Identifier: geologicalhistor00mill (find matches)
Title: The geological history of the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts : a popular account of its rocks and origin
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: Miller, William J. (William John), 1880-1965
Subjects: Geology Geology
Publisher: (Northampton, Mass. : The Hampshire Bookshop)
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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-water mussel shells (mollusk) impressions have been found nearWilbraham; crustaceans, representing the arthropods, have beencollected near West Holyoke; and primitive insects, also representingthe arthropods, occur in ereat abundance in the shales near TurnersFalls. Turning our attention to the fossil fishes, we find that all ofthem in the Triassic of Massachusetts occur in the Chicopee shalewhich also contains most of the fossil plants. Numerous fishes, Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts 41 representing several species in excellent state of preservation, havebeen obtained at Turners Falls; north of Sunderland (WhittemoresFerry); South Hadley Falls; and Chicopee, expecially at the firsttwo places named. The prevailing types of fishes of today did notexist during Triassic time. In fact they were not evolved until thenext (Jurassic) period. The fossil fishes of the Connecticut Valleyrepresent lower forms, known as ganoids, which are relatively raretoday, an example being the gar-pike.
Text Appearing After Image:
FIG. 13. RESTORATION OF THE SKELETON OF ONE OF THE TWO-LEGGED DINOSAURIAN REP-TILES ABOUT SEVEN FEET LONG WHICH ROAMED THE SITE OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY MILLIONSOF YEARS AGO IN TRIASSIC TIME. THIS TYPE OF CREATURE HAS LEFT FOOTPRINTS IN THE STRATA(SEE FIGURE 14). AFTER MARSH, We shall now direct attention to the most wonderful fossilrecords of the life of the Triassic period in Massachusetts. Werefer to both the actual bones and the footprints of the pioneers ofone of the most remarkable groups of animals which ever inhabitedthe earth. These were the land reptiles called dinosaurs which beganin the late Triassic period, reached their climax in both size anddiversity of forms in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, after which 42 The Geological History of the they completely vanished from the earth. Some of them, whichgrew to be nearly loo feet long, walked on four legs. Two-leggedforms only, and of much smaller size, are known to have lived incentral western Massachusetts during late

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