS of books on fossils, and many of them mention fossils from the polar regions.

The first thing most people actually do is a web search. I went to Google and searched for "polar fossils".

Lots of fossils have been found in polar regions. They range from the sort you don't find anywhere else--frozen animal carcasses from the last ice age--to the sort you find everywhere--fossil shells of small marine animals. There's a rich fossil bed on the North Slope of Alaska.

We need to distinguish between fossils found in current polar regions (Antarctica or northern Alaska or Siberia) from those from regions that were at the poles when the animals were alive. For example, southern Australia is no longer in the Antarctic regions, but it was in the early Cretaceous period. A rich Cretaceous polar ecosystem has been found at Dinosaur Cove, Australia, including a number of polar dinosaurs.

Few dinosaur fossils have been found on the continent of Antarctica itself, because the conditions are so unfavorable. The first dinosaur found there was Cryolophosaurus elliotti, informally named "Elvisaurus" from its head crest (see the picture linked at the top of this answer).

Here are some more Google searches that may help:

Dan Berger
Bluffton College
http://www.bluffton.edu/~bergerd



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