The Pleistocene Geology of the Middle ·Portion of the Elkhorn River Valley

The present report is a physiographic and paleontologic approach to the Pleistocene history of a portion of the Elkhorn River Valley in parts of Dodge, Cuming and Stanton counties in northeastern Nebraska. The area is important for correlation of deposits between the glacial and periglacial regions. Some of the critical stratigraphic units used for correlation in the Pleistocene of these regions are present in close association with the tills and contain fossils which make possible reliable statements on contemporaneity of deposits. The subsequent geologic history and present physiographic expression of this area have been greatly controlled and influenced by the Nebraskan and Kansan tills. It is hoped that this study will form a basis for further investigation of an area for which the geology has been largely unreported. J. E. Todd in 1899 described several exposures in the vicinity of West Point which are incorporated into this report. A. L. Lugn (1935) reported a gravel pit section within the borders of this report east of Norfolk and made general comments on Pleistocene deposits along the Elkhorn River to the east. The area has not been test drilled and, therefore, subsurface information is most limited. In a few cases information from commercial water-well drillers and others has been utilized. Fortunately, the lower part of the Elkhorn drainage has been investigated and reported (Lueninghoener 1947) and this information facilitates this present work. Lueninghoener\u27s treatment of the lower Platte River region presents the geologic information in a most satisfactory way. For this reason and because it will be convenient for future work in these contiguous areas, this report follows the general method of presentation employed in his paper

Problems of Paleontological Preservation in Iowa

A brief review of vertebrate paleontological work in Iowa reveals an early utilization of fossils in Pleistocene studies followed by a lapse in collecting and research until revived during the past decade. Legal measures enacted to protect paleontological materials have, in the opinion of many paleontologists, resulted in numerous federal and state regulations which are unrealistic and a hindrance to scientific endeavor. Efforts to modify or remove federal rules and regulations governing fossils are discussed. Legal restrictions do not constitute the primary problems of paleontological conservation in many states, including Iowa. Instead, the problems are those of (1) public education regarding the scientific value of fossils, (2) gaining the cooperation of individuals in reporting discoveries to qualified institutions, and (3) financing and handling the collection, preparation, curating, and study of paleontological specimens. These problems may be partially solved through sensible legislation, distribution of popular information about fossils, and encouraging nonprofessionals to assist in the program

A Late Wisconsin Giant Beaver in Northern Iowa

Few discoveries of giant beaver, Castoroides, remains have been made in Iowa and these have usually been found under circumstances precluding determination of their geologic ages. The specimen reported herein from near Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, was recovered from a peat bed which lies within the border of a late Wisconsin, probably Cary, terminal moraine. According to radiocarbon dates recently announced for organic muck overlying till in a nearby peat bog the minimum date for the till would have to be approximately 12,000 b.p., thus older than Two Creeks interstadial. This find, places the giant beaver in Iowa during Two Creeks time or possibly slightly later. This is the latest survival yet reported for this form in Iowa and compares favorably with its terminal date reported in Ohio. Other giant beaver finds in Iowa are described and some general statements are made about the development of this animal

Preliminary Geomorphological Studies of the Lime Creek Area & Preliminary Report on the Lime Creek Sites: New Evidence of Early Man in Southwestern Nebraska

PALEONTOLOGICAL and archaeological discoveries were made near Cambridge, Nebraska, by the University of Nebraska State Museum field party in the spring of 1947 (Schultz and Frankforter, 1948, pp. 279-280) . Fossils and artifacts were found in situ at the base of a fifty-foot terrace on Lime Creek (University of Nebraska State Museum Localities Ft-41 and Ft-42) and on Medicine Creek just below the mouth of Lime Creek (Ft-50). Lime Creek is located (Fig. 1) in southwestern Nebraska in the southeastern part of Frontier County. It is a tributary of Medicine Creek which in turn is a tributary to the Republican River. The paleontological material from this site reveals new information on the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary line problem-a fundamental problem in the over-all Pleistocene history of the region. A series of five topographic benches\u27 or terraces is developed (see Figs. 4 and 5) along the Republican River and its tributaries. Field studies indicate that these represent cycles of alluviation interrupted by erosional periods. A similarly developed series of terrace-fills in a contiguous region has been provisionally correlated with the sub-stages of the Wisconsin stage of Pleistocene continental glaciation (Lueninghoener, 1946). I N THE natural course of paleontological and geological explorations in Pleistocene deposits the fossil hunter often discovers evidence of man\u27s early occupation of North America. Artifacts and other cultural evidence are frequently found in direct association with the fossilized bones of various species of animals. Some of these remains represent extinct species while others can be referred to those found in North America today. Much is yet to be learned concerning the stratigraphic distribution of vertebrate life of the Pleistocene and the time of extinction of certain forms, but new evidence (see Schultz, Lueninghoener, and Frankforter, Part 1, Fig. 6 of this report) is constantly being accumulated which aids in clarifying the picture. In 1932 the University of Nebraska State Museum commenced a research program (Lugn, 1934, pp. 319-356; Schultz, 1934, pp. 357-393) in the field and laboratory relating to the stratigraphic distribution of the Pleistocene mammals and the study of extinction in the Great Plains. Since that time the major portion of the Museum\u27s field work has been directed to problems relating to the Pleistocene. The significance of terraces to the problems has been pointed out in Part 1 of this report (also in Schultz and Stout, 1945; 1948)

The Pleistocene Geology of the Middle ·Portion of the Elkhorn River Valley

The present report is a physiographic and paleontologic approach to the Pleistocene history of a portion of the Elkhorn River Valley in parts of Dodge, Cuming and Stanton counties in northeastern Nebraska. The area is important for correlation of deposits between the glacial and periglacial regions. Some of the critical stratigraphic units used for correlation in the Pleistocene of these regions are present in close association with the tills and contain fossils which make possible reliable statements on contemporaneity of deposits. The subsequent geologic history and present physiographic expression of this area have been greatly controlled and influenced by the Nebraskan and Kansan tills. It is hoped that this study will form a basis for further investigation of an area for which the geology has been largely unreported. J. E. Todd in 1899 described several exposures in the vicinity of West Point which are incorporated into this report. A. L. Lugn (1935) reported a gravel pit section within the borders of this report east of Norfolk and made general comments on Pleistocene deposits along the Elkhorn River to the east. The area has not been test drilled and, therefore, subsurface information is most limited. In a few cases information from commercial water-well drillers and others has been utilized. Fortunately, the lower part of the Elkhorn drainage has been investigated and reported (Lueninghoener 1947) and this information facilitates this present work. Lueninghoener\u27s treatment of the lower Platte River region presents the geologic information in a most satisfactory way. For this reason and because it will be convenient for future work in these contiguous areas, this report follows the general method of presentation employed in his paper

The Geologic History of the Bison in the Great Plains (A Preliminary Report)

THE GEOLOGIC history of the bison in North America is a subject which has received little attention to date. Osteological rather than geological problems have been the main concern of most writers who have so far published. If the geologic history of the bison is to be learned, it will be necessary to devote more time and effort in the field in determining the age of the deposits in which various specimens have been discovered and in making more extensive collections from deposits of known age. Unfortunately the majority of the type specimens have been surface finds and little attempt has been made to determine their geologic occurrence. Research concerning phylogenetic problems definitely begins in the field. The geologic age of the specimens, types, and referred material must be determined before a phylogenetic line can definitely be established. The problem of individual variation also must not be overlooked. The present paper has been prepared in order to record some definite observations and information on bison remains collected in the Great Plains with special emphasis on the collections of the University of Nebraska State Museum. The field parties of the Museum have constantly been building up the bison collections since 1928

Preliminary Geomorphological Studies of the Lime Creek Area & Preliminary Report on the Lime Creek Sites: New Evidence of Early Man in Southwestern Nebraska

PALEONTOLOGICAL and archaeological discoveries were made near Cambridge, Nebraska, by the University of Nebraska State Museum field party in the spring of 1947 (Schultz and Frankforter, 1948, pp. 279-280) . Fossils and artifacts were found in situ at the base of a fifty-foot terrace on Lime Creek (University of Nebraska State Museum Localities Ft-41 and Ft-42) and on Medicine Creek just below the mouth of Lime Creek (Ft-50). Lime Creek is located (Fig. 1) in southwestern Nebraska in the southeastern part of Frontier County. It is a tributary of Medicine Creek which in turn is a tributary to the Republican River. The paleontological material from this site reveals new information on the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary line problem-a fundamental problem in the over-all Pleistocene history of the region. A series of five topographic benches\u27 or terraces is developed (see Figs. 4 and 5) along the Republican River and its tributaries. Field studies indicate that these represent cycles of alluviation interrupted by erosional periods. A similarly developed series of terrace-fills in a contiguous region has been provisionally correlated with the sub-stages of the Wisconsin stage of Pleistocene continental glaciation (Lueninghoener, 1946). I N THE natural course of paleontological and geological explorations in Pleistocene deposits the fossil hunter often discovers evidence of man\u27s early occupation of North America. Artifacts and other cultural evidence are frequently found in direct association with the fossilized bones of various species of animals. Some of these remains represent extinct species while others can be referred to those found in North America today. Much is yet to be learned concerning the stratigraphic distribution of vertebrate life of the Pleistocene and the time of extinction of certain forms, but new evidence (see Schultz, Lueninghoener, and Frankforter, Part 1, Fig. 6 of this report) is constantly being accumulated which aids in clarifying the picture. In 1932 the University of Nebraska State Museum commenced a research program (Lugn, 1934, pp. 319-356; Schultz, 1934, pp. 357-393) in the field and laboratory relating to the stratigraphic distribution of the Pleistocene mammals and the study of extinction in the Great Plains. Since that time the major portion of the Museum\u27s field work has been directed to problems relating to the Pleistocene. The significance of terraces to the problems has been pointed out in Part 1 of this report (also in Schultz and Stout, 1945; 1948)