SOFT-TISSUE PIGMENTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPIAN CHONDRENCHELYID, HARPAGOFUTUTOR-VOLSELLORHINUS (CHONDRICHTHYES, HOLOCEPHALI) FROM THE BEAR-GULCH LIMESTONE, MONTANA, USA

Reexamination of the chondrenchelyid Harpagofututor volsellorhinus fro m the Bear Gulch Limestone (Health Formation, Upper Chesterian, Missis sippian), has revealed that the preserved fossil pigments are those or iginally associated with particular, well-vascularized abdominal organ s (liver, spleen, and gonads) and major venous sinuses (orbital, gonad al, pelvic). The pattern of pigment localization reflects circulatory pathways of fossilized vessels. This determination was confirmed by co mparison of fossil patterns to the visceral and circulatory anatomy of extant chondrichthyans. The arrangement of these pigments conveys str ong, and otherwise unavailable, evidence for the internal reproductive features of these sexually mature, Paleozoic chondrichthyans. Under t he appropriate preservational conditions the pigments also reveal asph yxia as the cause of death. Thus, the value of these pigments cannot b e underestimated. Unfortunately, they are prone to spontaneous and pro gressive degradation that starts immediately upon excavation. Conseque ntly, it is imperative to record data accurately and in a timely fashi on. This report thus introduces the use of a color flatbed scanner as a particularly effective laboratory research tool for the collection a nd archiving of ephemeral fossil data.