Cantwell Formation

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Cantwell Formation
Stratigraphic range: Cretaceous
Denali National Park tectonic history.png
Denali National Park tectonic history
Type Formation
Location
Region Alaska
Country United States

The Cantwell Formation is a geologic formation in Alaska. It preserves fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period, it has also yielded numerous dinosaur tracks at Denali National Park. Contemporary therizinosaurid and hadrosaurid trackways in the formation indicate that the area was once a major point of immigration between Asia and North America during the Late Cretaceous for many families of dinosaur. Fossil plants of water lilies found in the same area suggest the presence of wetlands, ponds or other large standing bodies of water. [1]

Contents

Footprints discovered in the formation include those of theropods, hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, ankylosaurs, pterosaurs and birds, notably the Magnoavipes denaliensis . [2] [1]

Description

The Cantwell Formation represents a Late Cretaceous fluvial succession in Denali National Park containing dinosaur trackways, invertebrate traces, and plant fossils. Sedimentary facies represent a lateral succession from alluvial fan and braided river deposits, to coastal fluvial and lacustrine environments with marshy overbanks, proximal estuary consisting of laterally avulsed distributary channels, intertidal estuarine deposits, and finally tidally influenced marginal marine environments. [3]

A leaf analysis of the Sable Mountain flora was used to estimate a mean annual temperature of 7.42 °C (45.36 °F), a warm month mean temperature of 17.1 °C (62.8 °F), and a cold month mean temperature of −2.3 °C (27.9 °F). Growing season precipitation was estimated at 229.4 millimetres (9.03 in) over a period of 4.8 months. These results demonstrate a cool temperate, seasonal paleoclimate with short dry summers and cold wet winters. [4] Dating of ash layers in the formation indicate this floral assemblage straddled the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary, a period of rapid global cooling. [5]

The Cantwell Formation represents a sedimentary basin adjacent to uplifting mountains Chilkat River Alaska IMG 7750.jpg
The Cantwell Formation represents a sedimentary basin adjacent to uplifting mountains

Flora

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
TaxaSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesImages
Alnites A. sp.Similar to extant Alnus. [4]
Asplenium A. sp.
Cf. Castaliites cf. C. sp.Leaf morphotaxon. [4]
Cephalotaxopsis C. sp.Belongs to Taxaceae. [5]
Corylites C. beringianusSimilar to extant Corylus. [4]
Cladophlebis C. sp.
Cf. Craspedodromophyllum cf. C. sp.Belongs to Betulaceae. [4]
Equisetum E. arcticum
Glyptostrobus G. sp.
Hammelidaceae indet.Leaf morphotypes. [4] Belongs to Hammelidaceae. [4]
Cf. Kenella cf. K. sp.Seeds [4]
Larix L. sp.Needle bundles. [5] Originally described as Cf. Pseudolarix . [1]
Metasequoia M. occidentalis
Menispermites M. septentrionalisBelongs to Menispermaceae. [4]
M. sp.Another Menispermoid. [4]
Cf. Nuphar cf. N. sp.Similar to extant Nuphar . [1]
Parataxodium?IndeterminateIn need of revision. [4] [6]
Cf. Phragmites cf. P. sp.
Picea P. sp.Needles, ovuliferous cone. [5]
Pinus P. sp.Needle bundles. [5]
Pityophyllum?indeterminateIndeterminate Pinaceous needles. [5]
Platanites P. sp.Belongs to Platanaceae. [4]
Pseudoprotophyllum P. sp.Another Platanoid. [4]
Cf. Sparganium cf. S. sp.
Trochodendroides T. richardsoniiBelongs to Cercidiphyllaceae. [4]
T. sp.A Trochodendroid. [4]
Tumion T. gracilis
Cf. Viburniphyll cf. V. sp.Similar to extant Viburnum . [4]
Cf. Zizyphoides cf. Z. sp.Another Trochodendroid. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fiorillo, A. R.; McCarthy, P. J.; Kobayashi, Y.; Tomsich, C. S.; Tykoski, R. S.; Lee, Y.-N.; Tanaka, T.; Noto, C. R. (2018). "An unusual association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks within Late Cretaceous rocks of Denali National Park, Alaska". Scientific Reports. 8 (11706): 11706. Bibcode:2018NatSR...811706F. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30110-8 . PMC   6076232 . PMID   30076347.
  2. ↑ Capps, D.; McLane, S.; Chang, L. (2016). Denali National Park and Preserve Geology Road Guide (PDF). Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali Park, Alaska: National Park Service. pp. 34−37. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  3. ↑ "High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali Natio…". ouci.dntb.gov.ua. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Tomsich, Carla Susanne; McCarthy, Paul J.; Fowell, Sarah J.; Sunderlin, David (2010-09-15). "Paleofloristic and paleoenvironmental information from a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) flora of the lower Cantwell Formation near Sable Mountain, Denali National Park, Alaska" . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Ancient polar ecosystems and environments. 295 (3): 389–408. Bibcode:2010PPP...295..389T. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.02.023. ISSN   0031-0182.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278676602_New_zircon_U-Pb_ages_for_the_lower_Cantwell_Formation_implications_for_the_Late_Cretaceous_paleoecology_and_paleoenvironment_of_the_lower_Cantwell_Formation_near_Sable_Mountain_Denali_National_Park_an
  6. ↑ Rothwell, Gar W.; Stockey, Ruth A.; Smith, Selena Y. (2020-12-01). "Revisiting the Late Cretaceous Parataxodium wigginsii flora from the North Slope of Alaska, a high-latitude temperate forest" . Cretaceous Research. 116: 104592. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104592. ISSN   0195-6671.
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