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Paleontology in Vermont

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marl pit Rolla Gleason’s farm." In 2014, the 1848 mammoth tooth and tusk were designated as the state terrestrial fossils of Vermont, with the beluga whale skeleton being redesignated as the state marine fossil. The beluga whale is permanently housed at the Perkins Geology Museum in Burlington, with the mammoth remains housed at the Mount Holly Community Historical Museum in Belmont.
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as being situated in a mud bed about a mile and a half from the Winooski River. A year later, a tusk was discovered in Brattleboro by some laborers who were digging out muck for manure. This fossil was brought to Phelps, who also reported a second set of mammoth remains in Richmond in 1866, dug "from
405:. In 1950, an abundance of fossils were discovered on the Connecticut River three miles southwest of Claremont, New Hampshire. These included corals, brachiopods, crinoids, cephalopods, and a possible trilobite. The fossils date back to the Silurian or Devonian periods. More recently, in 240:. Contemporary local marine animals also left behind fossil tracks and trails. As the Ordovician progressed the sea covering the state deepened. Sea levels rose even further during the ensuing 793: 346:
ventured into the state. After the glaciers melted and their weight was no longer depressing the elevation of the local land compared to the sea, the area was finally cut off from salt water.
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are generally uncommon in Vermont. Nevertheless, however, significant finds have been made in the state. Very few fossils are known in Vermont east of the
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periods are absent from the state's rock record because local sediments were eroding away instead of being deposited during that interval.
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Some of the first scientifically documented fossil finds in Vermont occurred in the mid-19th century. In 1848 men working on the
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caused widespread geological upheaval during the Devonian. The geological forces involved with this orogeny
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it was the most primitive known trilobite in the world. Contemporary local marine animals also left behind
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Weishampel, D.B. & L. Young. 1996. Dinosaurs of the East Coast. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
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fossils are known from Vermont. Therefore, the state's fossil record does not begin until the
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era is likewise absent from the local rock record due to erosion with the exception of some
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Hunting for Fossils: A Guide to Finding and Collecting Fossils in All 50 States
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The warm, shallow sea that covered Cambrian Vermont remained in place into the
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Mehrtens, Charlotte J., Dale Springer, and Judy Scotchmoor. August 14, 2008. "
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due to the type of rock underlying that area. During the early part of the
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scoured the state. At times the state was inundated by seawater, allowing
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Mehrtens, Springer, and Scotchmoor (2008); "Paleontology and geology".
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to venture in. After the seawater drained away the state was home to
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was discovered. Since then, it has been locally known as the '
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was one Vermont trilobite. At the time of its discovery near
134:. In 1950 a major Paleozoic invertebrate find occurred. The 38:
research occurring within or conducted by people from the
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as a result of the same geologic forces that broke apart
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or destroyed much of the contemporary rock. The ensuing
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Paleontological research in the U.S. state of Vermont
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Weishampel and Young (1996); "Introduction", page 2.
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region. An interval of mountain building called the
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At the time, Vermont was home to 438:Fossil-bearing Geologic Formations 338:period the state was covered with 14: 1112:Science and technology in Vermont 803:Paleontology in the United States 520:Museums & Places with Fossils 671: 606: 526:Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium 737:. Collier Books. p. 348. 729:. Accessed September 21, 2012. 558:Perkins Geology Museum at the 1: 632:Paleontology in New Hampshire 627:Paleontology in Massachusetts 326:for the entire length of the 307:rocks that formed during the 544:Montshire Museum of Science 421:was designated the Vermont 322:The gap continues into the 252:life from Vermont included 236:and in the region north of 1128: 1107:Natural history of Vermont 762:Geologic units in Vermont 637:Paleontology in New York 382:, teeth, and bones of a 270:Claremont, New Hampshire 1097:Paleontology in Vermont 733:Murray, Marian (1974). 727:The Paleontology Portal 187:. This sea was home to 32:Paleontology in Vermont 674:; "Vermont", page 274. 367: 168: 28: 560:University of Vermont 535:Fleming Museum of Art 459:Fort Cassin Formation 449:Crown Point Formation 418:Delphinapterus leucas 401:cut near the town of 361: 206:Olenellus vermontanus 161: 143:Delphinapterus leucas 22: 767:Paleoportal: Vermont 334:periods. During the 201:Princeton University 23:The location of the 614:Paleontology portal 495:Frank Hall Knowlton 454:Day Point Formation 315:. Nevertheless, no 203:geological museum. 485:Middletown Springs 368: 169: 29: 1084: 1083: 584:The Nature Museum 481:Walter W. Granger 469:Valcour Formation 444:Beekmantown Group 396:Chittenden County 274:Connecticut River 244:period. Possible 98:periods. The few 1119: 1078:Washington, D.C. 1072:Federal district 796: 789: 782: 773: 748: 710: 707: 701: 698: 675: 669: 616: 611: 610: 609: 501:on September 2, 464:Orwell Limestone 399:Rutland Railroad 282:Acadian Oreogeny 25:state of Vermont 1127: 1126: 1122: 1121: 1120: 1118: 1117: 1116: 1087: 1086: 1085: 1080: 1066: 805: 800: 758: 745: 732: 718: 713: 708: 704: 699: 678: 670: 649: 645: 612: 607: 605: 602: 522: 515:on May 23, 1794 509:Zadock Thompson 487:on November 7, 477: 440: 392:Charlotte whale 356: 197:Franklin County 156: 146:is the Vermont 52:Green Mountains 36:paleontological 17: 12: 11: 5: 1125: 1123: 1115: 1114: 1109: 1104: 1099: 1089: 1088: 1082: 1081: 1076: 1074: 1068: 1067: 1065: 1064: 1059: 1054: 1049: 1044: 1039: 1034: 1029: 1024: 1019: 1014: 1012:South Carolina 1009: 1004: 999: 994: 989: 984: 979: 977:North Carolina 974: 969: 964: 959: 954: 949: 944: 939: 934: 929: 924: 919: 914: 909: 904: 899: 894: 889: 884: 879: 874: 869: 864: 859: 854: 849: 844: 839: 834: 829: 824: 819: 813: 811: 807: 806: 801: 799: 798: 791: 784: 776: 770: 769: 764: 757: 756:External links 754: 753: 752: 749: 743: 730: 717: 714: 712: 711: 702: 676: 646: 644: 641: 640: 639: 634: 629: 624: 618: 617: 601: 598: 597: 596: 590: 581: 572: 566: 556: 550: 541: 532: 521: 518: 517: 516: 506: 492: 476: 475:Notable people 473: 472: 471: 466: 461: 456: 451: 446: 439: 436: 431:John W. Phelps 378:uncovered the 376:Rutland County 355: 352: 211:Georgia Center 155: 152: 132:Rutland County 124:marine mammals 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1124: 1113: 1110: 1108: 1105: 1103: 1100: 1098: 1095: 1094: 1092: 1079: 1075: 1073: 1069: 1063: 1060: 1058: 1055: 1053: 1052:West Virginia 1050: 1048: 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1028: 1025: 1023: 1020: 1018: 1015: 1013: 1010: 1008: 1005: 1003: 1000: 998: 995: 993: 990: 988: 985: 983: 980: 978: 975: 973: 970: 968: 965: 963: 960: 958: 957:New Hampshire 955: 953: 950: 948: 945: 943: 940: 938: 935: 933: 930: 928: 925: 923: 920: 918: 917:Massachusetts 915: 913: 910: 908: 905: 903: 900: 898: 895: 893: 890: 888: 885: 883: 880: 878: 875: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 843: 840: 838: 835: 833: 830: 828: 825: 823: 820: 818: 815: 814: 812: 808: 804: 797: 792: 790: 785: 783: 778: 777: 774: 768: 765: 763: 760: 759: 755: 750: 746: 744:9780020935506 740: 736: 731: 728: 724: 720: 719: 715: 706: 703: 697: 695: 693: 691: 689: 687: 685: 683: 681: 677: 673: 672:Murray (1974) 668: 666: 664: 662: 660: 658: 656: 654: 652: 648: 642: 638: 635: 633: 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 619: 615: 604: 599: 595: 591: 589: 585: 582: 580: 576: 573: 571: 567: 565: 561: 557: 555: 551: 549: 545: 542: 540: 536: 533: 531: 530:St. Johnsbury 527: 524: 523: 519: 514: 510: 507: 504: 500: 496: 493: 490: 486: 482: 479: 478: 474: 470: 467: 465: 462: 460: 457: 455: 452: 450: 447: 445: 442: 441: 437: 435: 432: 428: 424: 420: 419: 415: 412: 408: 404: 400: 397: 393: 389: 385: 381: 377: 373: 365: 360: 353: 351: 349: 345: 341: 337: 333: 329: 325: 320: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 291: 290:Carboniferous 287: 286:metamorphosed 283: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 218: 216: 215:fossil tracks 212: 208: 207: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 182: 179:. During the 178: 174: 166: 165: 160: 153: 151: 149: 145: 144: 140: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 114:. During the 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 85: 84:Carboniferous 81: 77: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 26: 21: 1036: 1017:South Dakota 1007:Rhode Island 1002:Pennsylvania 982:North Dakota 734: 705: 511:was born in 497:was born in 483:was born in 423:state fossil 416: 414:Beluga whale 369: 321: 299:The ensuing 298: 219: 217:and trails. 204: 189:ostracoderms 170: 162: 148:state fossil 141: 139:Beluga whale 76:ostracoderms 31: 30: 932:Mississippi 847:Connecticut 723:Vermont, US 513:Bridgewater 411:Pleistocene 258:cephalopods 254:brachiopods 173:Precambrian 136:Pleistocene 112:rock record 64:brachiopods 1091:Categories 1047:Washington 967:New Mexico 962:New Jersey 837:California 716:References 579:Burlington 564:Burlington 539:Burlington 336:Quaternary 309:Cretaceous 238:Montpelier 234:Northfield 230:cup corals 222:Ordovician 193:trilobites 154:Prehistory 100:Cretaceous 80:trilobites 40:U.S. state 34:comprises 1057:Wisconsin 1022:Tennessee 927:Minnesota 902:Louisiana 643:Footnotes 403:Charlotte 362:A living 348:Mastodons 328:Paleogene 177:Paleozoic 164:Olenellus 128:mastodons 104:Paleogene 56:Paleozoic 1042:Virginia 992:Oklahoma 972:New York 947:Nebraska 937:Missouri 922:Michigan 912:Maryland 897:Kentucky 877:Illinois 852:Delaware 842:Colorado 832:Arkansas 600:See also 570:Marlboro 427:Richmond 372:railroad 340:glaciers 324:Cenozoic 317:dinosaur 301:Mesozoic 278:Westmore 276:and the 266:cystoids 262:crinoids 250:Devonian 246:Silurian 242:Silurian 226:crinoids 181:Cambrian 120:glaciers 96:Jurassic 92:Triassic 72:crinoids 1062:Wyoming 1037:Vermont 942:Montana 882:Indiana 862:Georgia 857:Florida 827:Arizona 817:Alabama 594:Grafton 588:Grafton 554:Belmont 548:Norwich 499:Brandon 384:mammoth 354:History 332:Neogene 313:Pangaea 305:igneous 294:Permian 272:on the 116:Ice Age 108:Neogene 88:Permian 48:Fossils 44:Vermont 997:Oregon 952:Nevada 892:Kansas 867:Hawaii 822:Alaska 810:States 741:  409:, the 364:beluga 344:Whales 78:, and 68:corals 1027:Texas 907:Maine 872:Idaho 388:whale 94:, or 1032:Utah 987:Ohio 887:Iowa 739:ISBN 503:1860 489:1872 407:1993 380:tusk 330:and 292:and 228:and 191:and 106:and 725:." 374:in 248:or 185:sea 171:No 60:sea 42:of 1093:: 679:^ 650:^ 586:, 577:, 562:, 546:, 537:, 528:, 264:, 260:, 256:, 150:. 118:, 90:, 86:, 74:, 70:, 66:, 46:. 795:e 788:t 781:v 747:. 505:. 491:. 366:. 167:. 27:.

Index


state of Vermont
paleontological
U.S. state
Vermont
Fossils
Green Mountains
Paleozoic
sea
brachiopods
corals
crinoids
ostracoderms
trilobites
Carboniferous
Permian
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
rock record
Ice Age
glaciers
marine mammals
mastodons
Rutland County
Pleistocene
Beluga whale
Delphinapterus leucas

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