Geology and Paleontology of the Late Miocene Wilson Grove Formation at Bloomfield Quarry, Sonoma County, California
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Geology and Paleontology of the Late Miocene Wilson Grove Formation at Bloomfield Quarry, Sonoma County, California 2 cm 2 cm Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5021 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey COVER. Photographs of fragments of a walrus (Gomphotaria pugnax Barnes and Raschke, 1991) mandible from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California (see plate 8 for more details). The walrus fauna at Bloomfield Quarry is the most diverse assemblage of walrus yet reported worldwide from a single locality. cm, centimeter. (Photographs by Robert Boessenecker, College of Charleston.) Geology and Paleontology of the Late Miocene Wilson Grove Formation at Bloomfield Quarry, Sonoma County, California By Charles L. Powell II, Robert W. Boessenecker, N. Adam Smith, Robert J. Fleck, Sandra J. Carlson, James R. Allen, Douglas J. Long, Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, and Raj B. Guruswami-Naidu Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5021 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DAVID BERNHARDT, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit https://www.usgs.gov/ or call 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747). For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Powell, C.L., II, Boessenecker, R.W., Smith, N.A., Fleck, R.J., Carlson, S.J., Allen, J.R., Long, D.J., Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., and Guruswami-Naidu, R.B., 2019, Geology and paleontology of the late Miocene Wilson Grove Formation at Bloomfield Quarry, Sonoma County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5021, 77 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195021. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Acknowledgments We would like to thank Lindsey Groves (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County) and Mary McGann (U.S. Geological Survey) for their helpful reviews. Also thanked are Christine Garcia, the late Jean DeMouthe (California Academy of Sciences), and Mark Goodwin, Patricia Holroyd, and Erica Clites (University of California Museum of Paleontology) for use of collections in their care. John K. Tucker helped find several obscure references. Janice C. Fong (University of California, Davis) and Heather B. Constable (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley) helped prepare tables, figures, and several of the plates. Harry Steinbeck and lessees of the Steinbeck Ranch kindly permitted sampling of the Roblar tuff on that property for age dating. iv Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Authorship Order...................................................................................................................................4 Previous Work ................................................................................................................................................6 Geologic Setting/Stratigraphy .....................................................................................................................6 Age—Analytical Results...............................................................................................................................6 Tuff Correlations .............................................................................................................................................8 Biostratigraphy ...............................................................................................................................................8 Age Summary ...............................................................................................................................................10 Paleontology .................................................................................................................................................10 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................11 Appendix—Taxonomic Notes ....................................................................................................................27 Invertebrates .......................................................................................................................................27 Brachiopods by Sandra J. Carlson .........................................................................................27 Mollusks by Charles L. Powell II .............................................................................................29 Arthropods ..................................................................................................................................35 Vertebrates ..........................................................................................................................................35 Fishes by Douglas J. Long ........................................................................................................35 Marine Mammals by Robert W. Boessenecker ....................................................................38 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................44 Birds by N. Adam Smith ............................................................................................................44 Plates 1. Selected brachiopod fossils from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloom- field Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .............48 2. Selected mollusk fossils from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ......................50 3. Selected mollusk fossils from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ......................52 4. Selected fish fossils from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ......................54 5. Walrus (Odobenidae) postcrania from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .56 6. Walrus (Odobenidae) teeth from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloom- field Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .............58 7. Walrus (Odobenidae) mandible from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .60 8. Walrus (Odobenidae) mandible from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .62 9. Walrus (Odobenidae) femur from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloom- field Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California .............64 v 10. Dolphin (Odontoceti) teeth and bones from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ........................................................................................................................66 11. Baleen whale (Mysticeti) bones from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ........................................................................................................................68 12. Sea cow (Hydrodamalinae) rib fragments from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ........................................................................................................70 13. Fragmented avian fossils from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ......................72 14. Flightless auk (Mancallinae) fossil from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ........................................................................................................................74 15. Auk (cf. Uria brodkorbi Howard, 1981.) fossil from the basal Wilson Grove Formation exposed in Bloomfield Quarry, just north of the town of Bloomfield in Sonoma County, California ......................................................................................................................................76 Figures 1. Index map