Painted Hills (Oligocene of the United States)

Also known as Bridge Creek Flora

Where: Wheeler County, Oregon (44.6° N, 120.3° W: paleocoordinates 44.3° N, 109.5° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: John Day Formation, Early/Lower Oligocene (33.9 - 28.4 Ma)

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine; tuff

• "fine-grained, bedded lacustrine tuffs"

Size class: mesofossils

Preservation: mold/impression, original carbon

Collection methods: bulk,

• "assemblage is dominated by Alnus, Betula, Quercus, and Metasequoia....apparent absence of Asterocarpinus fruits and Paracarpinus leaves in this assemblage contrasts with their presence in all other Bridge Creek assemblages examined in this study."

Primary reference: H. W. Meyer and S. R. Manchester. 1997. The Oligocene Bridge Creek flora of the John Day Formation, Oregon. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 141:1-195 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/H. Wang]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 35220: authorized by Bruce Tiffney, entered by Julia Fosdick on 18.11.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Angiospermae
 Saxifragales - Cercidiphyllaceae
Cercidiphyllum crenatum Brown 1935 katsura
 Saxifragales - Hamamelidaceae
Liquidambar sp. Linnaeus 1753 sweetgum
 Saxifragales - Saxifragaceae
Hydrangea sp. Linnaeus 1753 hydrangea
 Proteales - Platanaceae
Platanus exaspera plane tree
Platanus sp. Linnaeus 1753 plane tree
 Ranunculales - Berberidaceae
 Ranunculales - Menispermaceae
cf. Menispermum sp. Linnaeus 1753 moonseed
 Solanales - Solanaceae
Florissantia speirii Manchester 1992 nightshade
 Fabales - Fabaceae
Cercis maurerae, "Leguminosae gen. et sp. indet." = Fabaceae, Cladrastis oregonensis, Micropodium ovatum
"Leguminosae gen. et sp. indet." = Fabaceae Lindley 1836 legume
 Fagales - Fagaceae
Quercus sp. Linnaeus 1753 oak
Quercus consimilis Newberry 1883 oak
Quercus berryi Trelease 1918 oak
 Fagales - Juglandaceae
 Fagales - Betulaceae
Betula angustifolia Newberry 1882 birch
Alnus sp. Miller 1754 alder
 Rosales - Pomaceae
 Rosales - Ulmaceae
Ulmus sp. 1 Linnaeus 1753 elm
Ulmus speciosa Newberry 1883 elm
 Rosales - Rosaceae
Rosa sp. Linnaeus 1753 rose
Rosa hilliae Lesquereux 1883 rose
 Sapindales - Sapindaceae
Acer sp. A Linnaeus 1753 maple
Acer sp. C Linnaeus 1753 maple
Acer cranei Wolfe and Tanai 1987 maple
Dipteronia sp. Oliver 1889 soapberry
 Sapindales - Anacardiaceae
Rhus lesquereuxii Knowlton and Cockerell 1919 sumac
 Malvales - Tiliaceae
 Coniferales - Cupressaceae
Metasequoia sp. Miki 1941 dawn redwood
Polypodiopsida
 Equisetales - Equisetidae
Equisetum sp. Linnaeus 1753 horsetail
Craigia
  -
Juglandiphyllites
  -
Plafkeria
  -