Temblor Formation

The Temblor Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene of the Neogene period. It is notable for the famous Sharktooth Hill deposit (otherwise known as Ernst Quarry).[1][2] [3]

Temblor Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Oligocene-Mid Miocene ~28–11.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geologic formation
Sub-units	Agua Sandstone Member, Buttonbed Sandstone Member, Carneros Sandstone Member, Cymric Shale Member, Devilwater Siltstone, Gould Shale, Media Shale Member, Round Mountain Silt, Santos Shale Member, Wygal Sandstone Member
Underlies	Monterey Formation
Lithology
Primary	Shale, sandstone
Location
Region	Western San Joaquin Valley, Kern County, California
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Temblor Ranch, McKittrick district, Kern County
Named by	Anderson
Year defined	1905

Fossils

Sharks

Isurus planus upper teeth from the Sharktooth Hill bonebed

• Carcharias[2]
• Cephaloscyllium[2]
• Cetorhinus[2]
• †Carcharocles megalodon [4]
• †Galeocerdo aduncus[2]
• †Hemipristis serra[2]
• Heterodontus[2]
• Hexanchus[2]
• †Isurus desori
• †Isurus hastalis [2]
• †Isurus planus[3]
• Megachasma
• Notorhynchus[2]
• †Parotodus benedenii
• Scyliorhinus[2]
• Squalus [2]
• Squatina[2]

Rays and skates

• Dasyatis[2]
• Myliobatis[2]

Reptiles

An artist concept of Pacifichelys based on fossil records and descriptions

• Pacifichelys[2]
• †Chelonia californiensis[2]
• †Syllomus aegyptiacus[2]

Birds

Life restoration of Pelagornis

• †Diomedea californica[5]
  • †D. milleri[5]
• †Fulmarus miocaenus[5]
• †Hadrogyps aigialerus[5]
• †Megalodytes morejohni[5]
• †Morus vagabundus[5]
• †Pandion homalopteron[5]
• †Pelagornis cf. orri[5]
• †Presbychen abavus[5]
• †Puffinus inceptor[5]
  • †P. milleri[5]
  • †P. priscus[5]

Artist's rendering of Hypohippus in its natural habitat

Restoration of Paleoparodoxia

Mammals

• †Allodesmus kernensis[2]
• †Bouromeryx americanus[2]
• †Hypohippus[2]
• †Miotapirus[2]
• †Paleoparadoxia tabatai[2]
• †Paratomarctus temerarius[2]
• †Pelagiarctos thomasi[2]
• †Aulophyseter morricei
• †Oedolithax mira
• †Loxolithax sinuosa
• †Parietobalaena securis

See also

• Geology of Kern County, California
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California
• Paleontology in California

References

1. "Vast Bed of Ancient Bones and Shark Teeth Explained". LiveScience. By Charles Q. Choi.
2. L. G. Barnes. 1988. A new fossil pinniped (Mammalia: Otariidae) from the middle Miocene Sharktooth Hill Bonebed, California. Contributions in Science 396:1-11
3. Malchow, A. 2009. MIOCENE SHARK TOOTH HILL LOCALITY, KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Geological Society of America North-Central Section - 43rd Annual Meeting (2-3 April 2009)
4. Boessenecker, Ehret, D, Long, D, Churchill, M, Martin, E, Boessenecker, S. The Early Pliocene extinction of the mega-toothed shark Otodus megalodon: a view from the eastern north Pacific. PeerJ. 2019 Feb 13;7:e6088. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6088. eCollection 2019.
5. Stegall, J. 2016. Fossil Birds of the Mojave Desert & Environs. Murturango Press, Ridgecrest, California.

External links

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.