Vol. 20 (1996)
Multiparks National Forests

The Morrison Formation Extinct Ecosystems Project

Christine E. Turner
U.S. Geological Survey
Fred Peterson
U.S. Geological Survey
D. J. Chure
U.S. National Park Service
T. M. Demko
Exxon Production Research Co.
G. F. Engelmann
University of Nebraska

Published 1996-01-01

Abstract

The Morrison Project is a multidisciplinary effort to interpret the ancient ecosystem that was present in the Western Interior of the United States during deposition of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. The project began in June of 1994 and the first two years of research (1994-95, 1995-96) were devoted primarily to identifying problems and gathering information that would form the basis for later interpretations. Efforts during the final year (1996-97) were directed toward resolving remaining problems or conflicting findings and synthesizing the various research endeavors into a reconstruction of the Late Jurassic ecosystem.