With the end of the Paleozoic most major seaways had closed and an enormous landmass "Pangea" had developed. Little detail of the environment of this land mass is known for the following period (the Triassic). The Principal Investigators propose here a collaborative approach using both paleontology and sedimentology to examine one of the classic formations of this land mass, the Moenkopi. The study is set apart from others in this area by the collaborative effort. Study of sediments as well as fossil vertebrates is an excellent approach to understanding paleoenvironments. Curiously, although the presence of vertebrate fossils in this formation was recorded late in the 19th century, only sporadic work on the faunas has ensued. Similarly, after initial work on the stratigraphy beginning with its description, only limited detailed work has been completed.
