Elko Formation

The Elko Formation, also known as Elko Shale(s), is an oil shale geologic formation in Elko County, northern Nevada, United States. The deltaic and lacustrine shales and limestones preserve fossils dating back to the Middle Eocene of the Paleogene to Middle Miocene of the Neogene period. The frog genus Elkobatrachus and ant species Pseudocamponotus elkoanus were named after the formation.

Elko Formation
Stratigraphic range: Mid Eocene (Uintan)-Mid Miocene
~46.2–11.6 Ma
TypeFormation
Sub-unitsElko Shale
Lithology
PrimaryShale
OtherLimestone
Location
Coordinates40.8°N 115.8°W / 40.8; -115.8
Approximate paleocoordinates41.5°N 112.9°W / 41.5; -112.9
RegionNevada
Country United States
Type section
Named forElko County
Elko Formation (the United States)
Elko Formation (Nevada)

Description

The formation ranges in age from the Middle Eocene (Uintan), with the underlying lower member dated at 46.1 ± 0.1 Ma and the upper member of the Eocene section dated at 38.9 ± 0.3 Ma.[1]

A younger section is dated to the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene (37.2 to 28.4 Ma)[2] and the Elko Shale member is dated to the Middle Miocene (16.0 to 11.6 Ma).[3]

Fossil content

The following fossils were reported from the formation:[1][2][3]

gollark: (sum the wave thingies thingied with intensity and transform it and get the function of frequency)
gollark: Sum all the incoming light and get a function of frequency out.
gollark: If it was, we would have to deploy Fourier transforms or something.
gollark: But light isn't actually continuous in reality due to things.
gollark: Oh, those are already using optical phased arrays to track photon count in an arbitrary number of discrete frequency buckets.

See also

References
  1. Elkobatrachus type locality at Fossilworks.org
  2. Central Pacific Railroad shaft, Elko at Fossilworks.org
  3. Miopelodytes type locality at Fossilworks.org

Further reading
  • A. C. Henrici and S. R. Haynes. 2006. Elkobatrachus brocki, a new pelobatid (Amphibia: Anura) from the Eocene Elko Formation of Nevada. Annals of Carnegie Museum 75(1):11-35
  • E. H. Taylor. 1941. A new anuran from the middle Miocene of Nevada. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 27(4):61-69
  • F. M. Carpenter. 1930. The Fossil Ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 70:1-66
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.