Como Bluff is a long ridge extending eastâÂÂwest, located between the towns of Rock River and Medicine Bow, Wyoming. The ridge is an anticline, formed as a result of compressional geological folding. Three geological formations, the Sundance, the Morrison, and the Cloverly Formations, containing fossil remains from the Late Jurassic of the Mesozoic Era, are exposed.
Nineteenth-century paleontologists discovered many well-preserved specimens of dinosaurs, as well as mammals, turtles, crocodilians, and fish from the Morrison Formation. Because of this, Como Bluff is considered to be one of the major sites for the early discovery of dinosaur remains. Among the species discovered is the only known specimen of Coelurus. Significant discoveries were made in 22 different areas scattered along the entire length of the ridge. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the National Natural Landmark list.
History of discovery
The discovery of dinosaurs at Como Bluff has been recounted numerous times, most notably by Schuchert and LeVene, Shur, Ostrom and McIntosh, and Jaffe. Most of the specimens were collected by men working for O.C. Marsh between 1877 and 1889, although some were collected by the Hubbel brothers for E.D. Cope between 1879 and 1880. The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) excavated in 1897 http://paleo.amnh.org/reports/1897.html-1898 http://paleo.amnh.org/reports/1898.html, finding two partial skeletons of sauropods. A summary of the quarries and their contents is given below.
In later years, the American Museum of Natural History and Yale University jointly reopened Quarry 9, the Mammal Quarry, 1968âÂÂ1970, finding only a few specimens. More recently, Robert Bakker has done some collecting there with a variety of groups.
In addition to the major significance of dinosaur discoveries at Como Bluff, the site has also been the source of significant early mammal fossils. In early 1878, Marsh was ecstatic to find that one of his men had uncovered a fossil from a Jurassic mammal. Within a year, the historic Quarry 9 at Como was discovered, producing an astounding 250 specimens, which increased the knowledge of Jurassic mammals exponentially.
Como Bluff historical quarries (pre-1900)
Data source:.
. . (h)= holotype
AMNH Quarries
Excavated by the American Museum of Natural History
AMNH Quarry 1
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Diplodocus sp
AMNH Quarry 2
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Brontosaurus excelsus
::Camarasaurus sp,
AMNH localities unknown
(some could be from Quarry 1 or 2)
Reptilia
Testudines
:Amphichelydia
::Glyptops plicatus
Squamata
:?Sauria indeterminant
:Lacertilia
::Paramacellodus sp.
Choristodera
::Cteniogenys antiquus
Crocodilia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Frederick Brown's Quarries
Brown's Quarry A
Dinosauria
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Brown's Quarry B
Dinosauria
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Brown's Quarry C
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus fragilis
Brown's Quarry D
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus fragilis
Brown's Quarry G
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus sp.
Arthur Lakes Quarry 1A. (Big Canyon Quarry)
Excavated by Arthur Lakes.
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus sp.
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus sp.
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Camptosaurus amplus (h) (now Allosaurus sp.)
E.D. Cope's Quarries
Excavated by Edward Drinker Cope
Cope's Quarry 3
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus sp.
Cope's Quarry 4
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus sp.
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Cope's Quarry 5
Reptilia
Pterosauria
::Dermodactylus montanus
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Apatosaurus sp.
Cope's localities unknown
(could be from Quarry 1, 2)
Reptilia
Testudines
:Amphichelydia
::Dinochelys sp.
::Glyptops plicatus
Crocodilia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Dinosauria
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::?Camptosaurus sp.
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Mammalia
genus and species indeterminant
William Harlow Reed's Quarries
Excavated by William Harlow Reed.
Reed's Quarry 1
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus atrox (h) (now Allosaurus fragilis)
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus grandis (h)
::Camarasaurus impar (h) (now Camarasaurus grandis)
::Camarasaurus robustus (h) (now Camarasaurus grandis)
::Pleurocoelus montanus (h) (now Camarasaurus grandis)
::Diplodocus sp.
Mammalia
::genus and species indeterminant
Reed's Quarry 1 ý
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus fragilis
:Sauropoda
::genus and species indeterminant
Reed's Quarry 2
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Apatosaurus sp.
Reed's Quarry 3
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus lucaris (h) (now Allosaurus sp.)
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus grandis
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Dryosaurus sp.
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Reed's Quarry 4
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus fragilis
:Sauropoda
::Apatosaurus sp.
::Barosaurus sp.
::Camarasaurus sp.
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Reed's Quarry 5
Reptilia
Pterosauria
::Dermodactylus montanus (h) (now nomen dubium)
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Diplodocus sp.
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Dryosaurus altus (h)
Reed's Quarry 6
Reptilia
Crocodylia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Reed's Quarry 7 (Three Trees Quarry)
Dinosauria
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Laosaurus consors (h) (now Othnielosaurus consors)
Reed's Quarry 8
Reptilia
Testudines
:genus and species indeterminant
Crocodilia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus sp.
::Coelurus fragilis
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus sp.
::Diplodocus sp.
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Reed's Quarry 9 (Mammal Quarry)
Osteichthyes
Actinopterygii
:genus and species indeterminant
Amiiformes
:Ophiopsis sp.
Sarcopterygii
:Dipnoi
::Ceratodus guentheri
Amphibia
Anura
::Comobatrachus aenigmatis
:Discoglossoidea
::Enneabatrachus hechti
:Pelobatidae indeterminant
:Pipoidea?
::Eobatrachus agilis (h)
Caudata
:genus and species indeterminant
:Comonecturoides marshi (h)
Reptilia
Testudines
:Amphichelydia
::Dinochelys whitei
::Glyptops ornatus
Squamata
:?Sauria indeterminant
:Lacertilia
::Dorsetisaurus sp.
::Paramacellodus sp.
Rhynchocephalia
::Opisthias rarus (h)
::Theretairus antiquus (h)
Choristodera
::Cteniogenys antiquus (h)
Crocodylia
:Sphenosuchia
::Macelognathus vagans (h)
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus fragilis
::Ceratosaurus nasicornis
::Coelurus fragilis
::Ornitholestes hermanni?
:Tyrannosauroidea
::Stokesosaurus clevelandi?
:Sauropoda
::Macronaria indeterminant
::Diplodocidae indeterminant
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Othnielosaurus consors
::Dryosaurus sp.
::Camptosaurus sp.
Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus sp.
Pterosauria
:Rhamphorhynchoidea
::Laopteryx priscus (h) (now nomen dubium)
Mammalia
Docodonta
:Docodontidae
::Docodon affinis (h)
::Docodon crassus (h)
::Docodon striatus (h)
::Docodon superus (h)
::Docodon victor (h)
Multituberculata
:Allodontidae
::Ctenacodon laticeps (h)
::Ctenacodon scindens (h)
::Ctenacodon serratus (h)
::Psalodon fortis (h)
::Psalodon potens (h)
::?Psalodon marshi (h)
Triconodonta
:Amphilestidae
::Aploconodon comoensis (h)
::Comodon gidleyi (h)
:Triconodontidae
::Priacodon ferox (h)
::Priacodon grandaevus (h)
::Priacodon lulli (h)
::Priacodon robustus (h)
::Trioracodon bisulcus (h)
Symmetrodonta
:Amphidontidae
::Amphidon superstes (h)
:Tinodontidae
::Tinodon bellus (h)
::Eurylambda aequicrurius
Dryolestida
:Dryolestidae
::Amblotherium gracilis (h)
::Dryolestes priscus
::Dryolestes obtusus (h)
::Dryolestes vorax (h)
::Laolestes eminens (h)
::Laolestes (Melanodon) goodrichi (h)
::Laolestes (Melanodon) oweni (h)
::Miccylotyrans minimus (h)
:Paurodontidae
::Araeodon intermissus (h)
::Archaeotrigon brevimaxillus (h)
::Archaeotrigon distagmus (h)
::Comotherium richi (h)
::Euthlastus cordiformis (h)
::Paurodon valens (h)
::Tathiodon agilis (h)
Reed's Quarry 10
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Brontosaurus excelsus (h)
Reed's Quarry 11
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::Apatosaurus amplus (h) (now Brontosaurus excelsus)
Ornithischia
:Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus duplex (h) (now Stegosaurus ungulatus)
Mammalia
genus and species indeterminant
Reed's Quarry 12 (Robbers' Roost Quarry)
Reptilia
Testudines
:genus and species indeterminant
Crocodylia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus sp.
::Torvosaurus tanneri
::Coelurus sp.
::Fosterovenator churei
:Sauropoda
::Camarasaurus sp.
::Diplodocus sp.
Ornithischia
ornithopoda
:genus and species indeterminant
Stegosauria
::Stegosaurus ungulatus (h)
Reed's Quarry 13
Reptilia
Testudines
:Amphichelydia
::Glyptops plicatulus
Crocodylia
:Mesosuchia
::Goniopholis sp.
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Coelurus agilis (h) (part of Coelurus fragilis holotype)
::Coelurus fragilis (h)
Saurischia
:Sauropoda
::?Brachiosaurus sp.
::Camarasaurus lentus (h)
::Diplodocus sp.
Ornithischia
:Ornithopoda
::Camptonotus dispar (h) (now Camptosaurus dispar)
::Camptosaurus medius (h)
::Camptosaurus nanus (h)
::Camptosaurus browni (h)
::Dryosaurus sp.
:Stegosauria
::Diracodon laticeps (h) (now Stegosaurus sp.)
::Stegosaurus sulcatus (h)
::Stegosaurus stenops
::Stegosaurus ungulatus
Reed Quarry 14
Dinosauria
Saurischia
:Theropoda
::Allosaurus ferox (h) (now Allosaurus fragilis)
See also
References
External links