| Wind River Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Paleogene | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Location | |
| Region | Wyoming |
| Country | United States |

The Wind River Formation is a geologic formation in Wyoming in the Wind River Basin. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period. A recent study by Stanford suggests that fracking has contaminated the entire ground water resource in the basin.[1]
Fossil content
[edit]Mammals
[edit]Apatotheres
[edit]| Apatotheres reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Apatemys | A. bellulus | Lost Cabin Member.[2] | Also found in the Willwood Formation.[2] | ||
Cimolestans
[edit]| Cimolestans reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Palaeosinopa | P. incerta | Lost Cabin Member.[2] | A pantolestid also known from the Willwood and San Jose formations .[2] | ||
| P. sp. | Lost Cabin Member.[3] | A pantolestid. | |||
Leptictids
[edit]| Leptictids reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Palaeictops | P. bicuspis | Lost Cabin Member.[2] | Also known from the Willwood Formation.[2] | ||
Primatomorphs
[edit]| Primatomorphs reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Absarokius | A. sp. | Cottonwood Creek, Lysite Member.[3] | An omomyid. | ||
| Arapajovius | A. cf. gazini | [3] | |||
| Copelemur | C. feretutus | Lysite Member.[3] | "ACM 4326, an isolated right M1".[3] | A notharctine. | |
Rodents
[edit]| Rodents reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Paramys | P. sp. | Lost Cabin Member.[3] | "ACM 327, a right mandible with M1 through M3 and partial P4".[3] | ||
Ungulates
[edit]| Ungulates reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Diacodexis | D. secans | AMNH 4899 (left and right P4-M3).[3] | A dichobunid. | ||
Reptiles
[edit]Squamates
[edit]| Squamates reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Ototriton | O. solidus | Lysite Member.[4] | ACM 3539.[4] | A worm lizard. | |
| Protorhineura | P. hatcherii | [4] | A worm lizard also known from the Brule & White River formations. | ||
| Spathorhynchus | S. fossorium | [4] | A worm lizard also known from the Bridger Formation. | ||
Invertebrates
[edit]Insects
[edit]| Insects reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Phyllocnistis | Near Dubois, Wyoming.[5] | Mine on a leaflet impression of Cedrela.[5] | |||
Plants
[edit]| Plants reported from the Wind River Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Cedrela | Near Dubois, Wyoming.[5] | Leaflet impression.[5] | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water". Scientific American.
- ^ a b c d e f Bown, T.; Schankler, David M. (1982). "A review of the Proteutheria and Insectivora of the Willwood Formation (Lower Eocene), Bighorn Basin, Wyoming". doi:10.3133/B1523. S2CID 127861247.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h Johnson, Edward (2005-06-01). "A New Early Eocene Mammalian Fauna from the Great Divide Basin, Southwestern Wyoming: Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleoclimatology, and Biostratigraphy". Masters Theses.
- ^ a b c d Hembree, Daniel I. (April 30, 2007). "Phylogenetic revision of Rhineuridae (Reptilia: Squamata: Amphisbaenia) from the Eocene to Miocene of North America". The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions (15): 1–20. doi:10.17161/PCNS.1808.3763. hdl:1808/3763. S2CID 59354440.
- ^ a b c d Hickey, Leo J.; Hodges, Ronald W. (1975-08-29). "Lepidopteran Leaf Mine from the Early Eocene Wind River Formation of Northwestern Wyoming". Science. 189 (4204): 718–720. Bibcode:1975Sci...189..718H. doi:10.1126/science.189.4204.718. ISSN 0036-8075.
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2021.