Astoria Formation

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Astoria Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| age = Miocene

| prilithology =

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Washington, Oregon

| country = United States

| coordinates =

| unitof =

| subunits = From top to bottom:

  • Big Creek sandstone member
  • Newport sandstone member
  • Silver Point mudstone member
  • Angora Peak sandstone member

| underlies = Montesano Formation

| overlies = Lincoln Creek Formation

| thickness =

| extent =

| area =

| map =

| map_caption =

|period=Miocene}}

The Astoria Formation (formerly known as the Astoria shales) is a geologic formation in Washington state & Oregon. It preserves fossils dating back to the early to middle Miocene (but was formerly thought to date to the Oligocene).{{Cite web |title=Geolex — Astoria publications |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/UnitRefs/AstoriaRefs_4613.html |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=ngmdb.usgs.gov}}

Description

The Astoria Formation is a thick marine formation representing a near shore, relatively shallow-water shelf deposit. The formation spans a considerable amount of time, with its base considered to be lower boundary of Newportian Stage (late Early Miocene) & its top to be upper boundary of Newportian Stage (middle Middle Miocene).

Fossil content

{{missing information|invertebrate, microorganisum, and plant taxa|date=February 2023}}

{{Paleobiota-key-compact}}

=Mammals=

==Carnivorans==

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
GenusSpeciesStratigraphy

!Material

NotesImages
rowspan=2|Desmatophoca

|D. brachycephala

|East of Knappton, Washington.{{Cite journal |last=Barnes |first=Lawrence G. |date=1987-06-18 |title=An Early Miocene pinniped of the genus Desmatophoca (Mammalia: Otariidae) from Washington |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/208126 |journal=Contributions in Science |volume=382 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.5962/p.208126 |s2cid=198245103 |issn=0459-8113|doi-access=free }}

|Skull elements.

|A desmatophocid.

|

D. oregonensis

|Iron Mountain Bed & an unspecified horizon.{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=Clayton E. |date=1976 |title=Fossil Marine Mammals of Oregon |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2412515 |journal=Systematic Zoology |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=420–436 |doi=10.2307/2412515 |jstor=2412515 |issn=0039-7989|url-access=subscription }}

|Multiple specimens.

|A desmatophocid.

|File:Desmatophoca oregonensis 2.jpg

rowspan=2|Enaliarctos

|E. emlongi

|South of Big Creek, Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last=Berta |first=Annalisa |date=1991 |title=New Enaliarctos* (Pinnipedimorpha) from the Oligocene and Miocene of Oregon and the Role of "Enaliarctids" in Pinniped Phylogeny |journal=Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology |url=https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/19145 |volume=69 |issue=69 |pages=1–33 |doi=10.5479/si.00810266.69.1|hdl=10088/19145 }}

|USNM 250345.

|A pinnipedimorph, may instead be from the Nye Mudstone.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

|File:Enaliarctos emlongi Enaliarctos cropped.png

E. sp.

|Iron Mountain bed, Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last1=Poust |first1=Ashley |last2=Boessenecker |first2=Robert |date=2018 |title=Expanding the geographic and geochronologic range of early pinnipeds: new specimens of Enaliarctos from Northern California and Oregon |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322361614 |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=63 |doi=10.4202/app.00399.2017|s2cid=55978096 |doi-access=free }}

|Partial skeleton (UWBM 89114).

|A pinnipedimorph.

|File:Enaliarctos mealsi NT.jpg

Eodesmus

|E. condoni

|Iron Mountain Bed, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last1=Tate-Jones |first1=M. Kellum |last2=Peredo |first2=Carlos M. |last3=Marshall |first3=Christopher D. |last4=Hopkins |first4=Samantha S. B. |date=2020-07-03 |title=The Dawn of Desmatophocidae: A New Species of Basal Desmatophocid Seal (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the Miocene of Oregon, U.S.A. |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2020.1789867 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=e1789867 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2020.1789867 |bibcode=2020JVPal..40E9867T |s2cid=224935328 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}

|A nearly complete cranium.

|A desmatophocid.

|

Pacificotaria

|P. hadromma

|Iron Mountain bed, Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last=Barnes |first=Lawrence G. |date=1992-04-07 |title=A new genus and species of Middle Miocene enaliarctine pinniped (Mammalia, Carnivora, Otariidae) from the Astoria Formation in coastal Oregon |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/208159 |journal=Contributions in Science |volume=431 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.5962/p.208159 |s2cid=199822990 |issn=0459-8113|doi-access=free }}

|Complete cranium (LACM 127973).

|A pinnipedimorph.

|

Proneotherium

|P. repenningi

|Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last1=Deméré |first1=Thomas A. |last2=Berta |first2=Annalisa |date=2001-07-20 |title=A reevaluation of Proneotherium repenningi from the Miocene Astoria Formation of Oregon and its position as a basal odobenid (Pinnipedia: Mammalia) |url=https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0279:AROPRF]2.0.CO;2 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=279–310 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0279:AROPRF]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=88095414 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}

|Remains of multiple individuals.

|An odobenid.

|

Pteronarctos

|P. goedertae

|Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite book |last=Berta |first=Annalisa |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/159027 |title=New specimens of the Pinnipediform Pteronarctos from the Miocene of Oregon |date=1994 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press |location=Washington, D.C}}

|Skulls.

|A pinnipedimorph.

|

==Cetaceans==

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Cophocetus

|C. oregonensis

|North of Yaquina Bay.

|Associated skull, jaws & skeletal elements.

|A baleen whale.

|

Dilophodelphis

|D. fordycei

|Nye Beach, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last1=Boersma |first1=Alexandra T. |last2=McCurry |first2=Matthew R. |last3=Pyenson |first3=Nicholas D. |date=May 2017 |title=A new fossil dolphin Dilophodelphis fordycei provides insight into the evolution of supraorbital crests in Platanistoidea (Mammalia, Cetacea) |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170022 |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=4 |issue=5 |pages=170022 |doi=10.1098/rsos.170022 |pmid=28573006 |pmc=5451807 |bibcode=2017RSOS....470022B |issn=2054-5703}}

|USNM 214911.

|A platanistid.

|File:Dilophodelphis fordycei skull.stl

Wimahl

|W. chinookensis

|Washington State{{Cite journal |last1=Peredo |first1=Carlos Mauricio |last2=Uhen |first2=Mark D. |last3=Nelson |first3=Margot D. |date=2018-03-04 |title=A new kentriodontid (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the early Miocene Astoria Formation and a revision of the stem delphinidan family Kentriodontidae |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2017.1411357 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=e1411357 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2017.1411357 |bibcode=2018JVPal..38E1357P |s2cid=89965454 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}

|

|A kentriodontid.

|

Zarhinocetus

|Z. donnamatsonae

|Near Elma, Washington.{{Cite journal |last1=Toshiyuki |first1=Kimura |last2=Barnes |first2=Lawrence G. |date=March 2016 |title=New Miocene fossil Allodelphinidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Platanistoidea) from the North Pacific Ocean |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299616327 |journal=Bull.Gunma Mus.Natu.Hist. |volume=20 |pages=1–58}}

|UCMP 86139.

|An allodelphinid.

|

==Perissodactyls==

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Aphelops

|A. sp.

|

|Fragment of skull (USNM 187123).

|A rhinoceros.

|File:Aphelops sp. (fossil rhinoceros) (Ash Hollow Formation, Middle Miocene; Hottell Ranch, near Harrisburg, Nebraska, USA) 5 (32695130172).jpg

Tylocephalonyx

|T. sp.

|Iron Mountain Bed, Lincoln County, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last=Coombs |first=Margery Chalifoux |date=1979 |title=Tylocephalonyx, a new genus of North American dome-skulled chalicotheres (Mammalia, Perissodactyla). |url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/1041 |journal=Bulletin of the AMNH |language=en-US |volume=164 |issue=1 |pages=1–64|hdl=2246/1041 }}

|A skull (NMNH 187129).

|A chalicothere.

|

=Birds=

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Diomedeidae

|Gen. et. sp. indet.

|East of Knappton, Washington.{{Cite journal |last1=Mayr |first1=Gerald |last2=Goedert |first2=James L. |date=July 2017 |title=Oligocene and Miocene albatross fossils from Washington State (USA) and the evolutionary history of North Pacific Diomedeidae |journal=The Auk |language=en |volume=134 |issue=3 |pages=659–671 |doi=10.1642/AUK-17-32.1 |s2cid=89636332 |issn=0004-8038|doi-access=free }}

|Partial skeleton (SMF Av 644).

|An albatross.

|

=Cartilaginous fish=

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%;"
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
style="background:#f3e9f3;" |Carcharodon

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |C. megalodon

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |North of Newport, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last=Welton |first=Bruce J. |date=October 1972 |title=Fossil Sharks in Oregon |url=https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OBv34n10.pdf |journal=The Ore Bin |volume=34 |issue=10 |pages=161–172}}

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |Species reassigned to the genus Otodus.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |File:Carcharocles megalodon (Agassiz, 1837).jpg

Cetorhinus

|C. piersoni

|North of Newport, Oregon.{{Cite journal |last=Welton |first=Bruce J. |date=2015-08-21 |title=A New Species of Late Early Miocene Cetorhinus (Lamniformes; Cetorhinidae) from the Astoria Formation of Oregon, and coeval Cetorhinus from Washington and California |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/241294 |journal=Contributions in Science |volume=523 |pages=67––89 |doi=10.5962/p.241294 |s2cid=242792009 |issn=0459-8113|doi-access=free }}

|Teeth.

|A basking shark.

|

rowspan=2|Cosmopolitodus

|C. hastalis

|Coos Bay, Oregon.

|A tooth.

|A lamnid shark.

|File:Isurus hastalis teeth.jpg

C. planus?

|North of Newport, Oregon.

|

|A lamnid shark.

|File:Isurus planus teeth.png

Galeocerdo

|G. cf. aduncus

|North of Newport, Oregon.

|

|A requiem shark.

|File:Fósiles de dientes de tiburón tigre (Galeocerdo aduncus), Zuber, Florida, Estados Unidos, 2021-01-19, DD 105-144 FS.jpg

Hexanchus

|

|North of Newport, Oregon.

|

|A cow shark.

|File:Six-gill shark.jpg

style="background:#f3e9f3;" rowspan=2|Isurus

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |I. hastalis

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |Coos Bay, Oregon.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |A tooth.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |Species reassigned to Cosmopolitodus.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |

style="background:#fbdddb;" |I. planus?

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |North of Newport, Oregon.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |Species reassigned to Cosmopolitodus.

|style="background:#fbdddb;" |

Myliobatis

|

|North of Newport, Oregon.

|

|An eagle ray.

|File:Myliobatis californica monterey bay aquarium.jpg

Otodus

|O. megalodon

|North of Newport, Oregon.

|

|Originally reported as Carcharodon megalodon.

|File:Megalodon restoration.png

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org|access-date= 17 December 2021}}
  • {{Cite book|last=Moore|first=E.|date=1963|chapter=Miocene marine mollusks from the Astoria formation in Oregon|series=Professional Paper |doi=10.3133/PP419|s2cid=127613845 |doi-access=free}}
  • {{Cite journal|date=1974|title=Stratigraphy and sedimentation of the Onion Peak area, Clatsop County, Oregon|url=https://core.ac.uk/display/4848424|language=en-gb}}

Category:Neogene geology of Washington (state)

Category:Neogene geology of Oregon

Category:Long stubs with short prose

{{Washington-geologic-formation-stub}}

{{Neogene-stub}}