AboutRalph Salier Expertise Archaeologist for the last 30 years. Norh American generalist and Hopwell culture/Red Ocher culture specifically. Lithics Expert and Ground Stone tools.
Experience
Past/Present clients Numerous museums in US and Canada. Several University Anthropology Departments.
Question QUESTION: I read A letter from someone asking where the nearest k/t boundry fossils could be found in California! You answered utah and montana look at my website http://www.pterodactylfossilsforsale.com/ Photo's of fossils from Santa Cruz County! Pterodactyl and rhamphorhycoidea! are from the k/t boundry arnt they ?
ANSWER: Hi Ken,
Below is an article that in part responds to your question:
Cordilleran Section Meeting - 105th Annual Meeting (7-9 May 2009)
Paper No. 15-8
Presentation Time: 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE OF THE K-T IMPACT IN CALIFORNIA: A SYNTHESIS
MILLER, Russell V., 206 S Thomas St, Orange, CA 92869-3930, rmiller@consrv.ca.gov and BUSCH, Lawrence L., P.O. Box 1653, Julian, CA 92306
Previous empirical evidence and modeling indicate that the following events occurred as a result of the K-T impact at Chicxulub, Yucatan, Mexico: 1) Impact blast; 2) ejecta fallout; 3) a tsunami sequence; 4) rapid atmospheric heating, followed by atmospheric cooling; and 5) acidic aerosol generation and rain-out. We hypothesize that heretofore unrecognized evidence of some of these events are preserved in the stratigraphic record in California.
In California (and elsewhere), lowest Tertiary rocks are characterized by kaolinitization. Examples in California include the Paleocene Silverado, Simi Conglomerate, and Goler Formations; and basal units of the “Eocene” Ione, Walker, and Maniobra Formations. Components common to most of these formations include kaolinitized sediment and basement (saprolite); pisolitic claystone; lignite; and small lenses of hematite-rich rock.
The classical (uniformitarian) interpretation is that these deposits formed as a result of an extended period of weathering and paleosol formation in a warm, humid environment. However, kaolinitized continental lower units of the Silverado Formation are tightly bracketed stratigraphically by an erosional unconformity on the Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian Stage) marine Pleasants Sandstone Member of the Williams Formation, below; and the lower Paleocene (Martinez Stage) transgressive marine member of the Silverado Formation, above. The Simi is similarly constrained.
We propose an alternate model in which the observed intensive kaolinitization of sediment and basement resulted when impact-generated acidic solutions collected in and saturated sediment-filled fluvial channels, continental basins, and estuarine/lagoonal environments.
Research is proceeding to identify evidence in the K-T boundary transition in California¯such as the presence of shocked quartz¯to potentially establish a direct link with the Chicxulub impact.
Cordilleran Section Meeting - 105th Annual Meeting (7-9 May 2009)
General Information for this Meeting
So, it seems that this kaolinization may have something to do with the KT boundry but work is still ongoing to find absolute proof.
As for the finds in Santa Cruz, These materials may come from this time frame but could be much older.
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QUESTION: I originaly thought my Pterasaurs where 144 150 million years old. Although I don't have ant way of testing them I have A few eggs and some sea shells not shown, the fransiscan formation has three islands in the santa cruz mountains from this time. I have noticed that not much has been discovered in my county ! And I was wondering if you know of anywhere I can get publicity or free dateing ?
Answer Hi Ken,
I believe that the UC San Diego campus has one of the best Geology Departments in the UC system. They may be able to date your materials but it is more important for them to see the materials, and where they were found so that they can collect the materials above and below the "find" strata for the dating. (Typically this is volcanic ash that lays in thin layers thus providing the dating for the strata below and above, thus bracketing the deposit's date.)
I do hope that these finds have been made on private lands where you had permission to look since the state of California has very strict rules about materials found on California public lands and the rules are even more strict when it comes to federal lands.
