National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Chaco Culture National Historical Park Paleontological Resources Inventory (Non-Sensitive Version) Natural Resource Report NPS/CHCU/NRR—2019/1915 ON THE COVER Volutomorpha sp., a marine gastropod in the Upper Cretaceous Cliff House Sandstone of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photo by Tom Lyttle (NPS). Chaco Culture National Historical Park Paleontological Resources Inventory (Non-Sensitive Version) Natural Resource Report NPS/CHCU/NRR—2019/1915 Phillip J. Varela,1 Vincent L. Santucci,2 and Justin S. Tweet3 1National Park Service Chaco Culture National Historical Park PO Box 220 Nageezi, NM 87037 2National Park Service Geologic Resources Division 1849 “C” Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 3National Park Service 9149 79th St. S. Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 May 2019 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Varela, P. J., V. L. Santucci, and J. S. Tweet. 2019. Chaco Culture National Historical Park: Paleontological resources inventory (non-sensitive version). Natural Resource Report NPS/CHCU/NRR—2019/1915. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 310/152686, May 2019 ii Contents Page Figures................................................................................................................................................... vi Tables ..................................................................................................................................................viii Appendices ..........................................................................................................................................viii Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................. x Dedication ............................................................................................................................................. xi Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Significance of Paleontological Resources at CHCU..................................................................... 2 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................... 3 Project Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 3 Baseline Paleontology Resource Data Inventories ......................................................................... 3 History of Paleontological Work at CHCU ........................................................................................... 5 Summary of Paleontological Surveys 1996–2018 ......................................................................... 7 Geology .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Geologic History ............................................................................................................................ 9 Geologic Formations .................................................................................................................... 13 Crevasse Canyon Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Coniacian to Santonian) ............................ 13 Menefee Formation (Upper Cretaceous: Campanian) ............................................................. 13 Cliff House Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous: Campanian) ........................................................ 15 Lewis Shale (Upper Cretaceous: upper Campanian) ............................................................... 16 Pictured Cliffs Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous: upper Campanian) ......................................... 17 Quaternary Rocks and Sediments (Pleistocene–Holocene)..................................................... 17 Taxonomy ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Fossil Plants .................................................................................................................................. 19 Fossil Invertebrates ....................................................................................................................... 22 Phylum Mollusca: Class Bivalvia (clams, oysters, etc.).......................................................... 22 iii Contents (continued) Page Phylum Mollusca: Class Cephalopoda (octopuses, squids, nautiloids, etc.) ........................... 22 Phylum Mollusca: Class Gastropoda (snails) .......................................................................... 22 Phylum Echinodermata (sea stars, brittle stars, sea lilies, etc.) ............................................... 26 Fossil Vertebrates ......................................................................................................................... 26 Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes, sharks, and rays, etc.) ........................................ 26 Class Osteichthyes (bony fishes) ............................................................................................. 26 Class Reptilia (turtles, dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, crocodiles, etc.) ........................... 28 Class Aves (birds).................................................................................................................... 29 Class Mammalia (mammals) ................................................................................................... 32 Ichnofossils (trace fossils) ............................................................................................................ 32 Fossil Localities ................................................................................................................................... 33 Kin Bineola (PMA01) .................................................................................................................. 33 Pueblo Pintado (PMA02) ............................................................................................................. 33 Kin Ya’a (PMA03) ....................................................................................................................... 33 Kin Klizhin (PMA04) ................................................................................................................... 33 Wijiji Mesa (PMA05) ................................................................................................................... 33 Gallo Mesa (PMA06) ................................................................................................................... 33 Chacra Mesa (PMA07) ................................................................................................................. 34 Mockingbird Canyon (PMA08) ................................................................................................... 34 Cly’s Canyon (PMA09) ................................................................................................................ 34 South Mesa (PMA10) ................................................................................................................... 35 West Mesa South (PMA11).........................................................................................................