1936
- Expeditions. Barnum Brown and R. T. Bird traveled mostly by car, leaving New York in August and
returning in October. They first went to Dinosaur Monument in Utah. They found the cut about 2/3rds
complete with 62 men working on the excavation under the National Park Service. When the cut is
finished the American Museum plans to do relief work on the dinosaur specimens on the wall. They
then drove S to Cameron, AZ, prospecting in that vicinity. A phytosaur skull, more than 4 feet long,
with jaws, humerus and several vertebrae was collected. A good deal of reconnaissance work was done
on the way back. Near Argos, IN, an incomplete mastodon skeleton was collected. G. G. Simpson and
A. C. Silberling spent July and August working in the Early Tertiary ofd the Rocky Mountain region. Mr.
Silberling had remained in MT collecting more Paleocene mammals from the new Scarritt Quarry. Dr.
Simpson in July and Aug. made a reconnoissance trip, accompanied by Mr. Silberling. The following are
the principle areas visited: San Juan Basin. They found more material, but because of the museum's
large collection from this area, does not recommend further work there in the near future. Tiffany,
Ignacio area in SW CO. Simpson believed this was a promising area for further discoveries. Grand
Junction and vicinity, western CO. Simpson felt this was the most promising area for future discoveries.
Unit Basin. The museum has good collection from the Unit proper, but nothing from the Duchesne
River beds. It would be possible to make a small collection at considerable cost in time and money, but
they have been thoroughly worked over in recent years. Bridger Basin, WY. The museum's large
collection makes this inadvisable at present. Park County, WY. A Princeton party under Dr. Jepson
has worked three quarries of different ages in this region. It would be advisable to see if an exchange
could be arranged. Fort Union Formation, western MT and adjacent areas. Many localities were visited
and prospected. The formation on the whole is extremely barren. Unless a local discovery is made,
there is no reason to plan a collecting trip. Mr. Silberling worked the Scarritt Quarry, east of Crazy
Mountains near Harlowtown, MT for about a month and collected over 100 jaws and many teeth.
Outstanding is an associated upper and lower jaws of the rare primate, Carpodaptes. Reconnaissance
Expedition to Alaska and Yukon Territory for the AMNH, with Erich M. Schlaikjer in charge and Messrs.
David Cheek, Louis du Pont Irving and John Wolbach. The expedition left New York June 13th and returned
Sept. 21st.They arrived in Skagway and traveled to Dawson in the Yukon Terr. At Dawson they purchase
a power scow which was their transportation to Circle. From Circle they traveled overland to Fairbanks
S to Healy and Anchorage. At Anchorage an airplane was chartered and they flew NE to the Chickloon
country of upper Matanuska. After returning to Fairbanks they spent considerable time exploring the N
flank of the Alaska Range, before returning to Skagway. They discovered a fish quarry and collected a
large number of specimens. These are the first pre-Pleistocene vertebrates in Alaska. An extensive
collection of fossil plants from Alaska. A collection of invertebrates was made form the Carboniferous
and Permian. 3 Bison skulls, a wolf skull and other Pleistocene materials was collected. A rather extensive
aerial survey was carried out to determine the most probable areas for future investigation.
|