Definitions of Late Cretaceous North American Land-Mammal "Ages"
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AMERICAN MUSEUM Norntates PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10024 Number 2840, pp. 1-68, figs. 1-1 3, tables 1-11 February 28, 1986 Fossil Mammals from the "Mesaverde" Formation (Late Cretaceous, Judithian) of the Bighom and Wind River Basins, Wyoming, with Definitions of Late Cretaceous North American Land-Mammal "Ages" JASON A. LILLEGRAVEN1 AND MALCOLM C. McKENNA2 ABSTRACT Mammalian faunas are documented for the first oming for the first time, and new records involve time from the "Mesaverde" Formation (Late Cre- both geographic and geologic range extensions. The taceous) ofWyoming. Nonmarine fossils from the temporal record ofthe dryolestid appears relictual, Bighorn and Wind River basins indicate a Ju- beingpreyiously unknown from post-Jurassic strata dithian (revised definition) "age" for the assem- in North America. Tax6nomic comparisons sug- blages through comparisons with approximately gest that the Judithian mammalian fauna of what contemporaneous faunas of the Judith River was then coastal parts of the western interior was (Montana) and Oldman (Alberta) formations. essentially homogeneous geographically, at least Three previously unknown genera are recognized, from southern Alberta to central Wyoming. although not named herein, from the "Mesa- Nonmarine mammalian assemblages from the verde" Formation (Multituberculata, new genus Oldman, Judith River, and "Mesaverde" forma- and species, unidentified; Dryolestidae, new genus tions correlate temporally with more easterly ma- and species, unidentified; and Falepetrus barwini). rine rock units that lie within (or within four zones Three new species of previously described genera above) the Baculites gregoryensis (cephalopod) (Alphadon sahnii, A. attaragos, and Paranyctoides Zone, part ofthe standard zonation ofUpper Cre- megakeros) are named. All species-level taxa (16 taceous rocks of the North American western in- total) except Alphadon lulli are reported from Wy- terior. The upper part ofthe Red Bird Silty Mem- ' Professor, Departments of Geology and Geophysics/Zoology and Physiology, The University of Wyoming, Lar- amie, Wyoming 82071. 2 Frick Curator of Fossil Mammals, Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, The American Museum of Natural History; Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, Columbia University. Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 1986 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $5.50 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 2840 ber ofthe Pierre Shale at Redbird, Wyoming, holds Aquilan (oldest), Judithian, and Lancian the largely endemic invertebrate macrofaunal as- (youngest) provincial North American land-mam- semblage characteristic ofthe B. gregoryensisZone mal "ages" are redefined for the Late Cretaceous as well as a newly described planktonic forami- nonmarine sequence of the western interior from niferal assemblage. The microfossils allow corre- an older stage concept; the "ages," based upon lation to the upper Taylorian and/or lower Na- species-level mammalian assemblages, are mod- varroan foraminiferal stages of the Gulf Coast. eled after the system used successfully for non- This, in turn, correlates approximately to the marine Cenozoic faunas of North America. An Campanian-Maastrichtian stage boundary at Edmontonian "age" (previously used as a stage Gubbio, Italy, and European stratotypic sections. term, chronologically intermediate between the Judithian mammal faunas of the Rocky Moun- Judithian and Lancian) is probably identifiable as tains, therefore, must be younger in age (i.e., late a discrete interval of geologic time, but is not yet Campanian and/or early Maastrichtian) in terms defensible on the basis of mammalian assem- of the European stages than usually is considered blages. Therefore, it is not redefined as a land- on the basis of molluscan zonations within the mammal "age." North American western interior (e.g., well within We concur with the interpretation that the Dja- the Campanian). Judithian mammals from the dokhta Formation of southern Mongolia and the Rockies probably lived about 74-76 million years Judith River and Oldman faunas of North Amer- ago during the late part of geomagnetic Polarity ica are essentially ofthe same age. This compresses Chron 33 or the early part of Polarity Chron 32, the faunas of the Barun Goyot and Nemegt for- during the regressive phases of the Claggett cyclo- mations of southern Mongolia, plus that of the them as recognized for the western shoreline of poorly known, nearby Bugeen Tsav locality, into the Western Interior Seaway. They correlate strati- an interval of time equivalent to the Judithian graphically with the lower part of the Aquilapol- and/or Lancian North American land mammal lenites quadrilobus palynomorph Interval Zone of "ages" and, most probably, to the Maastrichtian the northern Rockies. stage as typified in western Europe. INTRODUCTION This is the first systematic account ofmam- Cifelli and J. G. Eaton, personal commun.), malian remains from the Late Cretaceous the Kirtland and Fruitland formations ofNew "Mesaverde" Formation ofthe North Amer- Mexico (Clemens et al., 1979; Flynn, in press), ican western interior. As discussed below (see the El Gallo Formation (Clemens, 1980) of Geological Framework), the name Mesa- Baja California, Mexico, Eutaw Formation verde Formation is used incorrectly in Wyo- (Emry et al., 1981) of Mississippi, or Mount ming; thus we consistently place the name Laurel Formation (Krause and Baird, 1979) within quotation marks to distinguish its use of New Jersey. in Wyoming from its proper usage nearer the New faunas from two general areas (see type section in southwestern Colorado. figs. 1-3; Locality Data, below) within Wy- The fossils described herein are of special oming are described. The first is from mul- biogeographical importance because they tiple localities in the north-central part ofthe represent the most southerly, well-docu- state in the Bighorn Basin, with most sites mented record of Judithian (revised defi- being northeast of the town ofWorland. The nition, see under Biostratigraphy) mammals second is from two, closely adjacent localities known from the continent. Although prelim- at the center of the state in the Wind River inary, we considered the development ofthis Basin, in the area of the Rattlesnake Hills paper worthwhile because a new collecting Anticline (Barwin, 1959, 196 la, 196 lb; Os- effort in the "Mesaverde" Formation has been trom, 1965; Shapurji, 1978). Virtually all of mounted by Lillegraven. It will be some time the reported specimens occur along with before the results ofthat could be made avail- abundant nonmammalian remains within able in published form. Because of the lim- yellow channel sandstones, with considerable ited number of specimens available, we are reworking of the fossils. Most mammalian not considering elements ofmammalian fau- specimens are represented by isolated teeth nas of Late Cretaceous age from Utah (R. L. or edentulousjaw fragments as shown through 1986 LILLEGRAVEN AND McKENNA: "MESAVERDE" MAMMALS 3 the various collecting techniques of surface- deposits in older Cretaceous rocks of Wyo- crawling, quarrying, underwater screen- ming and Utah, including the "Mesaverde" washing, and dry-screening. No indication of Formation (Barwin, 1959, 1961a, 1961b). the existence ofarticulated mammalian skel- Only one locality, however, the future site of etal remains has yet been observed. Barwin Quarry (see fig. 2 and Locality Data, below), central Wyoming, was judged prom- ising. ABBREVIATIONS Prospecting at this site yielded the first fos- INSTITUTIONAL sil mammals from the "Mesaverde" For- mation. Searches in nearby areas of outcrop AMNH, Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, west of the minimally productive Barwin The American Museum of Natural History, New Quarry were carried out in 1965 with the York of new and NMC, National Museum of Canada, Ottawa hope finding better sites. Results PMAA-P, Provincial Museum and Archives of were negative, however, and a decision was Alberta, Paleontological Collections, Drum- made to work Barwin Quarry. The richness heller ofthe site was minimal, yielding several teeth UA, Collection ofFossil Vertebrates, Department per ton of rock processed. A full-scale wash- ofGeology, The University ofAlberta, Edmon- ing program was continued at Barwin Quarry ton in 1966. UCMP, Museum of Paleontology, University of After extensive overburden was removed California, Berkeley by blasting and bulldozing, approximately USGS, United States Geological Survey 100 identifiable mammalian specimens and UW, The Geological Museum, The University of a Wyoming, Laramie large number of other vertebrate remains eventually were obtained from Barwin Quar- STANDARD DENTAL MEASUREMENTS ry by screening about 80 tons of the fossil- iferous sandstone. Unfortunately, total pro- AP, Anteroposterior length ductivity was even less than the minimal value ANW, Anterior width (=width oftrigonid oflower anticipated, so excavation was terminated at molariform teeth; =width of tooth on teeth in the end of the 1966 season. However, com- which only one width measurement was taken) paratively minor excavations were made by POW, Posterior width (=width oftalonid oflower the AMNH crew molariform teeth) in 1970. The collections LTRI, Length of trigonid made in 1965, 1966, and 1970 were cata- logued by Thomas H. Rich, but no research MISCELLANEOUS was undertaken until Lillegraven rejuvenated the present project in 1981. ACSN, American Commission on Stratigraphic