Paleontological resource inventory and monitoring: Northeast Temperate Network

Tweet, Justin; Santucci, Vincent; Kenworthy, Jason

The paleontological resources of the parks of the NETN are relatively uncommon, and many occurrences have not yet been studied in detail. In situ fossils are typically Lower Paleozoic marine invertebrate fossils, Pleistocene marine invertebrate fossils, or Quaternary paleoecological materials. There are a few less typical resources as well, including enigmatic soft-bodied organisms from the Precambrian at Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA), fossil resources in cultural resource contexts at Acadia National Park (ACAD) and BOHA, and a partial dinosaur skeleton associated with Springfield Armory National Historic Site (SPAR), not officially a part of the network but geographically within it. There is also one case of a fossil from one NPS unit in the collections of another as a cultural resource: a fossil fish from within or near what is now Fossil Butte National Park (FOBU) in the collections of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (MABI).The most diverse fossil resources are found at BOHA, which not only has Precambrian (more than 542 million years old) soft-bodied organisms and fossils found in cultural contexts, but a rich Quaternary (younger than 2.6 million years old) fossil record dominated by shelly marine invertebrates. ACAD also has Quaternary fossils and fossils from cultural contexts, but its fossils are not as well known as those of BOHA. The specimen associated with SPAR, the holotype or name-bearing specimen of the small dinosaur Anchisaurus polyzelus, is the only other fossil resource associated with a NETN unit to have been described in detail. Of the other occurrences, most are undescribed Paleozoic (between 542 and 251 million years old) marine fossils. The fossil record of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (APPA) is so far limited to Lower Paleozoic marine trace fossils and possibly some shells. Undescribed shell impressions are present at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt national historic sites (ROVA); included sites are Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (ELRO), Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (HOFR), and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (VAMA). ELRO and HOFR are also adjacent to a mastodon site. Undescribed marine invertebrates are also known from Saratoga National Historical Park (SARA). The only other park with known fossil resources is MABI, which has in its collections plant specimens from on-site Holocene marl, a fish from FOBU, and a few other items that may be fossils. Minute Man National Historical Park (MIMA), Morristown National Historical Park (MORR), Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (SAGA), Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (SAIR), and Weir Farm National Historic Site (WEFA) do not appear to contain paleontological resources at this time.

Paleontological resource inventory and monitoring: Northeast Temperate Network

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