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Paleobiota of the Green River Formation

The Green River Formation is a famous Konservat-Lagerstätte located in the Intermountain West of the United States, in the states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. It comprises sediments deposited during the Early Eocene in a series of large freshwater lakes: Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta, and Fossil Lake (the last containing Fossil Butte National Monument). It preserves a high diversity of freshwater fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals.

Cartilaginous fish

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Asterotrygon A. maloneyi Fossil Lake A stingray of uncertain affinities.[1]  
Heliobatis H. radians A stingray of uncertain affinities.  

Bony fish

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Primarily based on Grande (2001), with changes where necessary:[2]

Acipenseriformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Crossopholis C. magnicaudatus Fossil Lake A paddlefish.  

Lepisosteiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Atractosteus A. atrox Fossil Lake A gar related to the alligator gar. A. atrox is the largest of the Green River gar species.  
A. simplex Fossil Lake, possibly Lake Gosiute  
Cuneatus C. cuneatus Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta, possibly Fossil Lake A gar.
C. wileyi Lake Uinta
Lepisosteus L. bemisi Fossil Lake A slender gar.[3]
Masillosteus M. janeae Fossil Lake A gar.  

Amiiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Amia A. pattersoni Fossil Lake, Lake Gosiute An amiid related to modern bowfins.  
Cyclurus C. gurleyi Fossil Lake Only 8 specimens known An amiid.

Hiodontiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Eohiodon E. falcatus Fossil Lake A hiodontid.  

Osteoglossiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Phareodus P. encaustus Fossil Lake, Lake Gosiute A bonytongue.  
P. testis Fossil Lake  

Ellimmichthyiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Diplomystus D. dentatus Fossil Lake, Lake Gosiute, & Lake Uinta An armigatid ellimmichthyiform.  

Clupeiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Gosiutichthys G. parvus Lake Gosiute A clupeiform.  
Knightia K. alta Fossil Lake, Lake Gosiute & Lake Uinta A clupeiform. The most commonly found articulated vertebrate fossil in the world.[4]  
K. eocaena The most common fish of the formation.  

Gonorynchiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Notogoneus N. osculus Fossil Lake A beaked sandfish.  

Cypriniformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Amyzon A. gosiutensis Lake Gosiute A sucker.
 
A. aggregatum, a related species

Siluriformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Astephus A. antiquus Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta, Fossil Lake Only one specimen known from Fossil Lake. An ictalurid catfish.
Hypsidoris H. farsonensis Lake Gosiute A hypsidorid catfish.
 
H. oregonensis, a related species

Esociformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Esox E. kronneri Fossil Lake Only a single specimen known. A pike.

Percopsiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Amphiplaga A. brachyptera Fossil Lake A relative of trout-perch.  
Erismatopterus E. levatus Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta A relative of trout-perch.  

Perciformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Mioplosus M. labracoides Fossil Lake, Lake Uinta A relative of lates perches.[4]  

Moroniformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Cockerellites C. liops Fossil Lake A temperate bass.[4]  
Hypsiprisca H. hypsacantha Fossil Lake A temperate bass.[4]  
H. sp.  
Priscacara P. serrata Fossil Lake, Lake Uinta A temperate bass.[4]  
P. sp. a Fossil Lake
P. sp. b.

Incertae sedis

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Asineops A. squamifrons Fossil Lake, Lake Gosiute, Lake Uinta An acanthomorph of uncertain affinities, possibly a percopsiform, polymixiiform, or perciform.[5]  
A. sp. Fossil Lake

Amphibians

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Frogs

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Aerugoamnis A. paulus Fossil Lake Only two specimens known. A relative of parsley frogs.[6]

Salamanders

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Paleoamphiuma P. tetradactylum Fossil Lake A sirenid salamander.  

Reptiles

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Squamates

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Afairiguana A. avius Fossil Lake A stem-anole.[7]
Bahndwivici B. ammoskius A relative of the Chinese crocodile lizard.
Boavus B. idelmani A boa.  
Dunnophis D. sp. Possibly a dwarf boa.[8]
Saniwa S. ensidens A stem-monitor lizard.  
Shinisauridae indet. Lake Uinta A relative of the Chinese crocodile lizard, unusually preserved with a mineralized body without a skeleton.[9]  

Crocodilians

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Borealosuchus B. wilsoni Fossil Lake A eusuchian of uncertain affinities.  
Tsoabichi T. greenriverensis A caiman.[10]  

Turtles

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Axestemys A. sp. Fossil Lake A softshell turtle.  
Baptemys B. wyomingensis A dermatemydid.  
Chisternon C. undatum A baenid.  
Echmatemys E. wyomingensis A geoemydid.[11]  
Oliveremys O. uintaensis A softshell turtle.
Plastomenus P. thomasii A softshell turtle.  

Birds

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Lithornithiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Calciavis C. grandei Fossil Lake A lithornithid.[12]
Pseudocrypturus P. cercanaxius A lithornithid.  

Anseriformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Paakniwatavis P. grandei Fossil Lake An anseriform of uncertain affinities.  
Presbyornis P. pervetus A presbyornithid anseriform.  

Galliformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Gallinuloides G. wyomingensis Fossil Lake A gallinuloid galliform.  

Coliiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Anneavis A. annae Fossil Lake A sandcoleid mousebird.

Leptosomiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Plesiocathartes P. major Fossil Lake A stem-cuckoo roller.[13]
P. wyomingensis

Coraciiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Paracoracias P. occidentalis A coraciiform.[14]
Primobucco P. mcgrewi Fossil Lake A primobucconid coraciiform.  

Piciformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Neanis N. schucherti Fossil Lake A possible piciform of uncertain affinities.
Pristineanis P. kistneri A possible piciform of uncertain affinities.[15]

Strisores

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Eocypselus E. rowei Fossil Lake A eocypselid apodiform.[16]
Fluvioviridavis F. platyrhamphus A basal strisore, possibly a stem-frogmouth.[17][18]  
Prefica P. nivea A stem-oilbird.[19]

Musophagiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Foro F. panarium Fossil Lake A stem-turaco.[20]

Mirandornithes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Juncitarsus J. merkeli Fossil Lake A mirandornithine, possibly an early phoenicopteriform.  

Suliformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Limnofregata L. azygosternon Fossil Lake An early frigatebird.  
L. hasegawai  

Pelecaniformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Vadaravis V. brownae Fossil Lake Potentially a stem-ibis.[21]

Gruiformes

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Messelornis M. nearctica Fossil Lake A messelornithid.
 
Specimen of a related species

Eufalconimorphae

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Avolatavis A. tenens Fossil Lake A quercypsittid.
Cyrilavis C. colburnorum A halcyornithid.  
C. olsoni
Eofringillirostrum E. boudreauxi A psittacopedid.[22]
Eozygodactylus E. americanus A zygodactylid.[23]  
Tynskya T. eocaena A messelasturid.  
Zygodactylus Z. grandei A zygodactylid.[24]  

Neoaves incertae sedis

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Nahmavis N. grandei Fossil Lake Either a stem-gruiform or a stem-charadriiform.[25]  

Two other genera, Eoeurypyga (a stem-sunbittern) and Wyomingcypselus (an early apodiform) are mentioned only in a 2002 dissertation[26], and are presently nomina nuda.

Mammals

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Chiroptera

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Icaronycteris I. gunnelli Fossil Lake 2 skeletons.[27] An icaronycterid bat.  
I. index  
Onychonycteris O. finneyi An onychonycterid bat.  

Perissodactyla

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Lambdotherium L. popoagicum Fossil Lake A small-sized basal brontothere.  
Protorohippus P. venticolus 2 skeletons. An equid.  

Apatotheria

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Apatemys A. chardini Fossil Lake 1 skeleton. An apatemyid.  

"Condylarthra"

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Hyopsodus H. wortmani Fossil Lake A hyopsodontid.  

Cimolesta

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Genus Species Member Abundance Notes Image
Palaeosinopa P. didelphoides Fossil Lake A pantolestid.  

References

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  1. ^ De Carvalho, Marcelo R.; Maisey, John G.; Grande, Lance (June 2004). "Freshwater Stingrays of the Green River Formation of Wyoming (Early Eocene), With the Description of a New Genus and Species and an Analysis of Its Phylogenetic Relationships (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 284: 1–136. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2004)284<0001:FSOTGR>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0003-0090.
  2. ^ Grande, Lance (2001), Gunnell, Gregg F. (ed.), "An Updated Review of the Fish Faunas From the Green River Formation, the World's Most Productive Freshwater Lagerstätten", Eocene Biodiversity: Unusual Occurrences and Rarely Sampled Habitats, Topics in Geobiology, vol. 18, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 1–38, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_1, ISBN 978-1-4615-1271-4, retrieved 2024-08-17
  3. ^ Schwartz, Frank J. (2011-10-01). "An Emperical Synthetic Pattern Study of Gars (Lepisosteiformes) and Closely Related Species, Based Mostly on Skeletal Anatomy the Resurrection of Holostei". Journal of North Carolina Academy of Science. 127 (3): 219. doi:10.7572/2167-5880-127.3.219. ISSN 2167-5880.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Fossil Fish - Fossil Butte National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  5. ^ Grande, Lance (2001), Gunnell, Gregg F. (ed.), "An Updated Review of the Fish Faunas From the Green River Formation, the World's Most Productive Freshwater Lagerstätten", Eocene Biodiversity: Unusual Occurrences and Rarely Sampled Habitats, Topics in Geobiology, vol. 18, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 1–38, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_1, ISBN 978-1-4615-1271-4, retrieved 2024-02-25
  6. ^ Henrici, Amy C.; Báez, Ana M.; Grande, Lance (2013). "Aerugoamnis paulus , New Genus and New Species (Anura: Anomocoela): First Reported Anuran from the Early Eocene (Wasatchian) Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation, Wyoming". Annals of Carnegie Museum. 81 (4): 295–309. doi:10.2992/007.081.0402. ISSN 0097-4463.
  7. ^ Scarpetta, Simon G. (2024). "A Palaeogene stem crotaphytid ( Aciprion formosum ) and the phylogenetic affinities of early fossil pleurodontan iguanians". Royal Society Open Science. 11 (1). Bibcode:2024RSOS...1121139S. doi:10.1098/rsos.221139. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 10776235. PMID 38204790.
  8. ^ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  9. ^ Carpenter, Kenneth (2018-10-18). "Soft-bodied fossil of a lizard from the Parachute Creek Member, Green River Formation (Eocene), Utah". Geology of the Intermountain West. 5: 263–269. doi:10.31711/giw.v5.pp263-269. ISSN 2380-7601.
  10. ^ Brochu, Christopher A. (2010-07-14). "A new alligatorid from the lower Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming and the origin of caimans". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (4): 1109–1126. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30.1109B. doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.483569. ISSN 0272-4634.
  11. ^ Vlachos, Evangelos (2020-07-17). "The turtles from 'Gilmore's slab': evolution and diversity of the extinct turtle Echmatemys (Testudines: Testudinoidea: Geoemydidae) from the central United States". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (14): 1193–1216. Bibcode:2020JSPal..18.1193V. doi:10.1080/14772019.2020.1754938. ISSN 1477-2019.
  12. ^ Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2024-07-30). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". PLOS ONE. 19 (7): e0278737. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278737. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 11288464. PMID 39078833.
  13. ^ Weidig, Ilka (2006). "The first New World occurrence of the Eocene birdPlesiocathartes (Aves: ?Leptosomidae)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 80 (3): 230–237. Bibcode:2006PalZ...80..230W. doi:10.1007/BF02988439. ISSN 1236-9874. {{cite journal}}: Check |issn= value (help)
  14. ^ Clarke, Julia A.; Ksepka, Daniel T.; Smith, N. Adam; Norell, Mark A. (2009-10-26). "Combined phylogenetic analysis of a new North American fossil species confirms widespread Eocene distribution for stem rollers (Aves, Coracii): NEW SPECIES FROM THE EOCENE GREEN RIVER FORMATION". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 157 (3): 586–611. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00550.x.
  15. ^ Mayr, Gerald; Kitchener, Andrew C. (2024-06-01). "The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze". PalZ. 98 (2): 291–312. doi:10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9. ISSN 1867-6812.
  16. ^ Ksepka, Daniel T.; Clarke, Julia A.; Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Kulp, Felicia B.; Grande, Lance (2013-06-22). "Fossil evidence of wing shape in a stem relative of swifts and hummingbirds (Aves, Pan-Apodiformes)". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 280 (1761): 20130580. doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.0580. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 3652446. PMID 23760643.
  17. ^ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Ksepka, Daniel T.; Clarke, Julia A. (2011-11-30). "Podargiform Affinities of the Enigmatic Fluvioviridavis platyrhamphus and the Early Diversification of Strisores ("Caprimulgiformes" + Apodiformes)". PLOS ONE. 6 (11): e26350. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...626350N. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026350. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3227577. PMID 22140427.
  18. ^ Mayr, Gerald; Kitchener, Andrew C. (2024-06-07). "The non-apodiform Strisores (potoos, nightjars and allied birds) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. Bibcode:2024PdPe..tmp...21M. doi:10.1007/s12549-024-00610-9. ISSN 1867-1608.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bibcode (link)
  19. ^ Mayr, Gerald (2005). "The Palaeogene Old World potoo Paraprefica Mayr, 1999 (Aves, Nyctibiidae): Its osteology and affinities to the New World Preficinae Olson, 1987". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 3 (4): 359–370. Bibcode:2005JSPal...3..359M. doi:10.1017/S1477201905001653. ISSN 1477-2019.
  20. ^ Field, Daniel J.; Hsiang, Allison Y. (2018-06-25). "A North American stem turaco, and the complex biogeographic history of modern birds". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 18 (1): 102. Bibcode:2018BMCEE..18..102F. doi:10.1186/s12862-018-1212-3. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 6016133. PMID 29936914.
  21. ^ Smith, Nathan D.; Grande, Lance; Clarke, Julia A. (2013). "A new species of Threskiornithidae-like bird (Aves, Ciconiiformes) from the Green River Formation (Eocene) of Wyoming". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (2): 363–381. Bibcode:2013JVPal..33..363S. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.722898. ISSN 0272-4634.
  22. ^ Ksepka, Daniel T.; Grande, Lance; Mayr, Gerald (2019). "Oldest Finch-Beaked Birds Reveal Parallel Ecological Radiations in the Earliest Evolution of Passerines". Current Biology. 29 (4): 657–663.e1. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.040. ISSN 0960-9822.
  23. ^ Weidig, Ilka (2010-05-26). "New birds from the Lower Eocene Green River Formation, North America. In Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, ed. W.E. Boles and T.H. Worthy". Records of the Australian Museum. 62 (1): 29–44. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1544. ISSN 0067-1975.
  24. ^ Smith, N. Adam; DeBee, Aj M.; Clarke, Julia A. (2018-06-25). "Systematics and phylogeny of the Zygodactylidae (Aves, Neognathae) with description of a new species from the early Eocene of Wyoming, USA". PeerJ. 6: e4950. doi:10.7717/peerj.4950. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6022727. PMID 29967716.
  25. ^ Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2020-10-26). "An Exceptionally Preserved Specimen From the Green River Formation Elucidates Complex Phenotypic Evolution in Gruiformes and Charadriiformes". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8. doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.559929. ISSN 2296-701X.
  26. ^ Weidig, Ilka (2003). Fossil birds from the lower eocene Green River formation (USA) (Thesis). Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg.
  27. ^ Rietbergen, Tim B.; Ostende, Lars W. van den Hoek; Aase, Arvid; Jones, Matthew F.; Medeiros, Edward D.; Simmons, Nancy B. (2023-04-12). "The oldest known bat skeletons and their implications for Eocene chiropteran diversification". PLOS ONE. 18 (4): e0283505. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1883505R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0283505. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 10096270. PMID 37043445.
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