US58, Ravenscrag Butte flora: Paleocene, Canada

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Equisetum fluviatoides leaf, root McIver and Basinger 1989
Spirodela scutata leaf, root Dawson
Trochodendroides speciosa leaf Berry 1930
Nyssidium arcticum seed/fruit Iljinskaja 1974
Platanites canadensis leaf McIver and Basinger 1993
Angiospermae - Saxifragales - Cercidiphyllaceae
cf. Cercidiphyllum sp. seed/fruit Siebold and Zuccarini 1846
cf. Cercidiphyllum sp. flower Siebold and Zuccarini 1846
staminate inflorescences
Archeampelos acerifolia leaf (Newberry 1868)
Archeampelos acerifolia comb. nov.
Angiospermae - Cornales - Cornaceae
Cornophyllum newberryi leaf
Cornophyllum newberryi comb. nov.
Angiospermae - Dipsacales - Caprifoliaceae
Viburnum sp. seed/fruit Linnaeus 1753
fruits
Angiospermae - Proteales - Platanaceae
cf. Platanus sp. non-seed repro Linnaeus 1753
reproductive organs
Angiospermae - Araceae
Pistia corrugata leaf, root Lesquereux 1874
Angiospermae - Magnoliales - Myristicaceae
cf. Myristica catahoulensis seed/fruit Berry 1924
Angiospermae - Rosales - Rhamnaceae
Rhamnites n. gen. cleburnii leaf McIver and Basinger 1993
Rhamnites cleburnii comb. nov.
Angiospermae - Nymphaeales - Nymphaeaceae
Paranymphaea crassifolia leaf Newberry 1935
Magnoliopsida
Dicotylophyllum anomalum leaf (Ward 1887)
Trapago angulata leaf
Trapago angulata comb. nov.
see common names

Geography
Country:Canada State/province:Saskatchewan County:Eastend
Coordinates: 49.5° North, 109.0° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:55.6° North, 85.6° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Time
Period: Paleogene Epoch: Paleocene
10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 1
Key time interval: Paleocene
Age range of interval: 66 - 56 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Ravenscrag Local bed:US58
Local order:no particular order
Stratigraphy comments: The stratigraphic position of the collection is given relative to the No. 1 coal zone, which is approximately at the base of the formation. US58 is located 10 m above the No. 1 coal zone, west of US5 (west face).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: The Ravenscrag Formation consists of interbedded, nonmarine clays, silts, sands, and lignite. The measured section at the Ravenscrag Butte site is about 67 m thick, and lithologically, the formation in divided into two facies; the lower 38 metres comprises the grey facies, the upper 29 metres, the buff facies. At a distance, the two facies are easily distinguishable on the basis of colour. Commonly, the buff facies are less than 31 m thick in measured sections due to erosion or cover at the top. There are four conspicuous beds of coal or coaly shale in the sections at Ravenscrag Butte, including the No. 1 coal zone. The fourth coal zone marks the transition from grey to buff facies. Locality 58 is composed of buff clays and sands.
Environment:terrestrial indet.
Geology comments: During the early Tertiary, most of southern Saskatchewan was a broad alluvial plain dominated by meandering river systems. Locally, at the Ravenscrag Butte site, small lakes or ponds, sluggish streams, swamps and lowland forests successively dominated the area over a period of perhaps 2 million years.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:adpression
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:salvage,surface (in situ),field collection
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Metadata
Database number:34421
Authorizer:R. Lupia Enterer:B. Wilborn
Modifier:B. Wilborn Research group:paleobotany
Created:2003-08-31 16:01:58 Last modified:2003-09-01 13:20:47
Access level:the public Released:2003-08-31 16:01:58
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
8995. E. E. McIver and J. F. Basinger. 1993. Flora of the Ravenscrag Formation (Paleocene), Southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana 10:1-85 [R. Lupia/B. Wilborn/B. Wilborn]