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The Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Eastend Formation

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The Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Eastend Formation THE STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE EASTEND FORMATION IN SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science in Geology University of Regina By Richard John Lawson Boulding Regina, Saskatchewan March, 2019 Copyright 2019: R. Boulding UNIVERSITY OF REGINA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPERVISORY AND EXAMINING COMMITTEE Richard John Lawson Boulding, candidate for the degree of Master of Science in Geology, has presented a thesis titled, The Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Eastend Formation in Saskatchewan, Canada, in an oral examination held on January 29, 2019. The following committee members have found the thesis acceptable in form and content, and that the candidate demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject material. External Examiner: Dr. Emily Bamforth, Royal Saskatchewn Museum Co-Supervisor: Dr. Janis Dale, Department of Geology Co-Supervisor: Dr. Tim Tokaryk, Adjunct Committee Member: Dr. Osman Salad Hersi, Department of Geology Chair of Defense: Dr. Kerri Finlay, Department of Biology Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the stratigraphy and fossil content of the Eastend Formation across Saskatchewan and examine its ill-defined boundaries to determine their impact on the stratigraphy of the Late Cretaceous in the province. The primary objective of this research was to create stratigraphic sections of the Eastend Formation from surface exposures across the southern part of the province by examining changes in lithology, stratigraphy, and stratigraphic boundaries. A secondary objective of this research was to create an updated faunal list for the Eastend Formation through paleontological excavations, surface collections, and bulk sampling of select sites to inspect for micro-vertebrate fossil content. Three dominant lithological facies were identified in the Eastend Formation including planar laminated and massive sands, cross- bedded and rippled sands, and interbedded silts and clays. The lower Eastend Formation depicts a prograding delta front in a low energy sheltered estuary where the upper Eastend Formation layers are interpreted as being a delta plain type environment related to shallow channels and overbank deposits. A total of 67 fossil specimens were collected and classified based on the preservation quality and completeness of each specimen including the first vertebrate and scaphopod material from the formation. Additionally, five ichnotaxa were identified from the Eastend Formation material from the Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies. The overall evidence derived from the geology, paleontology, and ichnology of the Eastend Formation points towards an estuarine depositional environment. These indicators could be the key to differentiating the gradational boundary at the base of the Eastend Formation and re-visiting the argument of the i Whitemud Formation as an altered horizon of the upper Eastend Formation, both of which would have profound impacts on the Late Cretaceous stratigraphy in Saskatchewan. Acknowledgements: Firstly, I would like to thank my thesis advisors Janis Dale and Tim Tokaryk for assisting with my research and never giving up on me, their support and encouragement was crucial throughout the course of this program. I want to thank the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s Fossil Research Station for the use of their equipment and facilities along with Tim Tokaryk and Wes Long for their instruction of current fossil excavation and preparation techniques. A deep thanks goes out to the landowners of the study sites for allowing me to prospect and excavate on their land. Lastly, I must thank my field assistants over the years including Farron Ager, Evan Thorson, Willie Birss, Dustin Ormiston, Shane Westphal, Bernt Hanson, Ian Goulet, and especially Daylene Boulding for all their help. Dedication: I would like to dedicate this thesis to my loving wife Yvonne Boulding and my family for being a constant source of strength and comfort through some of the most trying years in my life. ii Table of Contents: Abstract: .................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements: .................................................................................................. ii Dedication: ................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents: .................................................................................................... iii List of Tables and Figures: ........................................................................................vi Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose of Thesis .......................................................................................................2 1.3 Objectives ..................................................................................................................4 1.4 Rationale ....................................................................................................................4 1.5 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................5 Chapter 2: Site Description ....................................................................................... 6 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................6 2.2 Cypress Hills Site .......................................................................................................6 2.3 Frenchman River Valley Sites ...................................................................................9 2.3.1 Road Cut Site ........................................................................................................11 2.3.2 Humphrey Site ......................................................................................................14 2.3.3 Hanson Site ...........................................................................................................16 2.4 Vansandt Sites ..........................................................................................................18 2.5 Claybank Site ...........................................................................................................20 2.6 Avonlea Badlands Site .............................................................................................22 2.7 Glacial History .........................................................................................................24 Chapter 3: Literature Review ................................................................................. 27 3.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................27 3.2 Geology of the Williston Basin................................................................................27 3.3 Tectonic and Depositional Settings of the Western Interior Basin ..........................29 3.4 Rocks Associated with the Last Cretaceous Transgressive/Regressive Cycle ........30 3.5 Geology of the Eastend Formation ..........................................................................32 3.6 Distribution of Eastend Exposures...........................................................................35 3.7 Type Section ............................................................................................................35 iii 3.8 Fossil Content ..........................................................................................................36 Chapter 4: Methods ................................................................................................ 38 4.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................38 4.2 Sectioning and Logging ...........................................................................................38 4.3 Fossil Prospecting ....................................................................................................42 4.4 Fossil Quarrying and Extraction ..............................................................................42 4.5 Fossil Preparation and Identification .......................................................................46 4.6 Bulk Sampling .........................................................................................................48 4.7 Sieving and Processing Micro-Vertebrates ..............................................................48 4.8 Fossil Specimen Photography ..................................................................................51 Chapter 5: Stratigraphic Results and Discussion .................................................... 53 5.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................53 5.2 Section Descriptions ................................................................................................53 5.2.1 Cypress Hills Site ..................................................................................................53 5.2.2 Road Cut Site ........................................................................................................58
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