Wood Canyon Formation

Wood Canyon Formation
Stratigraphic range:
TypeGeologic formation
Sub-units'Upper', 'Middle' and 'Lower' Members [1]
UnderliesZabriskie Quartzite Formation
OverliesSterling Quartzite Formation
Thickness0–2,500 feet (0–762 m)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherLimestone, Siltstone, Quartzite, Shale, Dolostone, Conglomerate
Location
RegionMojave Desert, California and Nevada
CountryUnited States

The Wood Canyon Formation is a geologic formation in the northern Mojave Desert of Inyo County, California and Nye County and Clark County, Nevada.[2][3]

It can be seen in the Panamint Range and Funeral Mountains adjoining Death Valley, within Death Valley National Park; and in the Spring Mountains in Clark County.[2]

Geology

The 570+ million years old formation underlies the Zabriskie Quartzite Formation, and overlies the Stirling Quartzite Formation.[2][4]

It has three unnamed Members, simply known as 'Upper', 'Middle', and 'Lower', that mainly consist of limestone, conglomerate rocks and dolostone respectively, with sandstone and siltstones found within the 'Upper' and 'Lower' Members, with the latter itself further containing quartzite and shales.[1][2] The 'Upper' and 'Middle' Members are Cambrian in age, including the upper rocks of the 'Lower Member', whilst the rest of the 'Lower' Member is Ediacaran in age.[1]

Paleobiota

The Wood Canyon Formation spans from the late Ediacaran period of the Neoproterozoic Era into the Lower Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic Era.[2][3][5] As for the fossils and biota found within the formation, the Cambrian strata is home to olenellid trilobites and archaeocyathid sponges,[2] whilst the Ediacaran strata contains petalonamid forms like Pteridinium and ichnotaxon traces like Helminthoidichnites.[1]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Cambrian

All the organisms and trace fossils from the Cambrian sections of the formation.

Arthropoda

Genus Species Notes Images
Olenellidae indet.[2]
  • Unapplicable
 Redlichiid trilobite arthropods.
Nevadia (?)[2]
  • N. gracile (?)
 Redlichiid trilobite arthropods, from the family Nevadiidae. Misslabelled as Nevadella gracile, tentative assignment.

Brachiopoda

Genus Species Notes Images
Kutorgina (?)[2]
  • Kutorgina sp. (?)
 Rhynchonelliform brachiopods, tentative assignment.

Porifera (Sponges)

Genus Species Notes Images
Archaeocyatha indet.[2]
  • Unapplicable
 Marine reef-building sponges.

Echinodermata

Genus Species Notes Images
Helicoplacus[6]
  • H. gilberti
 Oblong echinoderm.

Petalonamae

Genus Species Notes Images
Swartpuntia[7]
  • S. germsi
 Sessile frondose organism, although assignment has been questioned based on the possibility that know specimens could be referred to other known Cambrian frondose organisms.[8]

incertae sedis

Genus Species Notes Images
Tirasiana (?)[7]
  • T. disciformis (?)
 Discoidal organism, tentative assignment. Possibly junior synonym of Aspidella.

Ichnogenera

Genus Species Notes Images
Bergaueria[9]
  • Bergaueria isp.
 Resting place of Cnidarians.
Conichnus[9]
  • Conichnus isp.
 Burrows.
Cruziana[10]
  • C. pectinata
  • C. tenella
 Burrows.
Dolopichnus[9]
  • Dolopichnus isp.
 Burrows.
Didymaulichnus[10]
  • D. miettensis
 Burrows.
Psammichnites[10]
  • P. gigas
 Burrows.
Rusophycus[10]
  • Rusophycus isp.
 Burrows.
Skolithos[2][10]
  • S. linearis
 Burrows.
Treptichnus[11]
  • T. pedum
 Burrows.
Zoophycos[12]
  • Zoophycos isp.
 Feeding trace of polychaete worms.

Ediacaran

All the organisms and trace fossils from the Ediacaran sections of the formation.

Petalonamae

Genus Species Notes Images
Charnia (?)[1]
  • Charnia sp. (?)
 Sessile frondose organism, tentative assignment.
Ernietta[13][14]
  • E. plateauensis
 Sessile bag-like frondose organism. Reclassified as Tulaneia.
Pteridinium[1]
  • Pteridinium sp.
 Frondose organism.
Swartpuntia[13]
  • S. germsi
 Sessile frondose organism, assignment has been questioned due to poor preservation.[8]
Tulaneia[15]
  • T. amabilia
 Sessile bag-like frondose organism.

incertae sedis

Genus Species Notes Images
Archaeichnium[13]
  • A. haughtoni
 Tubular organism. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[14] although future studies do not note this.
Costatubus[16]
  • C. bibendi
 Tubular fossil, first occurrence in this formation and new species. A study done in the same year discovered some of the first remains of cloudinomorph soft-tissue material within the tubes, resembling bilaterian-like through-guts, which would also make them the oldest known guts in the fossil record.[17]
Cloundina[13]
  • Cloundina sp.
 Tubular organism. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[14] although future studies do not note this.
Conotubus[14]
  • Conotubus sp.
 Tubular organism.
Corumbella[13][14]
  • Corumbella sp.
 Tubular organism.
Gaojiashania[14]
  • Gaojiashania sp.
 Tubular organism.
Saarina[16]
  • S. hagadorni
 Tubular fossil, first occurrence in this formation and new species. A study done in the same year discovered some of the first remains of cloudinomorph soft-tissue material within the tubes, resembling bilaterian-like through-guts, which would also make them the oldest known guts in the fossil record.[17]
Nimbia (?)[13]
  • N. occlusa (?)
 Discoid organism, tentative assignment.
Onuphionella[13]
  • Onuphionella sp.
 Tubular organism, first known occurrence in Ediacaran aged rock. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[14] although future studies do not note this.

Ichnogenera

Genus Species Notes Images
Helminthoidichnites[10]
  • Helminthoidichnites isp.
 Burrows.
Palaeophycus[10]
  • Palaeophycus isp.
 Burrows.
Planolites[10]
  • Planolites isp.
 Burrows.
Bilobate trails[10]
  • ???
 Trails, bears similarities with the ichnogenus Scolicia.

Undescribed

Genus Species Notes Images
Conical calcareous fossils[13]
  • Unapplicable
 Calcareous fossils that are conical in shape, although their poor preservation hinders any proper assignments. They have been suggested to represent the well-known and common organism Cloudina, the small shelly fossil Wyattia, or even a new genus.
Enigmatic tubular fossils[14]
  • Unapplicable
 Various pyritized tubular forms ranging from 0.3 to 7 cm in length and 1 to 5 mm in diameter.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Evans, Scott D.; Smith, Emily F.; Vayda, Prescott; Nelson, Lyle L.; Xiao, Shuhai (October 2024). "The Ediacara Biota of the Wood Canyon formation: Latest Precambrian macrofossils and sedimentary structures from the southern Great Basin". Global and Planetary Change. 241: 104547. Bibcode:2024GPC...24104547E. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104547.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hunt, C B; Mabey, D (1966). "Stratigraphy and structure, Death Valley, California". Geological Survey Professional Paper. Bibcode:1966usgs.rept...12H. doi:10.3133/pp494A.
  3. ^ a b Digital-desert.com: "Death Valley Geology - Wood Canyon Formation"
  4. ^ Springer.com: "Tidal Deposits in the Zabriskie Quartzite (Cambrian), Eastern California and Western Nevada"; John J. Barnes, George deVries Klein.
  5. ^ Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. ^ Durham, J. W. (1993). "Observations on the Early Cambrian Helicoplacoid Echinoderms". Journal of Paleontology. 67 (4): 590–604. Bibcode:1993JPal...67..590D. doi:10.1017/S0022336000024938. ISSN 0022-3360. JSTOR 1305933.
  7. ^ a b Hagadorn, James W.; Fedo, Christopher M.; Waggoner, Ben M. (2000). "Early Cambrian Ediacaran-Type Fossils from California". Journal of Paleontology. 74 (4): 731–740. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2000)074<0731:ECETFF>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-3360. JSTOR 1306951.
  8. ^ a b Runnegar, Bruce; Gehling, James G.; Jensen, Sören; Saltzman, Matthew R. (October 2024). "Ediacaran paleobiology and biostratigraphy of the Nama Group, Namibia, with emphasis on the erniettomorphs, tubular and trace fossils, and a new sponge, Arimasia germsi n. gen. n. sp". Journal of Paleontology. 98 (S94): 1–59. Bibcode:2024JPal...98S...1R. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.81.
  9. ^ a b c Mata, Scott A.; Corsetti, Cara L.; Corsetti, Frank A.; Awramik, Stanley M.; Bottjer, David J. (2012). "Lower Cambrian Anemone Burrows from the Upper Member of the Wood Canyon Formation, Death Valley Region, United States: Paleoecological and Paleoenvironmental Significance". PALAIOS. 27 (9/10): 595–607. Bibcode:2012Palai..27..594M. doi:10.2110/palo.2012.p12-016r. ISSN 0883-1351. JSTOR 23362118.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jensen, S; Droser, M; Heim, N. "Trace fossils and ichnofabrics of the Lower Cambrian Wood Canyon Formation, southwest Death Valley area". ResearchGate. Pacific Section SEPM. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  11. ^ Corsetti, Frank A.; Hagadorn, James W. (2000). "Precambrian-Cambrian transition: Death Valley, United States". Geology. 28 (4): 299. Bibcode:2000Geo....28..299C. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<299:PTDVUS>2.0.CO;2.
  12. ^ Sappenfield, Aaron; Droser, Mary; Kennedy, Martin; Mckenzie, Ryan (November 2012). "The oldest Zoophycos and implications for Early Cambrian deposit feeding". Geological Magazine. 149 (6): 1118–1123. Bibcode:2012GeoM..149.1118S. doi:10.1017/S0016756812000313.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Hagadorn, James W.; Waggoner, Ben (2000). "Ediacaran Fossils from the Southwestern Great Basin, United States". Journal of Paleontology. 74 (2): 349–359. Bibcode:2000JPal...74..349H. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2000)074<0349:EFFTSG>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-3360. JSTOR 1306912.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h Smith, E. F.; Nelson, L. L.; Tweedt, S. M.; Zeng, H.; Workman, J. B. (12 July 2017). "A cosmopolitan late Ediacaran biotic assemblage: new fossils from Nevada and Namibia support a global biostratigraphic link". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 284 (1858): 20170934. Bibcode:2017RSPSB.284....1S. doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.0934. PMC 5524506. PMID 28701565.
  15. ^ Runnegar, Bruce; Horodyski, Robert J.; Gehling, James G.; Jensen, Sören; Bengtson, Stefan; Peterson, Kevin J.; Saltzman, Matthew R.; Vendrasco, Michael J. (November 2024). "Tulaneia amabilia n. gen. n. sp.: a new erniettomorph from the Wood Canyon Formation, Nevada and the age of the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition in the Great Basin". Journal of Paleontology. 98 (6): 929–951. Bibcode:2024JPal...98..929R. doi:10.1017/jpa.2024.45.
  16. ^ a b Selly, Tara; Schiffbauer, James D.; Jacquet, Sarah M.; Smith, Emily F.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Andreasen, Brock D.; Huntley, John Warren; Strange, Michael A.; O’Neil, Gretchen R.; Thater, Casey A.; Bykova, Natalia; Steiner, Michael; Yang, Ben; Cai, Yaoping (16 February 2020). "A new cloudinid fossil assemblage from the terminal Ediacaran of Nevada, USA". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (4): 357–379. Bibcode:2020JSPal..18..357S. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1623333.
  17. ^ a b Schiffbauer, James D.; Selly, Tara; Jacquet, Sarah M.; Merz, Rachel A.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Strange, Michael A.; Cai, Yaoping; Smith, Emily F. (10 January 2020). "Discovery of bilaterian-type through-guts in cloudinomorphs from the terminal Ediacaran Period". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 205. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11..205S. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13882-z. PMC 6954273. PMID 31924764.
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