Lawrence Creek (Oligocene of the United States)

Also known as TMII WM1II

Where: Yakutat County, Alaska (60.0° N, 142.0° W: paleocoordinates 60.3° N, 134.0° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Poul Creek Formation, Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• the stratigraphic position of USNM 214830 at 500 m below the top of the formation would be roughly equivalent to an geochronologic age of ⇠25 million years, an estimate that is consistent to the detrital zircon analyses. Overall, we propose a late Oligocene, or Chattian age for Arktocara, although we cannot exclude a Rupelian antiquity.

Environment/lithology: marine; siltstone

• It is estimated to be approximately 1.9 km thick, and is composed of siltstones and organic-rich sandstones, in part glauconitic recording a marine transgression, interrupted by deposits of the Cenotaph Volcanics (Plafker, 1987).

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: original phosphate

Primary reference: M. D. Uhen, R. E. Fordyce, and L. G. Barnes. 2008. Odontoceti. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America II:566-606 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 70534: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 27.03.2007

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Cetacea -
Odontoceti indet.
Odontoceti indet. Flower 1867 toothed whale
 Cetacea - Allodelphinidae
Arktocara yakataga n. gen. n. sp.
Arktocara yakataga n. gen. n. sp. Boersma and Pyenson 2016 toothed whale
 Cetacea -
Mysticeti indet.
Mysticeti indet. Cope 1891 whale