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The Paleontology of the Brown's Park Formation in the Maybell, Colorado Area, and a Taphonomic Study of Two Fossil Quarries in Colorado and Arizona

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The Paleontology of the Brown's Park Formation in the Maybell, Colorado Area, and a Taphonomic Study of Two Fossil Quarries in Colorado and Arizona The Paleontology of the Brown's Park formation in the Maybell, Colorado area, and a taphonomic study of two fossil quarries in Colorado and Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Honey, James G. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 30/09/2021 10:38:52 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/555084 THE PALEONTOLOGY OF THE BROWN'S PARK FORMATION IN THE MAYBELL, COLORADO AREA, AND A TAPHONOMIC STUDY OF TWO FOSSIL QUARRIES IN COLORADO AND ARIZONA by James Gilbert Honey A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 7 7 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re­ quirements for an advanced degree at The,University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judg­ ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar­ ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: bt/tfA/jj/ 4-. cy^deu/ /tygrcA /£/ / ? 7 7 e v e r e t t h . L i n d s a y Date Associate Professor of Geosciences ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Dr. E. H. Lindsay, my thesis advisor, for the encouragement which he has provided throughout this study. His many suggestions and constructive criticisms have guided the course of the research. Special thanks are due Mr. Glen Izett, of the Denver branch of the U. S. Geological Survey, who introduced me to the geology of the Brown's Park Formation, found some of the fossils described herein, and provided the initial impetus for undertaking this study. Drs. G. G. Simpson and R. F. Wilson, of The University of Arizona, have provided much help during this study, and have thoughtfully read and criticized the manuscript. Thanks are extended to Dr. G. E. Lewis, of the Denver branch of the U. S. Geological Survey, who loaned these fossils to me and provided initial discussions on the animals themselves. The staff of the American Museum of Natural History, in particular Messrs. Beryl Taylor, Dick Tedford, and Morris Skinner, allowed me to examine the animals in the Frick collection, and discussed with me the relationships of some of the Brown's Park animals. Fossils at the University of Nebraska were also examined, and for that privilege I thank Drs. C. B. Schultz and Lloyd Tanner. Field help was provided at various times by Glen Izett, Everett Lindsay, Lou Taylor, Lou Jacobs, Larry Flynn, Mic and Isabell Brownfield, and others too numerous to mention. Mr. Bob Mortimer kindly donated his iii iv time in developing and printing most of the photographs herein. Mrs. Cherri Wachter typed the final manuscript. Finally, thanks are given my parents, Merle and Gail Honey, whose support of my education ultimately made this thesis possible. / TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS....................................... vii LIST OF T A B L E S ........ .......... .. ................... ix A B S T R A C T ................................. x 1. INTRODUCTION ....................... 1 h Location ............ m co Previous Investigations Purposes of Study . 2. STRATIGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTATION OF THE BROWN’S PARK FORMATION ........................... 8 3. TAPHONOMY AND PALEOENVIRONMENT OF THE BROWN’S PARK FORMATION................................................ 14 Observations on the B o n e s ............................... 14 Interpretations Based on the Bones ..................... 21 Sedimentological Interpretation ......................... 30 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ....................... 40 4. STRATIGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTATION OF THE MILK CREEK FORMATION.................. 50 General Stratigraphy ................................... 50 Stratigraphy at UALP Locality 7498 51 5. TAPHONOMY AT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LOCALITY 7498 58 Observations on the B o n e s ............................... 58 Interpretations Based on the Bones ..................... 65 Sedimentological Interpretations ....................... 69 6. SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE FAUNA ......................... 77 Family Canidae Gray, 1821 ................................ 77 Tomarctus cf. paula Henshaw, 1942 ................... 77 Family Equidae Gray, 1 8 2 1 ............................... 93 Megahippus sp......................................... 93 Parahippus cf. leonensis Sellards, 1916 ............. 102 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page Family Camelidae Gray, 1821 ................... ............ 115 Blickomylus galushai Frick and Taylor, 1968 .......... 115 Genus cf. Pliauchenia Cope 1875 . ........... .. 122 Michenia s p . .......................................... 129 Procamelus or Aepycamelus sp................ 140 Subfamily Camelinae gen. et sp. indet.................. 149 Family Antilocapridae Gray, 1866 ......................... 153 Meryceros warreni (Leidy), 1858 ....................... 153 Meryceros sp............................................ 157 Merycodontinae gen. et sp. indet............ 167 7. CORRELATION AND AGE OF THE MAYBELL FOSSIL SITES ................ 171 8. CONCLUSIONS.................................................... 185 Taphonomy of the D856 F a u n a ....................... .. 185 Taphonomy of the UALP Loc. 7498 F a u n a ..................... 186 Paleontology and Age of the Maybell F a u n a ................. 187 REFERENCES 189 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Map Showing Distribution of Brown's Park Formation in Extreme Northwest Colorado ........................... 2 2. Map Showing Location of Fossil Sites ....................... 4 3. Roadcut Exposure at D854 9 4. Stratigraphic Section at D855 ............................... 11 5. Stratigraphic Section at D856 ............................... 12 6. Stereographic Diagram of Bone Orientations, D856 Q u a r r y .............................................. 15 7. Rose Diagram of Bone Orientations at D856 Qu a r r y ............. 16 8. Dip Maxima Directions in Brown's Park Sandstones ........... 38 9. Measured Section on Hill N10°W of Goldies Honeypot Quarry (UALP 7498) 52 10. Cross-strata in Milk Creek Formation Sa n d s t o n e .............. 53 11. Three Sets of Superposed Cross-strata ...................... 54 12. Close-up of Contact between Middle and Upper Sets of Cross-strata................................. 56 13. Stereo Diagram of Bone Orientations at Walnut Grove Quarry 7498 .............................................. 59 14. Rose Diagram of Bone Orientations at Walnut Grove Quarry 7498 ....................................... 60 15. Foresets in Milk Creek Formation ........................... 74 16. Tomarctus cf. paula .............. 80 17. Megahippus sp................................................. 95 18. Parahippus cf. leonensis ................................... 104 19. Blickomylus g a l u s h a i ........................................ 117 Vil viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 20. cf. Pliauchenia.............................................. 124 21. Michenia sp.................................... 131 22. Procamelus or Aepycamelus sp................................. 143 23. Camelinae gen. et sp. indet..................... 151 24. Heryceros warreni ................ 155 25. Meryceros sp.................................................. 159 26. Merycodontinae gen. et sp. indet. ............... 168 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Bones Found at D856 Quarry and Their Distribution into Voorhies' Groups, and Observed and Expected Fre­ quencies of Skeletal Ele m e n t s .......................... 18 2. Bones Found, Their Distribution into Voorhie's Groups, and Observed Ratios of Skeletal Elements at Walnut Grove Quarry 7498 ...................................... 62 3. Data Used to Calculate Ratios Given in Table 2 ............. 63 4. Skull and Dental Measurements of Tomarctus cf. paula D856-1 and Comparison with Other Specimens of Tomarctus.............................................. 78 5. Measurements of Megahippus sp.............................. 94 6. Skull Measurements and Dental Measurements of Para- hippus cf. leonensis (D857-1) Compared with Other Horses, and Statistics for the AP and TR of Indi­ vidual Teeth in the P^-M^ Row of P_. avus and P_. leonensis.............................................. 103 7. Measurements of Blickomylus galushi ....................... 116 8. Measurements of cf. Pliauchenia sp......................... 123 9. Dental Measurements of Michenia sp. and Comparative Statistics of Michenia n. sp. and Pliauchenia coartatus from Walnut Grove, Arizona and Other Measurements on Michenia sp. from Brown's Park .... 130 10. Measurements of Procamelus or Aepycamelus sp. and Comparative Measurements on Aepycamelus from the Pojoaque Member of the Tesuque Formation ...........
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