Paleontology and geologyThe Niagara Dolomite forms a prominent landform in eastern Wisconsinan escarpment that resulted when this resistant rock unit was uplifted and the surrounding rocks were eroded away. The Niagara Dolomite tells the story of life in Wisconsin during the Silurian. Large reefs developed in the warm, shallow seas that covered the state. The primary reef-builders were algae, but corals, stromatoporids, and bryozoans also contributed to the reefs. Trilobites, brachiopods, clams, and cephalopods flourished in the tropical waters. |