Bulletin No. 266 Series 0, Systematic Geology and Paleontology, 73 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR PALEONTOLOGY OF THE IALONE JURASSIC FORMATION OF TEXAS BY FRANCIS WHITTEMORE CRAGIN STRATIGRAPHIC NOTES ON MALONE MOUNTAIN AND THE SURROUNDING REGION NEAR SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS BY T. W. STANTON WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1905 CONTENTS. Letter of transmittal ......... ^............^.......'...................... 7 Introduction .._.---_._......._--.-._----_-----_-----_-----_-.-.-.---.---- 9 Scope of investigation..____.._.____.....__._._........ ._.._.___-..... 9 Geography of region ...'.. ............................................. 9 History of geological studies .....................'...............^.... 10 Geology of the region .__._.._......;.............._.-.-....___._-...._ 13 Distribution of fossils in the Malone district.......................... 16 Occurrence of species by localities..-...-..--..-.--..----.-...--... 16 Age of Malone fauna ................ ................................ 19 , Localities o.f related faunas .-...-.-.-.--...........-.-........-.--.:- 21 Acknowledgments ................... ....'........ ^................... 22 Strati graphic notes on Malone Mountain and the surrounding region, near Sierra Blanca, Tex.,by T. W. Stan ton.................................. 23 General remarks..........--.....-.-.-..-..------..-.--.-..---.....-... 23 Malone Mountain and the Jurassic ...;............:.....-.--...-..-.. 24 The Cretaceous .-..........-.....-......----..--.--..--.--'..---.-.... 28 Quitman Mountains .....-..--.-..--------------..-....-......... 28 The Rio Grande section.... ...................................... 30 Eagle Mountains ................................-.........:.'..... 32 Sierra Blanca.... ................................................ 32 Finlay Mountains....-....-.-..---.--.-..-.....'.....-.-.......... 32 Other localities ..................j--.-.....^. ................... 32 Descriptions of the species ....... .^....................................... 34 Ccelenterata .................................. ^...................... 34 Anthozoa.---....-...------.-.--..----.--..---.-----...-.-....-.. 34 Echinodermata ...........-.......-.--..---..--..-..-.---.-........--. 35 Echinoidea ............. ...._--...---...--....--..-.---.---..--. 35 Holectypoida................................................. 35 Spatangoida............--.-..-...-...--....-.-.---.-....-.-. 36 Vermes.............................................................. 37 Annelida.................................. .....-.---......-..-... 37 Tubicola................................. .................... 37 Molluscoidea ..-.-..............'--.....---...-......--.-.---.----...-. 38 Bryozoa..---.......................-.-...-..'.-.-...-..-..-.-..--.. 38 Diastoporidae . -..-.--.---...-..--...-..--....--....----.--.-.. 38 Mollusca .... ...--..........-.--..-.-...-.....--......--.-..-.-.----.-. 39 Pelecypoda....................................................... 39 Ostreidae ...........................^........_................ 39 Spondylidae ............-.---.-.-..-----.-.- ..-.-.-...-.-...--.. 43 Limidse - ........-.......-..........._.....-..-....-.-.--.... 43 Pectinidse --.....-.......------..-....---..-..-.--......---.. 44 Aviculidae -.'.......-....---------...--.--...----.--.---.---.. 46 MytilidaB...............-..__.-.........................-.... 48 3 4 CONTENTS. Descriptions of the species Continued. Page. Mollusca Continued. - Pelecypoda Continued. Pinnidse..................................................... 49 Arcidae --._---_.._.__--......__..._.__...--..---._..__..___ 50 Nuculidse --------._.--.___..__...__.. ._.-.'..--.._._..!___.._. 55 Trigoniidae .--.....----.........-.__.....--.,--....--........ 56 Astartidae -.-----.-.--....._._._..__._...---..-.-..---...--._. 64 Crassatellidae .-._---.-.--_--._._..__._._.-__--..._-.-....-___ 69 Lucinidse..-.-..-.-...-..-._........... ....................... 72 Cyprinidse......,.....--...---...-..........-._.....-....-.-... 7? Veneridse..----..-.....--.--............--.......-----........ 79 Pholadomyidae................................................ 79 Anatinidse..................................................... 85 Myidffi ...................................................... 87 Pholadidae................................................... 87 Gastropoda....................................................... ^ 88 Pleurotomariidse............... ........... r ................... 88' Trochidte....... .......................... ............ .......:._ 88 Neritidse .............,..............:........................ 90 Turritellidse.................................................. 92 Vermetidse........ ........................................... 92 Naticidse ..................................................... 93 Pyramidellidae. -..---.-...-..-....-.---.-----.--..-..--..-... 95 Nerineidse.............. ..-.-...-......-...-.-...-..-----...... __ 96 Cerithiidse .................................................... 99 Actaeonidae .......-...--....................--:..-...--........ 99 Cephalopoda...................................................... 100 Nautiloidea ............................ .:..-.-.-----....--... 100 Aniinonoidea ................................................. 101 Vertebrata ........................................................... 109 Index..... ........................................................... 169 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. - - - Map of region near Sierra Bla,nca, Tex .................. 22 PLATES II-XXIX. Malone Jurassic invertebrates ..._......--....-...---. 114-168 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, Washington, D. C., February 4,1903. SIR : I transmit herewith, for publication as a bulletin of the Sur­ vey, a manuscript entitled " Paleontology of the Malone Jurassic Formation of Texas," by Francis Whittemore Cragin. Professor Cragin prepared a large part of this paper in 1.899, beginning the work while he was a graduate student in Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and continuing it here under my supervision in accordance with authority obtained from you at the time. I have inserted a sketch of the stratigraphy of the region and have prepared the accom­ panying map, using data furnished by Professor Cragin for the por­ tion of the region referred to in his text. I may add that Professor Cragin's collection of Malone fossils is now the property of the United States National Museum. Very respectfully, T. W. STANTON, Paleontologist. Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director United States Geological Survey\ 7 PALEONTOLOGY OF THE MALONE JURASSIC FORMA­ TION OF TEXAS. By F. W. CRAGIN. SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION. This paper embodies the paleontological and some geological re­ sults of recent studies in the Jurassic of El Paso County, Tex. It is in part the outgrowth of one of briefer scope, prepared in 1897-98 from collections and data obtained by me in a reconnaissance made in 1897, and supplemented by some of the results of the earlier work of 'Messrs. Taff, Wyschetzki, and Goodell, as explained below. In its present form it includes also the study of two collections made by Dr. T. W. Stanton, of the United States Geological Survey, as noted more particularly elsewhere herein. GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION. In El Paso County, a few miles north of the Rio Grande and 75 to 80 miles southeast of El Paso, is a narrow ridge known as Malone Mountain. Its trend is nearly north-northwest and south-southeast, and is nearly continuous with that of the northwestern end of the Quitinan Mountains, from which'it is separated by an interval of less than a mile. At the eastern base of the mountain, near its northern end, on the joint line of the Southern Pacific and Texas Pacific rail­ ways is the flag station of Malone, which has an elevation of 4,262 feet above sea level.0 Also on this line of railway, and between 2 and 3 miles west of the north end of Malone Mountain, is Finlay station. As shown by the Fort Hancock sheet of the Topographic Atlas of the United States, in preparation by the United States Geological Survey, the mountain rises to somewhere over 5,050 feet above sea level, and so has a relative altitude of about 800 feet. On either side of the moun­ tain ridge are hills that are geologically related to the mountain. «Gannett, Henry, Dictionary of altitudes in the United States, third edition : Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 160, 1899. 10 MALONE JURASSIC FOEMATION OF TEXAS. [BULL. 266. HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL STUDIES. The geological observations made along this part of the .Bio Grande Valley in the fifties by the-Mexican Boundary and Pacific Railway surveys were but cursory, and did not specifically include the Malone district, and the first serious geological study within the district was made in 1890 by the Geological Survey of Texas, under Mr. E. T. Dumble. In that year Mr. J. A. Taff, then attached to Mr. W. H. von Streeruwitz's Trans-Pecos division of that survey, studied Malone Mountain, and Mr. Ralph Wyschetzki, of the same division, collected a few fossils from the hills northeast of it. In the second annual report of the same survey, issued in 1891, Mr. Taff published and dis­ cussed a section of Malone Mountain and described, with scant allu­ sion to its paleontology, an essential part of the Malone formation, consisting of limestone, gypsum, and flagstone of Malone Mountain, which he called the " Malone beds; " He thus virtually recognized