Geological and Paleontological Survey of the Bardwell Reservoir Basin, Ellis County, Texas

Authors

Bob H. Slaughter, Southern Methodist University
John T. Thurmond, Southern Methodist University

Abstract

During June, July, and August, 1964, the Shuler Museum of Paleontology of Southern Methodist University made a survey of that portion of Waxahachie Creek that is to be flooded by the construction of the Bardwell Dam. The work was done under the sponsorship of the National Park Service (Southwest Region). The Quaternary deposits of Waxahachie Creek were mapped in detail and the bedrock geology outlined in general units. Extensive prospecting of all erosional and excavational exposures was carried out for the purpose of recovering both Cretaceous and Quaternary vertebrate and molluscan fossils. Two terraces were recognized above the present floodplain; the higher and older of the two contained identifiable remains of a mammoth and an excellent molluscan fauna. Fossils recovered from the Cretaceous bedrock include a fairly complete lower jaw of a marine reptile (mosasaur) and specimens of one teolost and at least six species of elasmobranch fishes. A new genus and species of ganopristid sawfish is also included.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Recommended Citation

Slaughter, Bob H. and Thurmond, John T. (1965) "Geological and Paleontological Survey of the Bardwell Reservoir Basin, Ellis County, Texas," Fondren Science Series: Vol. 1: No. 8, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholar.smu.edu/fondrenscienceseries/vol1/iss8/1