Dragon Canyon (Paleocene of the United States)

Also known as Gazin's Locality 2; OMNH V799; UALP 76111, 76112, 7776

Where: Emery County, Utah (39.2° N, 111.3° W: paleocoordinates 46.2° N, 90.8° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Joe's Valley Member (North Horn Formation), Torrejonian (63.8 - 60.9 Ma)

• close to the top of a normal magnetic polarity zone interpreted as C28n, but there is no tie point in the section: see Lucas et al. 1997

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: terrestrial

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Primary reference: C. L. Gazin. 1938. A Paleocene mammalian fauna from central Utah. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 28(6):271-277 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 14830: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 18.02.1993, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• firmly correlated with Wagonroad Upper Horizon, which was included in the list of Tomida and Butler 1980; paleomagnetic data strongly support a correlation between the two horizons
descriptions of Robison 1986 do not incorporate the collections reported by Tomida and Butler and Tomida 1982
"Oxyclaenus pearcei" is not discussed by Robison 1986 and I assume it is only present at Wagonroad Upper Horizon

Haploconus "inopinatus" is not discussed by Robison 1986 and I assume it is only present at Wagonroad Upper Horizon
Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Theriamorpha - Marsupialia
Marsupialia indet.1
 Theriamorpha -
Eutheria indet.12
Eutheria indet.12 eutherian
 Theriamorpha - Leptictidae
Myrmecoboides sp.7, Acmeodon sp.11
Myrmecoboides sp.7 Gidley 1915 eutherian
said to be new
Acmeodon sp.11 Matthew and Granger 1921 eutherian
 Theriamorpha - Conoryctidae
Conoryctella dragonensis n. gen. n. sp.4, Conoryctella pattersoni9
Conoryctella dragonensis n. gen. n. sp.4 Gazin 1939 taeniodont
Conoryctella pattersoni9 Schoch and Lucas 1981 taeniodont
 Theriamorpha - Stylinodontidae
Stylinodontidae indet.8
 Cimolesta - Pentacodontidae
Aphronorus simpsoni n. sp.
Aphronorus simpsoni n. sp. Gazin 1938 eutherian
 Condylarthra - Hyopsodontidae
Protoselene griphus11, ? Ellipsodon sternbergi n. sp.4, Ellipsodon grangeri7, Promioclaenus sp.7, Promioclaenus lemuroides7
Protoselene griphus11 Gazin 1939 condylarth
? Ellipsodon sternbergi n. sp.4 Gazin 1939 condylarth
Ellipsodon grangeri7 Wilson 1956 condylarth
may include additional "? Ellipsodon sp." of Tomida and Butler 1980
Promioclaenus sp.7 Trouessart 1904 condylarth
Promioclaenus lemuroides7 Matthew 1897 condylarth
according to Williamson 1996, this definitely includes "Ellipsodon shepherdi" type of Gazin 1939 and "Jepsenia mantiensis" type of Gazin 1939, and probably includes Robison's "Litaletes disjunctus"
 Acreodi - Triisodontidae
Goniacodon sp.11
Goniacodon sp.11 Scott 1892 placental
 Theriamorpha - Periptychidae
Periptychus carinidens1, Anisonchus sectorius1, Anisonchus onostus4
Periptychus carinidens1 Cope 1881 condylarth
Anisonchus sectorius1 Cope 1881 condylarth
Anisonchus onostus4 Gazin 1939 condylarth
"probably" includes "A. cf. oligistus": Williamson 1996
 Procreodi - Arctocyonidae
Oxytomodon perissum n. gen. n. sp.5, "Mimotricentes subtrigonus" = Tricentes subtrigonus11, "Mimotricentes elassus n. sp." = Tricentes subtrigonus5, "Chriacus cf. baldwini" = Chriacus baldwini11, "Oxyclaenus pearcei n. sp." = Chriacus baldwini5, "Protogonodon biatheles n. sp." = Loxolophus5, Loxolophus spiekeri11
Oxytomodon perissum n. gen. n. sp.5 Gazin 1941 condylarth
"Mimotricentes subtrigonus" = Tricentes subtrigonus11 Cope 1881 condylarth
probably also includes additional M. sp. of Robison 1986
"Mimotricentes elassus n. sp." = Tricentes subtrigonus5 Cope 1881 condylarth
"Chriacus cf. baldwini" = Chriacus baldwini11 Cope 1882 condylarth
includes "C. truncatus" and additional "C. sp." of Robison 1986 according to Williamson 1996
"Oxyclaenus pearcei n. sp." = Chriacus baldwini5 Cope 1882 condylarth
"Protogonodon biatheles n. sp." = Loxolophus5 condylarth
Loxolophus spiekeri11 Gazin 1938 condylarth
 Theriamorpha - Viverravidae
Protictis haydenianus11
Protictis haydenianus11 Cope 1882 placental
 Theriamorpha - Pantolestoidae
Pantolestidae indet.11
Pantolestidae indet.11 Cope 1884 placental
two forms
 Theriamorpha - Mixodectidae
Mixodectidae indet.11, Dracontolestes aphantus n. sp.11
Mixodectidae indet.11 Cope 1883 placental
Dracontolestes aphantus n. sp.11 Gazin 1941 placental
 Primates - Picrodontidae
Draconodus apertus10
Draconodus apertus10 Tomida 1982 primate
 Primates - Paromomyidae
Paromomys depressidens6
Paromomys depressidens6 Gidley 1923 primate
 Primates - Palaechthonidae
Plesiolestes nacimienti6
Plesiolestes nacimienti6 Wilson and Szalay 1972 primate
 Multituberculata - Neoplagiaulacidae
Parectypodus sp.11, Neoplagiaulax macintyrei7
Parectypodus sp.11 Jepsen 1930 multituberculate
Neoplagiaulax macintyrei7 Sloan 1981 multituberculate
 Multituberculata - Ptilodontidae
Ptilodontidae indet.7, Ptilodus mediaevus1
Ptilodontidae indet.7 Cope 1887 multituberculate
Ptilodus mediaevus1 Cope 1881 multituberculate
 Multituberculata - Taeniolabididae
Catopsalis fissidens1
Catopsalis fissidens1 Cope 1884 multituberculate
Reptilia
 Squamata - Anguidae
Anguidae indet.7, "cf. Proxestops jepseni" = Proxestops silberlingii7
Anguidae indet.7 Gray 1825 squamates
"cf. Proxestops jepseni" = Proxestops silberlingii7 Gilmore 1938 squamates
see also Gilmore 1942 (UNSM specimens from "the Dragon formation... in the Manti National Forest")
 Testudinata -
Compsemys victa7
Compsemys victa7 Leidy 1856 turtle
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Trionychidae indet.2
Trionychidae indet.2 Gray 1825 softshell turtle
 Testudines - Kinosternoidea
Hoplochelys sp.7
Hoplochelys sp.7 Hay 1908 mud turtle
 Loricata -
Crocodylia indet.3
Crocodylia indet.3 crocodilian
 Crocodylia - Alligatoridae
cf. Allognathosuchus sp.7
cf. Allognathosuchus sp.7 Mook 1921 crocodilian
"crocodile"; not described
 Choristodera - Champsosauridae
Champsosauridae indet.4
Champsosauridae indet.4 Cope 1876 champsosaur
"champsosaurid"; not described and omitted by Robison 1986
Actinopteri
 Lepisosteiformes - Lepisosteidae
cf. Lepisosteus sp.7
cf. Lepisosteus sp.7 Agassiz 1843 gar
1Alroy 2002; 2Alroy 2006; 3Alroy 2007; 4Gazin 1939; 5Gazin 1941; 6Gunnell 1989; 7Robison 1986; 8Schoch 1986; 9Schoch and Lucas 1981; 10Tomida 1982; 11Tomida and Butler 1980; 12Williamson 1996