Sheep Pass Formation

{{Short description|Geologic formation in Nevada, United States}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Sheep Pass Formation

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| type = Geological formation

| age = Latest Cretaceous to Paleogene

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| region = Nevada

| country = United States

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| subunits = 6 members (A to F)

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The Sheep Pass Formation is a geologic formation in Nevada. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.

Fossil content

=Vertebrates=

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" | Mammals
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Apatemys

|A. bellus

|Near Ely, Nevada.{{Cite book |last=Emry |first=Robert J. |title=Dawn of the Age of Mammals in the northern part of the Rocky Mountain Interior, North America |date=1990-01-01 |chapter=Mammals of the Bridgerian (middle Eocene) Elderberry Canyon Local Fauna of eastern Nevada |series=Geological Society of America Special Papers |volume=243 |pages=187–210 |chapter-url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/book/378/chapter/3797114/Mammals-of-the-Bridgerian-middle-Eocene-Elderberry |language=en |doi=10.1130/SPE243-p187|isbn=0-8137-2243-8 }}

|

|An apatothere.

|

Elymys

|E. complexus

|Near Ely, Nevada.{{Cite journal |last1=Emry |first1=Robert J. |last2=Korth |first2=William W. |date=1989 |title=Rodents of the Bridgerian (Middle Eocene) Elderberry Canyon Local Fauna of Eastern Nevada |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5479/si.00810266.67.1 |journal=Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology |issue=67 |pages=1–14 |doi=10.5479/si.00810266.67.1 |issn=0081-0266}}

|

|A rodent, possibly of the family Zapodidae.

|

Ischyromyidae

|

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|

|

Knightomys

|

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent represented by material not assignable to species.

|

Mattimys

|

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent represented by material not assignable to species.

|

Microparamys

|M. sambucus

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent.

|

Notharctus

|N. tenebrosus

| Near Ely, Nevada.

|Upper and lower jaws.{{Cite journal |last1=Perry |first1=Jonathan M. G. |last2=Gunnell |first2=Gregg F. |last3=Emry |first3=Robert J. |date=2017-07-04 |title=New cranial material of Notharctus (Mammalia, Primates, Notharctidae) from the Sheep Pass Formation, Elderberry Canyon, Nevada, with implications for incisor morphology and paleogeography of notharctine primates |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2017.1331914 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=e1331914 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2017.1331914 |bibcode=2017JVPal..37E1914P |s2cid=133982802 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=subscription }}

| A primate.

|File:Notharctus tenebrosus paris.JPG

Nyctitheriidae

|

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|At least one nyctitheriid present.

|

Palaeochiropteryx

|P. sambuceus

|"Elderberry Canyon Quarry in the Egan Range near Ely, White Pine County".{{Cite journal |last1=Czaplewski |first1=Nicholas J. |last2=Morgan |first2=Gary S. |last3=Emry |first3=Robert J. |last4=Gignac |first4=Paul M. |last5=O'Brien |first5=Haley D. |date=2022-05-25 |title=Three New Early Middle Eocene Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Elderberry Canyon, Nevada, USA |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360886645 |journal=Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology |issue=106 |pages=2–25 |doi=10.5479/si.19874677 |s2cid=249114343 |issn=1943-6688|doi-access=free }}

|Partial skeleton (USNM PAL 417350) and left dentary (USNM PAL 706598).

|A palaeochiropterygid bat.

|File:Palaeochiropteryx - 3d Reconstruction.jpg

Pantolestes

|P. longicaudus

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A pantolestid.

|

Pauromys

|P. exallos

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent.

|

rowspan=2|Reithroparamys

|R. delicatissimus

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent.

|

cf. R. huerfanensis

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent.

|

Sciuravus

|S. sp.

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|A rodent represented by material not assignable to species.

|

Sonor

|S. handae

|"Elderberry Canyon Quarry in the Egan Range near Ely, White Pine County".

|Left dentary (USNM PAL 544091).

|A vespertilionid bat.

|

cf. Tetrapassalus

|cf. T. mckennai

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|An epoicotheriid.

|

Trogolemur

|T. myodes

|Near Ely, Nevada.

|

|An anaptomorphine primate.

|

Volactrix

|V. simmonsae

|"Elderberry Canyon Quarry in the Egan Range near Ely, White Pine County".

|Right and left dentaries.

|An onychonycterid bat.

|

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" | Amphibians
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Eorubeta

|E. nevadensis

| Member C (south Egan Range).{{Cite journal |last1=Bonde |first1=Joshua W. |last2=Druschke |first2=Peter A. |last3=Hilton |first3=Richard P. |last4=Henrici |first4=Amy C. |last5=Rowland |first5=Stephen M. |date=2020 |title=Preservation of latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)-Paleocene frogs (Eorubeta nevadensis) of the Sheep Pass Formation of east-central Nevada and implications for paleogeography of the Nevadaplano |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342663799 |journal=PeerJ |volume=8 |pages=e9455 |doi=10.7717/peerj.9455 |issn=2167-8359 |pmc=7341540 |pmid=32704447 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite web |title=Abstract: TWO DISTINCT FROG DEATH ASSEMBLAGES FROM THE SHEEP PASS FORMATION (MAASTRICHTIAN-EOCENE), EAST-CENTRAL NEVADA (2009 Portland GSA Annual Meeting (18-21 October 2009)) |url=https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2009AM/webprogram/Paper160933.html |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=gsa.confex.com}}

|

| A frog.

|

Palaeobatrachus

|P. occidentalis

|Member B.

|

|A frog.

|

=Invertebrates=

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" | Crustaceans
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Clinocypris?

|C.? sp.

| Member B.

|

| An ostracod.

|

Cypridea

|C. bicostata

|Member B.

|

|An ostracod.

|

Paracypridopsis?

|P.? sp.

|Member B.

|

|An ostracod.

|

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" | Molluscs
GenusSpeciesPresence

!Material

NotesImages
Hydrobia

|

|Member B.

|

|A snail.

|

Valvata

|

| Member B.

|

| A snail.

|

See also

{{Portal|Earth sciences|United States|Paleontology}}

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}}

Category:Paleogene geology of Nevada

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