Comparative Taphonomy, Taphofacies, and Bonebeds of the Mio-Pliocene Purisima Formation, Central California: Strong Physical Control on Marine Vertebrate Preservation in Shallow Marine Settings

Robert W. Boessenecker; Frank A. Perry; James G. Schmitt

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091419

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Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Comparative Taphonomy, Taphofacies, and Bonebeds of the Mio-Pliocene Purisima Formation, Central California: Strong Physical Control on Marine Vertebrate Preservation in Shallow Marine Settings

Robert W. Boessenecker ,

* E-mail: boessenecker@gmail.com

Current address: Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Affiliations Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America, University of California Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
⨯
Frank A. Perry,

Affiliation Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
⨯
James G. Schmitt

Affiliation Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
⨯

Comparative Taphonomy, Taphofacies, and Bonebeds of the Mio-Pliocene Purisima Formation, Central California: Strong Physical Control on Marine Vertebrate Preservation in Shallow Marine Settings

Robert W. Boessenecker,
Frank A. Perry,
James G. Schmitt

Published: March 13, 2014
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091419

About the Authors

Robert W. Boessenecker

* E-mail: boessenecker@gmail.com

Current address: Department of Geology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Affiliations Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America, University of California Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America

Frank A. Perry

Affiliation Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America

James G. Schmitt

Affiliation Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: RWB. Performed the experiments: RWB. Analyzed the data: RWB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: RWB FAP JGS. Wrote the paper: RWB FAP JGS.

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Lithofacies
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Vertebrates
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Taphonomy
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Marine fossils
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Teeth
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Skeleton
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Sediment
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Fossils
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