The record of dinosaurs over the last 10 m.y. of the Cretaceous, as well as surrounding the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, helps to define extinction scenarios. Although Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils occur on all present-day continents, only in North America do we find a terrestrial vertebrate fossil record spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, although promising work may yield comparable records in South America, India, China, and Europe. For the present then, the North American record represents the proxy for our knowledge of dinosaur extinction. Over the last 10 m.y. of the Cretaceous (late Campanian to late Maastrichtian) in the northern part of the western interior of North America, the number of nonavian dinosaur species dropped from 49 to 25, almost a 50% reduction, even though a 16% greater extent of fossil-bearing exposures record the last dinosaurs in the latest Cretaceous in the western interior. Important, but less-well-exposed, nonavian-dinosaur–bearing units suggest this drop occurred around, or at least commenced by, the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary. These losses began during climatic fluctuations, occurring during and possibly in part caused by the last major regressive cycle of the Cretaceous, which also reduced the expanse of the low coastal plains inhabited by nonavian dinosaurs. The pulse of Deccan Trap emplacement that began some time later in the latest Cretaceous was also likely a major driver of climatic change. As for the dinosaur record near the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, even the best-known records from North America remain enigmatic and open to interpretation. Newer studies suggest some decline in at least relative abundance approaching the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, but the cause (or causes) for the final extinction (if it was the case) of non-avian dinosaurs remains unresolved, although the Chicxulub impact undoubtedly played a major role.

Remains from vertebrate microfossil localities of the Hell Creek Formation provide a basis for evaluating the diversity and relative abundance of actinopterygians. Taxonomic composition of the basal actinopterygians of the Hell Creek Formation is increased by the recognition of a probable semionotiform designated Holostean A and a small-bodied amiid. A combined taxonomic/parataxonomic approach incorporating data from centra and tooth-bearing elements demonstrates that, at minimum, 17 kinds of teleosts are present in the Hell Creek assemblage. These include an ostariophysan with possible affinities to catfish and the first Cretaceous record of Priscacara . Latitudinal patterns are identified using both presence/absence and relative abundance data. Melvius is interpreted as having a more southern distribution, while the probable semionotiform referred to as Holostean A has a more northern distribution. A greater abundance of Holostean A in the lower Hell Creek localities than in the upper Hell Creek localities is interpreted as a result of shifts in distribution in response to changes in climate. A comparison of the relative abundances of fish in assemblages from the mid-Campanian Judith River Group and the Hell Creek Formation allows changes in the structure of aquatic paleocommunities to be identified. Amiids are of much greater abundance and the osteoglossomorph Coriops is of lower abundance in the Hell Creek Formation than they are in the mid-Campanian localities. In the Hell Creek Formation, teleosts are dominated by small-bodied taxa, but greater numbers of large taxa are present, suggesting that more teleosts occupied positions higher in the food web.

The Campanian Manson impact structure of Iowa represents the best-preserved, large-diameter complex crater within the continental United States. The related bolide struck from the southeast at a low angle, potentially distributing ejecta downrange to the northwest across the Western Interior Cretaceous Seaway. Here, we (1) examine possible correlation of Manson impact horizons across the Cretaceous seaway to terrestrial formations of Montana, and (2) test a large hadrosaur bone bed from the Two Medicine Formation for evidence indicative of the Manson impact. The study includes geochronology; palynomorph, soot, and geochemical analyses; and physical searches for impact ejecta. The impact ejecta–bearing Crow Creek Member of the marine Pierre Shale can be correlated to the SB2 discontinuity in the Judith River and Two Medicine Formations of Montana based on radiometric dates, ammonite zonation, and an association with the onset of the Bearpaw transgression. A 40 Ar/ 39 Ar analysis of an associated bentonite bed dates the hadrosaur bone bed (TM-003) to 75.92 ± 0.32 Ma referenced to MMhb-1 at 523.1 Ma. This bentonite and associated lacustrine units suggest a potential correlation with the SB2 and the Crow Creek Member. However, our examination of the bone bed produced no definitive impact evidence. The combined analyses did reveal three unusual aspects: (1) an abundance of Ulmoideipites sp., (2) a high soot content, and (3) elemental and mineralogical changes suggestive of distinct geochemical units. A major wildfire followed by a postcatastrophe bloom dominated by Ulmoideipites sp. likely preceded the eventual debris flow that generated the bone bed. The SB2 discontinuity and the 33n.3r magnetic subzone represent traceable stratigraphic markers that could serve as guides in future exploration for Manson impact evidence in terrestrial formations west of the seaway.