Yaquina Formation Explained

Yaquina Formation
Type:	Geological formation
Age:	Chattian
Period:	Chattian
Namedfor:	Yaquina Head
Region:	Lincoln County, Oregon

The Yaquina Formation is a geologic formation in Oregon. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.

Fossil content

Mammals

Carnivorans

Carnivorans reported from the Yaquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Enaliarctos	E. barnesi	South of Beaver Creek, Lincoln County, Oregon.^[1]	USNM 314295 (anterior half of cranium and associated mandibular rami).	A pinnipedimorph.
	E. sp., cf. E tedfordi	Ona Beach, Lincoln County, Oregon.^[2]	UCMP 253400 (associated right mandible, thoracic vertebra & 2 ribs).	A pinnipedimorph.

Cetaceans

Cetaceans reported from the Yaquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Aetiocetus	A. cotylaveus	Lincoln County, Oregon.^[3]		An aetiocetid whale.
	A. weltoni	Ona Beach, Lincoln County, Oregon.^[4]	UCMP 122900.	An aetiocetid whale.

Desmostylians

Desmostylians reported from the Yaquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Behemotops	B. emlongi	Seal Rock State Wayside, Lincoln County, Oregon.^[5]	USNM 244033 & 186889.
Cornwallius	C. sookensis		"2 skulls, 4 partial mandibles, 4 isolated teeth, an innominate & a tibia".^[6]	A desmostylid.

Fish

Bony fish

Bony fish reported from the Yaquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Paleobathygadus	P. yaguinensis	Southwest edge of Waldport.^[7]	A scale.	A bathygadid also known from the Toledo Formation.
Promacrurus	P. alseanus	South side of Alsea Bay.	A scale.	A macrourid.
	P. oregonensis	Southwest edge of Walport.	Scales.	A macrourid.
Pyknolepidus	P. macrospinosus	South side of Alsea Bay.	A scale.	A macrourid.

Sharks

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Oregon
• Paleontology in Oregon

Sources

• Web site: Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database. ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database)). 17 December 2021.

Notes and References

1. Berta . Annalisa . 1991 . New Enaliarctos* (Pinnipedimorpha) from the Oligocene and Miocene of Oregon and the Role of "Enaliarctids" in Pinniped Phylogeny . Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology . en . 69 . 1–33 . 10.5479/si.00810266.69.1. 10088/19145 .
2. Poust . Ashley W. . Boessenecker . Robert W. . 2018 . Expanding the geographic and geochronologic range of early pinnipeds: New specimens of Enaliarctos from Northern California and Oregon . Acta Palaeontologica Polonica . 63 . 1 . 25–40. 10.4202/app.00399.2017 . 55978096 . free .
3. Emlong . Douglas . October 1966 . A NEW ARCHAIC CETACEAN FROM THE OLIGOCENE OF NORTHWEST OREGON . Bulletin of the Museum of Natural History, University of Oregon . en-US . 3 . 1–51.
4. DEMÉRÉ . THOMAS A. . BERTA . ANNALISA . 2008 . Skull anatomy of the Oligocene toothed mysticete Aetioceus weltoni (Mammalia; Cetacea): implications for mysticete evolution and functional anatomy . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 154 . 2 . 308–352 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00414.x . 20615374 . 0024-4082.
5. Book: Domning . Daryl P. . Two new Oligocene desmostylians and a discussion of tethytherian systematics . Mckenna . Malcolm C. . Ray . Clayton Edward . 1986 . Smithsonian Institution Press . City of Washington.
6. Beatty . Brian Lee . 2009-09-12 . New material of Cornwallius sookensis (Mammalia: Desmostylia) from the Yaquina Formation of Oregon . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 29 . 3 . 894–909 . 10.1671/039.029.0320 . 2009JVPal..29..894B . 83759776 . 0272-4634.
7. David . Lore Rose . 1956 . Tertiary Anacanthin Fishes from California and the Pacific Northwest; Their Paleoecological Significance . Journal of Paleontology . 30 . 3 . 568–607 . 1300292 . 0022-3360.
8. Shimada . Kenshu . Welton . Bruce J. . Long . Douglas J. . March 2014 . A new fossil megamouth shark (Lamniformes, Megachasmidae) from the Oligocene-Miocene of the western United States . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . en . 34 . 2 . 281–290 . 10.1080/02724634.2013.803975 . 2014JVPal..34..281S . 83949683 . 0272-4634.