The Jurassic in South Dakota, US

Jurassic in South Dakota map

undifferentiated rock units help

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Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian

Jurassic Fossils
Fossil photos from Jurassic in South Dakota

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Paleontology and geology

A sea covered much of South Dakota during the Jurassic. Shallow-water and near-shore sediments contain fossils of clams, ammonites, crinoids, and starfish. As the seas retreated, erosion removed many of these marine sediments and deposited them in lakes, swamps, and streams. These deposits contain abundant plant fossils and the remains of giant sauropod dinosaurs such as Camarasaurus.

Although only a small portion of the Jurassic rocks are shown on this map, they occur around the entire circle of undifferentiated rocks known as the “red racetrack” that surround the Black Hills in the western part of the state.

Links to more on the Jurassic in South Dakota

Education and Exhibits

Education and Exhibits

Virtual Exhibits (showing 1 of 1 listings)

Dinosaurs of South Dakota: This site provides an overview of the dinosaurs that lived in South Dakota during the Jurassic and Cretaceous.

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