Herbert Meyer
National Park Service, Science and Resource Management, Department Member
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Silicified stumps at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument are subject to degradation from a variety of causes including freeze-thaw weathering. In the past, noninvasive measures have been taken to conserve selected fossils, including... more
Silicified stumps at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument are subject to degradation from a variety of causes including freeze-thaw weathering. In the past, noninvasive measures have been taken to conserve selected fossils, including use of metal bands for reinforcement and construction of shelters. Our study had two goals. The first was to document the temperature and relative humidity to which petrified stumps are exposed at Florissant. The second was to conduct a preliminary examina-tion of the feasibility of using consolidants and adhesives to reinforce fossil wood and reduce its susceptibility to weathering. Electronic data loggers were used to monitor temperature and relative humidity both internally and externally for one exposed and one sheltered fossil stump, and results indicated that over 289 days of the cold season there were 119 freeze-thaw events for the surface of the exposed stump and 95 events for the surface of the stump protected by a roof. Temperature and hum...
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... at sea level. Coastal areas represent actual climate data, and interior areas are calculated from local lapse rates to 0 m elevation (referred to as projected sea levelMAT). From Meyer (1992). [Reprinted from Palaeogeography ...
Research Interests: Geology and Geochemistry
Abstract Volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks in the northern Peruvian Andes (central Cajamarca, 79 10′ W, 6 35′ S) contain a diverse assemblage of permineralized woods known as El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana. The fossil forest and... more
Abstract Volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks in the northern Peruvian Andes (central Cajamarca, 79 10′ W, 6 35′ S) contain a diverse assemblage of permineralized woods known as El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana. The fossil forest and associated ...
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A fossil wood with features similar to those of the Oligocene Hovenia palaeodulcis Suzuki (Rhamnaceae) from Japan is described from the late Eocene Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado, U.S.A. This is the first report of... more
A fossil wood with features similar to those of the Oligocene Hovenia palaeodulcis Suzuki (Rhamnaceae) from Japan is described from the late Eocene Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado, U.S.A. This is the first report of fossil wood of this Asian genus in North America and is further documentation of Tertiary exchange between East Asia and North America. The affinities of Chadronoxylon florissantensis, the most common angiosperm wood at Florissant, are reevaluated; its combination of features suggests relationships with two families in the Malpighiales, the Salicaceae and Phyllanthaceae. Chadronoxylon is compared with Paraphyllanthoxylon Bailey. The Eocene P. hainanensis from China has notable differences from the original diagnosis of Paraphyllanthoxylon, but shares features with Chadronoxylon warranting transfer of P. hainanensis to Chadronoxylon and the creation of Chadronoxylon hainanensis (Feng, Yi, Jen) Wheeler & Meyer, comb. nov.
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The fossil fl oras of south-western Montana, U.S.A. contain an important record of climate and biotic change in the northern Rocky Mountains across the Eocene/Oligocene transition. Palaeogene climate and biotic evolution in the northern... more
The fossil fl oras of south-western Montana, U.S.A. contain an important record of climate and biotic change in the northern Rocky Mountains across the Eocene/Oligocene transition. Palaeogene climate and biotic evolution in the northern Rocky Mountains is poorly known compared to central/southern Rocky Mountains (Florissant) and Pacifi c coast (Bridge Creek) localities even though this area is of critical importance as a Palaeogene ecotone between the central Rocky Mountains and Pacifi c coast regions and between contemporary high and low elevation vegetation. Statistical analysis of fossil leaf morphology and the distribution of plant taxa at the family level were used to estimate palaeoclimate parameters and to determine nearest living analogs for the palaeofl oral associations of southwestern Montana. Palaeoclimate estimates indicate moderate cooling and a pronounced summer drying trend associated with the establishment of widespread Antarctic glaciation in the early Oligocene. T...
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El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana, cerca del pueblo de Sexi en Cajamarca, registra la vegetación de los trópicos de Sudamérica de hace 39 millones de años, la que existió en los inicios de la historia de los bosques tropicales del... more
El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana, cerca del pueblo de Sexi en Cajamarca, registra la vegetación de los trópicos de Sudamérica de hace 39 millones de años, la que existió en los inicios de la historia de los bosques tropicales del Nuevo Mundo y antes del levantamiento de los Andes. En este bosque, descubrimientos notables incluyen el manglar del género Avicennia, un género de árboles forestales emergentes (Cynometra), y el segundo dipterocarp conocido del Nuevo Mundo. La importancia de los fósiles se basa en sus circunstancias únicas de preservación, es así como fósiles de plantas y suelos antiguos permiten la reconstrucción detallada del bosque y el medio ambiente en que existieron, contribuyendo con el conocimiento del cambio climático. Los sitios como este bosque fósil son muy vulnerables al disturbio y pérdida de los recursos fósiles. El monitoreo muestra que las actividades humanas y la erosión están teniendo efectos serios y que son necesarias medidas urgentes para su conse...
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El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana, cerca del pueblo de Sexi en Cajamarca, registra la vegetación de los trópicos de Sudamérica de hace 39 millones de años, la que existió en los inicios de la historia de los bosques tropicales del... more
El Bosque Petrificado Piedra Chamana, cerca del pueblo de Sexi en Cajamarca, registra la vegetación de los trópicos de Sudamérica de hace 39 millones de años, la que existió en los inicios de la historia de los bosques tropicales del Nuevo Mundo y antes del levantamiento de los Andes. En este bosque, descubrimientos notables incluyen el manglar del género Avicennia, un género de árboles forestales emergentes (Cynometra), y el segundo dipterocarp conocido del Nuevo Mundo. La importancia de los fósiles se basa en sus circunstancias únicas de preservación, es así como fósiles de plantas y suelos antiguos permiten la reconstrucción detallada del bosque y el medio ambiente en que existieron, contribuyendo con el conocimiento del cambio climático. Los sitios como este bosque fósil son muy vulnerables al disturbio y pérdida de los recursos fósiles. El monitoreo muestra que las actividades humanas y la erosión están teniendo efectos serios y que son necesarias medidas urgentes para su conse...
Research Interests:
The delicate nature of the specimens at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado requires a constant monitoring of the collections. The overall stability of the fossils is greatly impacted by the abrupt change in humidity that... more
The delicate nature of the specimens at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado requires a constant monitoring of the collections. The overall stability of the fossils is greatly impacted by the abrupt change in humidity that may occur after the paper shale has been excavated, as well as the varying levels of humidity in the collections and display areas. Creating methods to effectively “acclimate” the shale’s transition from the ground to the lab, and finding and maintaining the ideal humidity range for our collections room is integral to the collections management at Florissant Fossil Beds. For these experiments, a controlled environment chamber was used, employing both humidification and dehumidification systems. The humidity is systematically lowered to slowly dehydrate
damp shale and safely lower it to the ambient relative humidity (RH) in the lab and collections areas. Tests have also been run to monitor damages the shale undergoes when it reaches a certain level of humidity. Below 25% RH, deformation occurs in the form of flaking and delamination. Initial data suggest that the ideal range to keep the collections area is between 30-35%. These tests will ultimately become the basis for a protocol that will outline how the paper shale will be handled once excavated, and how the collections area should be maintained.
damp shale and safely lower it to the ambient relative humidity (RH) in the lab and collections areas. Tests have also been run to monitor damages the shale undergoes when it reaches a certain level of humidity. Below 25% RH, deformation occurs in the form of flaking and delamination. Initial data suggest that the ideal range to keep the collections area is between 30-35%. These tests will ultimately become the basis for a protocol that will outline how the paper shale will be handled once excavated, and how the collections area should be maintained.