*Dowdy, K.N. and S.A. Hageman, Department of Geology-Geography, Park University.  ANALYSIS OF PARK UNIVERSITY'S STERNBERG COLLECTION FROM LOGAN COUNTY, KANSAS.  Charles Hazelius Sternberg circulated many specimens around the world and paleontologists are still trying to determine all their current locations.  In 1919, Sternberg shipped a collection of Cretaceous specimens to Park University, Parkville, MO.  The original letter and packing list were found with the stored collection.  The Park University Sternberg Collection is now curated and is represented by 127 specimens (50 specimens from Kansas and 77 dinosaur bones from Alberta, Canada). The western Kansas specimens are 38% mososaurs, 24% shark teeth, and 22% plaster jacketed or disarticulated bony fish.  The mosasaur bones are typically Clidastes liodontus and Platecarpus tympaniticus teeth, jaw fragments, phalanges, and pectoral girdles.  One of the pectoral girdles displays Cretoxyrhina mantelli? bite marks.  Tylosaurus proriger is represented by a vertebra.  C. mantelli and Squalicorax falcatus are the shark species represented by teeth.  Six plaster jacketed skulls of seven different Osteichthyes are present.  Included are the articulated skulls of Xiphactinus auda, Gillicus arcuatus, Pentanogmius evolutus (Anogmius polymicrodus), and Saurodon leanus (Saurodon ferox).  The S. leanus specimen displays the pre-dentary bone that projects forward from the lower jaw.  While the function morphology is unknown it was likely for food foraging, prey capture, intimidation, or all three.  Protosphyraena sp. is disarticulated into eight pieces, making species identification difficult.  Ichthyodectes ctenodon (Ichthyodectes anaides) taphonomy suggests rapid burial since the stomach contents reveal the articulated tail section of an Enchodus sp.  

Powerpoint:  ANALYSIS OF PARK UNIVERSITY'S STERNBERG COLLECTION FROM LOGAN COUNTY, KANSAS.