PALEONTOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF OIL SHALE AND TAR SANDS AREAS IN COLORADO, UTAH, AND WYOMING Prepared by: Paul C. Murphey, Ph.D.* and David Daitch, M.S.* Argonne National Laboratory Prepared for: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management December 2007 * Murphey is currently associated with the Department of Paleontology, San Diego Natural History Museum and Daitch with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder. Paleontological Overview December 2007 CONTENTS PREFACE................................................................................................................................. ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................ xi ABOUT THE AUTHORS ........................................................................................................ xiii NOTATION.............................................................................................................................. xv ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. 1 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Study Area .............................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Definition and Significance of Paleontological Resources..................................... 8 2 METHODS ...................................................................................................................... 9 3 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES ................................................................. 13 3.1 BLM Conditions 1–3 .............................................................................................. 13 3.2 Potential Fossil Yield Classification....................................................................... 14 4 GREATER GREEN RIVER BASIN, WYOMING AND COLORADO............................. 19 4.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History ............................................................ 19 4.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary................................................................................ 21 4.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations ................................... 23 4.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources ...................................................... 28 4.4.1 Wasatch Formation ..................................................................................... 28 4.4.2 Green River Formation ............................................................................... 30 4.4.3 Bridger Formation....................................................................................... 34 4.4.4 Washakie Formation ................................................................................... 38 4.4.5 Bishop Conglomerate.................................................................................. 40 4.4.6 Browns Park Formation .............................................................................. 41 4.4.7 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits .................................... 42 4.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary ................................................... 42 5 PICEANCE CREEK BASIN, COLORADO .................................................................. 45 5.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History ............................................................ 45 5.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary................................................................................ 50 5.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations ................................... 52 iii Paleontological Overview December 2007 CONTENTS (Cont.) 5.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources ...................................................... 54 5.4.1 DeBeque Formation.................................................................................... 57 5.4.2 Green River Formation ............................................................................... 58 5.4.3 Uinta Formation.......................................................................................... 59 5.4.4 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits .................................... 60 5.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary ................................................... 61 6 UINTA BASIN, UTAH................................................................................................... 63 6.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History ............................................................ 63 6.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary................................................................................ 69 6.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations ................................... 71 6.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources ...................................................... 72 6.4.1 Mesaverde Group........................................................................................ 72 6.4.2 Wasatch Formation ..................................................................................... 75 6.4.3 Green River Formation ............................................................................... 77 6.4.4 Uinta Formation.......................................................................................... 79 6.4.5 Duchesne River Formation ......................................................................... 81 6.4.6 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits .................................... 83 6.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary ................................................... 84 7 EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST UTAH SPECIAL TAR SAND AREAS ......... 87 7.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History ............................................................ 87 7.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary................................................................................ 89 7.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations ................................... 92 7.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources ...................................................... 94 7.4.1 Cutler Group............................................................................................... 94 7.4.2 Kaibab Limestone ....................................................................................... 99 7.4.3 Moenkopi Formation .................................................................................. 100 7.4.4 Chinle Formation ........................................................................................ 102 7.4.5 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits .................................... 104 7.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary ................................................... 105 8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 107 9 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 111 10 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................... 141 iv Paleontological Overview December 2007 CONTENTS (Cont.) APPENDIX A: Bibliography of Relevant Literature and Technical Reports for the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area................................................... A-1 APPENDIX B: Bibliography of Geologic Maps Covering the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area................................................................... B-1 APPENDIX C: Taxonomic Lists of Fossils from Potentially Affected Geologic Units within the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area........................ C-1 APPENDIX D: BLM Sensitivity Maps of Paleontological Formations within the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area................................................... D-1 TABLES 1 Summary of STSAs Included in This Study and Their Locations, Ages, and Geologic Provenances............................................................................................... 7 2 Summary of North American Cenozoic Land Mammal Ages ........................................ 12 3 Summary of Programmatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities of Geologic Units within the Greater Green River Basin in Southwest Wyoming and Northwestern Colorado ...................................................... 43 4 Summary of Programmatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities of Geologic Units within the Piceance Creek Basin in Northwestern Colorado............. 62 5 Summary of Programmatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities of Geologic Units within the Uinta Basin in Northeastern Utah ..................................... 85 6 Summary of Programmatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities of Geologic Units within the STSAs Located in East-Central and Southeastern Utah ..................................................................................................... 105 FIGURES 1 Map of the Oil Shale Basins in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming Evaluated in This Report and the Most Geologically Prospective Oil Shale Resources Evaluated in the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS .............................................................. 4 v Paleontological Overview December 2007 FIGURES