Английская Википедия:Chamita Formation
Шаблон:Use American English Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox rockunit
The Chamita Formation is a geologic formation in north-central New Mexico. It preserves unique fossils dating back to the Neogene period. The presence of volcanic ash beds in the formation, which can be radiometrically dated, gives the absolute age of the fossils, which is valuable for establishing the geologic time scale of the Neogene.
Description
The formation is mostly coarse quartz sandstone with some coarse gravel. It varies greatly in thickness, likely due to extensive erosion.Шаблон:Sfn
There are two prominent tuffaceous zones used by Galusha and Blick for regional correlation. Each is about Шаблон:Convert thick and they are separated by Шаблон:Convert of tan sediments.Шаблон:Sfn Radiometric dating shows that the age of the Upper Chamita Tuffaceous Zone is 6.93 ±0.05 million years at its base and 6.78 ±0.03 million years at its top, essentially identical with the Peralta Tuff, which it also chemically resembles. This helps establish the absolute date for the late Hemphillian, since a fossil assemblage of that stage is found in the zone. The Lower Chamita Tuffaceous Zone has a radiometric age of 7.7 ±0.3 million years.Шаблон:Sfn The age range for the complete section has been estimated as 9.5 to 5.8 million years.Шаблон:Sfn However, more recent work has yielded an age range of 12 to 13 Ma for a Lower Coarse White Ash Zone towards the base of the formation, which is thickest northeast of the Jemez Mountains and has been interpreted as ash fall from early silicic volcanic activity from vents now buried under later flows.Шаблон:Sfn
The base of the formation contains sediments resembling the underlying Ojo Caliente Member of the Tesuque Formation. This is interpreted as reworking of sediments in a changed sedimentation environment rather than interfingering. In other words, the lower part of the formation contains sediments eroded from the Ojo Caliente Member, rather than recording a fluctuating depositional environment.Шаблон:Sfn
Members of the formation include the Cejita and Cuarteles Members west of the modern Rio Grande River and the Pilar Mesa, Vallito, and Hernandez Members on both sides of the Rio Grande.Шаблон:Sfn
Fossil content
The Round Mountain Quarry has produced numerous fossils from the Chamita Formation. The artiodactyl Osbornoceros osborni was first located in the formation in the Lyden area,Шаблон:Sfn as was the only known specimen of the taxideine badger, Chamitataxus.[1] Шаблон:Paleobiota-key-compact
Mammals
Carnivorans
Lagomorphs
| Lagomorphs reported from the Chamita Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Hypolagus | H. gidleyi | Mandible (AMNH(FAM) 116845).[5] | A leporid, specimen formerly assigned to H. vetus. | ||
| H. cf. H. gidleyi | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Left upper cheek tooth (NMMNH 45110).[4] | A leporid. | ||
| H. cf. H. ringoldensis | Albuquerque, New Mexico.[5] | A mandible (BUNM A7960).[5] | A leporid, specimen possibly from this formation. | ||
| Leporidae | Genus & species indeterminate | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Teeth & limb elements.[4] | Leporid remains undiagnostic below family level. | |
Proboscideans
| Proboscideans reported from the Chamita Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Gomphotherium | G. riograndensis | Battleship Mountain on the San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.[6] | A lower jaw (F:AM 21140).[6] | A gomphothere. | |
| Tatabelodon | T. riograndensis | Battleship Mountain on the San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.[6] | A lower jaw (F:AM 21140).[6] | Regarded a synonym of Gomphotherium. | |
Rodents
| Rodents reported from the Chamita Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Muridae | Genus & species indeterminate | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Left dentary (NMMNH 45125).[4] | A tiny murid mandible. | |
Ungulates
| Ungulates reported from the Chamita Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Antilocapridae | Genus & species indeterminate | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Partial lower cheek tooth (NMMNH 45103), distal metapodial fragment ( NMMNH 45104), humeral head (NMMNH 45116) & entocuneiform (NMMNH 45117).[4] | A medium-sized antilocaprid, cannot be identified to any genus or species as taxonomy of the family is based on horn cores.[4] | |
| Dinohippus | D. interpolatus | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Teeth & metatarsals.[4] | An equid & the most common species from the Black Mesa Quarry.[4] | |
| Floridameryx | F. klausi | Round Mountain Quarry, Santa Fe County, New Mexico.[7] | 14 rami & 2 mandibles.[7] | A gelocid. | |
| Hemiauchenia | H. cf. H. vera | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Two possibly associated carpal elements (NMMNH 45101, right pisiform; NMMNH 45102, right lunar).[4] | A camelid. | |
| Megatylopus | M. cf. M. matthewi | Black Mesa Quarry, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.[4] | Dentary fragment (NMMNH 45105), 3 associated fragments of an upper molar ( NMMNH 45106), a partial distal humerus (NMMNH 45129) & 5 vertebrae.[4] | A camelid. | |
History of investigation
The beds making up the unit were originally included by Bryan and McCann in 1937 in the Middle Red member of the Santa Fe Formation.Шаблон:Sfn This became the Tesuque Formation in 1956.Шаблон:Sfn
In 1971, Galusha and Blick split the uppermost beds from the Tesuque Formation as the Chamita Formation based on differences in lithology and fossil assemblage.Шаблон:Sfn
Footnotes
See also
References
- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 2,7 2,8 2,9 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 3,3 3,4 3,5 3,6 3,7 Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ 4,00 4,01 4,02 4,03 4,04 4,05 4,06 4,07 4,08 4,09 4,10 4,11 4,12 4,13 4,14 4,15 4,16 4,17 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 5,0 5,1 5,2 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 6,2 6,3 Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ 7,0 7,1 Шаблон:Cite book
