Tanys, Drepanosaurs, Sharks, Oh My!

Preliminary study of just a small sample of the microvertebrate rich sediment from Ghost Ranch has already revealed three major groups of ray-finned fishes (redfieldiiforms, semionotiforms, and palaeonisciforms) and a surprisingly large diversity of chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fishes), from multiple hybodontiform sharks to potential early members of modern groups, including batoids (skates and rays). Terrestrial vertebrate diversity also was high, including two drepanosaurid species, numerous tanystropheid remains, tiny archosaur (dinosaurs and crocodile relatives) bones, and jaw fragments may be from early lizards or previously unknown tetrapods!! Our work was presented as a poster at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Berlin!