Wahweap Formation
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| Wahweap Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Campanian, | |
.jpg) Wahweap Formation, Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Utah | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Kaiparowits Plateau |
| Sub-units | Last Chance Creek Member, Reynolds Point Member, Coyote Point Member, Pardner Canyon Member |
| Underlies | Kaiparowits Formation |
| Overlies | Straight Cliffs Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Region | North America |
| Country | United States |
| Extent | Southern Utah, Northern Arizona |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Wahweap Creek |
The Wahweap Formation of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is a geological formation in southern Utah and northern Arizona, around the Lake Powell region, whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian stage). Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1]
Age
[edit | edit source]The Wahweap formation is divided into four members, which are listed below with their respective ages:[2]
- Last Chance Creek Member: 82.17-81.55 Ma
- Reynolds Point Member: 81.55-80.61 Ma
- Coyote Point Member: 80.61-79 Ma
- Pardner Canyon Member: 79-77.29 Ma
Paleobiota
[edit | edit source]Invertebrates
[edit | edit source]The Wahweap Formation shows a substantial amount of invertebrate activity ranging from fossilized insect burrows in petrified logs[3] to various mollusks that characterize the shell beds. Large fossilized crabs are common at most shell bed sites in the Wahweap,[4] and over 1,900 gastropod specimens (of four likely genera) have been unearthed in the formation's siltstone.[5]
Elasmobranchs
[edit | edit source]| Elasmobranchs of the Wahweap Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Cantioscyllium[6] | C. estesi |
|
MNA V10230-32, MNA V10384-85, MNA 10390, UMNH VP 18915-16, UMNH VP 18919; teeth | A nurse shark which inhabited freshwater. |   | |
| Chiloscyllium[6] | C. missouriense |
|
MNA V10386, UMNH VP 18880, UMNH VP 18882, UMMNH VP 18886, UMNH VP 18887, UMNH VP 18888; teeth | A bamboo shark which inhabited freshwater. One specimen is similar to Restesia americana. | ||
| Columbusia[6] | C. deblieuxi | UMNH VP Locality 77 | UMNH VP 18877, UMNH VP 18879, UMNH VP 18836, UMNH VP 18876, UMNH VP 18878; teeth | A sclerorhynchid ray, closely related to Squatirhina. | ||
| Cristomylus[6] | C. ciffelli |
|
|
A small guitarfish, suited for handling hard-shelled prey. | ||
| Hybodus?[6][7] | H. sp | MNA Locality 456-2 | MNA V10387; Tooth | A large hybodont shark reaching over 2 m (6.6 ft) in length. Normally a marine species but would enter freshwater environments | ||
| Lonchidion[6] | L. sp. | UMNH VP Locality 82 | UMNH VP 18917; Tooth | Smaller than Lonchidon selachos. | ||
| Texatrygon[6] | T. brycensis |
|
|
A sawfish. | ||
Osteichthyes
[edit | edit source]| Osteichthyes of the Wahweap Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxon | Genus | Locality | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Lepidotes[8] | Indeterminate | Teeth | A seminotiform fish, no extant relatives live today. |  | ||
| Micropycnodon | M. sp. | MNA Locality 706-2 | MNA V10336; pharyngeal tooth | A pycnodontiform fish, adapted to crush its prey. | ||
| Paralbula | P. sp. | Teeth | A bonefish which is adapted to eating hard-shelled prey. | |||
| Polyodontidae[8] | Indeterminate | MNA Locality 456-2 | MNA 10356; denticle | A paddlefish, very rare in the Wahweap Formation. | ||
Salamanders
[edit | edit source]| Lissamphibians of the Wahweap Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Gen. nov.[9] | sp. nov. | UMNH VP Locality 77 | UMNH VP 19209; trunk vertebra | Higher level relationships are uncertain. Similar to sirenids, but lacks sirenid synapomorphies. | ||
| Opisthotriton[9] | O. sp. | UMNH VP Locality 130 |
|
A batrachosauroidid, a family of extinct aquatic salamanders. | ||
| Scapherpeton[9] | S. sp. | UMNH VP Locality 77 | UMNH VP 19186; atlas | A scapherpetontid. | ||
Dinosaurs
[edit | edit source]Dinosaurs known from the Wahweap include at least 2 species of hadrosaur, at least two ceratopsians[10] and at least one theropod.[11]
| Dinosaurs of the Wahweap Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|
A. gagslarsoni |
"near the junction of Smokey Mountain Road and Right Hand Collet Canyon" | Upper part of Reynolds Point Member | UMNH VP 16607; "a partial articulated skull roof including lacrimals and entire braincase, and a single cervical vertebra" |
A hadrosaurid closely related to Brachylophosaurus and Maiasaura. Also known from the Two Medicine Formation. |
    | |
|
A. hutchisoni |
UCMP V98173[14] | Lower part of Coyote Point Member |
UCMP 152028; partial maxilla |
A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid, possibly a parasaurolophin. | ||
| Ankylosauridae[15] | Indeterminate | Coyote Point Member | OMNH 21280 (in part), OMNH 21858, OMNH 24276; Teeth | |||
| Brachylophosaurus[16] | Indeterminate | Death Ridge | Upper part of Coyote Point Member | UMNH VP 9548; "Partial limb bones and a partial maxilla" | Different from Acristavus. | |
| Centrosaurinae[17] | Indeterminate | Nipple Butte | Upper part of Last Chance Creek Member | UMNH VP 16704; Partial skull | Originally referred to Diabloceratops, but is more derived, possibly a nasutoceratopsin. | |
| Centrosaurinae[17] | Indeterminate | Pilot Knoll | Upper part of Last Chance Creek Member | UMNH VP 20600; "A partial braincase and a nearly complete parietosquamosal frill" | Also known as "Wahweap Centrosaurine A." Similar to Albertaceratops. | |
| Centrosaurinae[17] | Indeterminate | Death Ridge | Upper part of Coyote Point Member | UMNH VP 9549; "Partial frill and some postcranial elements" | Also known as "Wahweap Centrosaurine C." Possibly has spikes similar to Styracosaurus. | |
|
D. eatoni |
42Ka800V, south side of Last Chance Canyon | Middle part of Reynolds Point Member |
UMNH VP 166999; "a skull preserving the entire left side of the skull and portions of the right side" |
The older specimen from Nipple Butte may not belong to Diabloceratops. | ||
|
L. argestes |
UMNH VP Locality 1501 | Lower part of Reynolds Point Member | UMNH VP 20200; partial skeleton | |||
|
M. cronusi |
Star Seep | Coyote Point Member |
UMNH VP 20550; partial skull |
A centrosaurine closely related to Diabloceratops. Previously known as "Wahweap Centrosaurine B." | ||
| Nodosauridae[15] | Indeterminate |
|
|
The skeleton was under excavation as of 2013. The cranium was only tentatively identified as a nodosaurid, but now can't be confirmed. | ||
| Pachycephalosauridae[21] | Indeterminate | Clints Cove | Lower part of Reynolds Point Member |
|
The dome doesn't preserve diagnostic features, so its affinity with other pachycephalosaurids is uncertain. | |
| Saurolophinae[13] | Indeterminate | Reynolds Point Member |
|
Probably represents a new distinct taxon. | ||
Mammals
[edit | edit source]
A fair number of mammals spanning the lower Campanian are known from the Wahweap as well, including at least 15 genera of multituberculates, cladotherians, marsupials, and placental insectivores.[23]
Trace fossils
[edit | edit source]Trace fossils are also relatively abundant in the Wahweap, and include vertebrate tracks as well as burrow activity. Tracks preserved in the capping sandstone indicate the presence of crocodylomorphs, which had been previously known in this area only from teeth elements, as well as ornithischian dinosaurs. At least one possible theropod track has been identified in this area as well.[24]
In 2010 a unique trace fossil from the Wahweap was discovered that indicates a predator–prey relationship between dinosaurs and primitive mammals. The trace fossil includes at least two fossilized mammalian den complexes as well as associated digging grooves presumably caused by a maniraptoran dinosaur. The proximity indicates a case of probable active predation of the burrow inhabitants by the owners of the claw marks.[22]
See also
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References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, North America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 574–588. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ De Blieux, Donald D. "Analysis of Jim's hadrosaur site; a dinosaur site in the middle Campanian (Cretaceous) Wahweap Formation of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM), southern Utah." Abstracts with Programs – Geological Society of America, vol. 39, no. 5, pp.6, May 2007
- ^ Kirkland, James Ian. "An inventory of paleontological resources in the lower Wahweap Formation (lower Campanian), southern Kaiparowits Plateau, Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Utah." Abstracts with Programs – Geological Society of America, vol.37, no.7, pp.114, Oct 2005.
- ^ Williams, Jessica A J; Lohrengel, C Frederick. Preliminary study of freshwater gastropods in the Wahweap Formation, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Abstracts with Programs – Geological Society of America, vol. 39, no. 5, pp.43, May 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum display, visited April 30, 2009
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- ^ Eaton, Jeffrey G; Cifelli, Richard L. "Review of Cretaceous mammalian paleontology; Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Utah." Abstracts with Programs – Geological Society of America, vol.37, no.7, pp.115, Oct 2005
- ^ Tester, Edward et al. Isolated vertebrate tracks from the Upper Cretaceous capping sandstone member of the Wahweap Formation; Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Utah Abstracts with Programs – Geological Society of America, vol. 39, no. 5, pp.42, May 2007