PI will perform a taphonomic analysis of plant fossils of the Triassic Chinle Formation to meet two objectives: 1) resolve controversies regarding climate and other aspects of the physical environment in which flora grew, and 2) demonstrate applicability of taphonomic techniques in environments that differ substantially from those thus far studied. Research will also contribute to our understanding of world paleoclimate during the time of the supercontinent, Pangaea. Through field and lab work, flora will be studied in its geologic context, documenting effects of necrologic, biostratinomic and diagenetic processes, and interpreting their meaning.
