Ferris Formation
| Ferris Formation | ||
|---|---|---|
Ma | ||
| Type | Approximate paleocoordinates 48°48′N 82°12′W / 48.8°N 82.2°W | |
| Region |  Wyoming | |
| Country |  United States | |
| Extent | Hanna Basin | |
  Ferris Formation (the United States)  Ferris Formation (Wyoming) | ||
The Ferris Formation is a
Some of the fluvial channels contain evidence of tidal influence and brackish water, in the form of tidal facies, shark teeth, and shrimp burrows. This demonstrates that the western shoreline of the
K-T boundary is contained within a sandy channel deposit made up of stacked bars. Reworked Cretaceous fossils are preserved at the base of the channel complex, associated with mud rip-up clasts, and Paleocene mammal fossils are preserved in the upper portion of the bar.[2]
The Ferris Formation is up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) thick in the Hanna Basin and represents a rapid accumulation of predominantly fine-grained sediment on a broad delta. The delta previously fed the deepwater Lewis Shale and shallow marine Fox Hills Formation. The Ferris followed behind as a system of lagoons, bays, and delta plain environments.
Vertebrate paleofauna
In addition to a variety of dinosaurs, the following taxa are known from the Ferris Formation:
and a variety of Cretaceous and Paleocene
placentals
.
Ornithischians
Ornithischians of the Ferris Formation
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| Ankylosaurus[3] | Indeterminate[3] |  | ||||
| Nodosauridae[4] | Indeterminate[3] | |||||
Stygimoloch[3]
|
S. spinifer[3] |  | ||||
| Thescelosaurus[3] | Indeterminate[3] |  | ||||
| Triceratops[3] | Indeterminate[3] | Ferris remains previously attributed to Triceratops have been subsequently identified as indeterminate chasmosaurine fossils[3] | ||||
Saurischians
Saurischians of the Ferris Formation
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| Ornithomimus[5] | O. sp.[5] |  | ||||
| Tyrannosaurus[3] | T. rex[3] |  | ||||
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
See also
- List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
- Hell Creek Formation
- Fort Union Formation
References
- ^ Wroblewski, 1995
- ^ Lillegraven & Eberle, 1999
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "3.12 Wyoming, United States; 9. Ferris Formation," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.585
- ^ Listed as "Edmontonia cf. rugosidens" in "3.12 Wyoming, United States; 9. Ferris Formation," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.585
- ^ a b Listed as "Ornithomimus cf. velox" in "3.12 Wyoming, United States; 9. Ferris Formation," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.585
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-520-24209-2
- Wroblewski, Anton F.. 1995. First report of changes in lower vertebrate faunas across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, western Hanna Basin, Wyoming. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Supp. to volume 15. 61A. .
- Lillegraven, Jason A., and Jaelyn J. Eberle. 1999. Vertebrate Faunal Changes through Lancian and Puercan Time in Southern Wyoming. Journal of Paleontology 73(4). 691–710. Accessed 2020-11-16.