Chickasaw National Recreation Area paleontological resources inventory (Public Version)
Korn AS, Armstrong ML, Santucci VL, Tweet J. 2016. Chickasaw National Recreation Area paleontological resources inventory (Public Version). Natural Resource Report. NPS/CHIC/NRR—2016/1276. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CHIC), located in south-central Oklahoma east of the Arbuckle Mountains, encompasses 4,001.87 ha (9,888.83 acres) of land. CHIC is best known for its wildlife, water recreation and historic Platt District. Visitors are less aware of the paleontological resources that occur in the park. During the summer of 2016, a comprehensive field inventory of paleontological resources within CHIC was conducted. The National Park Service hired two paleontology interns through the Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Program to conduct the inventory. The inventory process involved primary literature research, an extensive field survey of fossiliferous units, and inventories of collections and repositories. The field survey yielded eight new fossiliferous localities, with varying quantities of invertebrate fossils, and eight previously unidentified taxa within CHIC. This is the first report to document that the Deese Group and Sycamore Limestone are fossiliferous within the recreation area. Fossils are still present at all previously known localities (e.g. M10), except for those localities now submerged under the Lake of the Arbuckles (e.g. Girty’s USGS 3981). All fossiliferous and potentially fossiliferous units, especially those around the Lake of the Arbuckles, should be regularly monitored by park staff because heavy rainstorms and erosion could expose undocumented paleontological resources over time. Collections were made of the representative fauna found within CHIC and 73 lots were accessioned into the museum collections. Some of these specimens will be given to Interpretative staff for educational use. Paleontology-themed presentations, a wayside template, and a web bulletin on the fossils found within CHIC have been provided to the Interpretation staff. This inventory report will provide a baseline source of information critical for future research, monitoring plans, and paleontological decisions at CHIC.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Korn, Alysia; Armstrong, Madison; Santucci, Vincent; Tweet, Justin
- Date of Issue
- 2016-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CHIC , NRSS
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Paleontology | Paleontology