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Three-Dimensional Analysis of River Deposits from the Paleocene-Eocene of Wyoming
Three-Dimensional Analysis of River Deposits from the Paleocene-Eocene of Wyoming
Three-dimensional (3D) features of sedimentary outcrops can provide insights into the environments, hydrology, and tectonic settings in which the rocks formed. In river systems, one such feature are cross-sets, which preserve fluvial responses to environmental shifts. Measurements of the thicknesses and variation among these cross-sets can reveal changes in river behavior, such as flash flooding and channel migration. To better analyze these cross-sets, I construct photogrammetric models of cross-sets in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming using structure from motion (SfM). I then use these models to extract detailed measurements from outcrops that are otherwise challenging to quantify in the field. My current work explores various hypotheses regarding the extent of change in river behavior before, during, and after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and I hope to provide additional insights into how the fluvial rock record preserves unsteady versus steady flow regimes.
Mentors and Collaborators: Dr. Bolton Howes (Wheaton College), Dr. Brady Z. Foreman (Western Washington University), Dr. Akshay Mehra (University of Washington)
Above: Cross-set hoodoo in the Bighorn Basin, WY
Left: 3D model of outcrop with markers denoting cross-sets and point bars (not measured)
The Osteoderms of the Pareiasaur Bunostegos akokanensis
The Osteoderms of the Pareiasaur Bunostegos akokanensis
Bunostegos akokanensis is an early pareiasaur from the middle to late Permian Moradi Formation of northern Niger. Pareiasaurs were large, herbivorous parareptiles known for their bony armor, or osteoderms. However, existing descriptions of pareiasaur osteoderms are often inconsistent or unclear. In this project, I conducted a detailed analysis of the osteoderms of B. akokanensis, identifying their morphology and arrangement, and used these observations to confirm its phylogenetic position among other pareiasaurs. Our work expands the framework for identifying pareiasaurs based on osteodermal features, and we highlight multiple traits that should be included in future cladistic analyses.
Resulting Publication: Novak, F., Ide, O. A., & Sidor, C. A. (2025). The vertebrate fauna of the upper Permian of Niger—XII. The osteoderms of Bunostegos akokanensis (Parareptilia: Pareiasauria). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, e2532707.
Mentors and Collaborators: Dr. Christian A. Sidor (University of Washington), Dr. Omarou Amadou Ide (Université de Niamey, Republique du Niger)
Left: Articulated osteoderms of Bunostegos akokanensis with taxonomic labels. From Novak et al.
Investigating the Braincase of a Burnetiamorph Synapsid
Investigating the Braincase of a Burnetiamorph Synapsid
In my newest project, I am segmenting a computed tomography (CT) scan of a skullcap of Bondoceras bulborhynchus from the Permian of Zambia. Bondoceras is a burnetiamorph, an early group of therapsids that are known for their cranial ornamentation and pachyostosis. As an early branch in the clade that would eventually give rise to mammals, studying their braincase can provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of the mammalian brain.
Mentor: Dr. Christian A. Sidor (University of Washington)
Right: Skullcap of Bondoceras bulborhynchus. Photograph from: Sidor, C. A. (2023). New and historical specimens of burnetiamorph therapsids, with comments on ontogeny, biogeography, and bizarre structures. Palaeontologica africana 56: 16–35
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