Wood Canyon Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ediacaran – Cambrian 540–532.83 Ma

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A view of Wood Canyon from the south, the locality after which the formation is named.

Type| Geologic formation
Sub-units| 'Upper', 'Middle' and 'Lower' Members [1]
Underlies| Zabriskie Quartzite Formation
Overlies| Stirling Quartzite Formation
Thickness| 0–4,000 feet (0–1,219 m)[2]
Lithology
Primary| Sandstone
Other| Limestone, Siltstone, Quartzite, Shale, Dolostone, Conglomerate
Location
Region| Mojave Desert, California and Nevada
Country| United States
Type section
Named for| Wood Canyon

The Wood Canyon Formation is a geologic formation in the northern Mojave Desert of Inyo County, California and Nye County and Clark County, Nevada.[3][4]

It can be seen in the Panamint Range and Funeral Mountains adjoining Death Valley, within Death Valley National Park; and in the Spring Mountains in Clark County.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Geology
* 2 Paleobiota
* 2.1 Cambrian
* 2.1.1 Arthropoda
* 2.1.2 Lophotrochozoa
* 2.1.3 Porifera (Sponges)
* 2.1.4 Echinodermata
* 2.1.5 Petalonamae
* 2.1.6 incertae sedis
* 2.1.7 Ichnogenera
* 2.2 Ediacaran
* 2.2.1 Petalonamae
* 2.2.2 incertae sedis
* 2.2.3 Ichnogenera
* 2.2.4 Undescribed
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Geology

The 570+ million years old formation underlies the Zabriskie Quartzite Formation, and overlies the Stirling Quartzite Formation.[3][5]

It has three unnamed Members, simply known as 'Upper', 'Middle', and 'Lower', that mainly consist of limestone, conglomerate rocks and dolostone respectively, with sandstone and siltstones found within the 'Upper' and 'Lower' Members, with the latter itself further containing quartzite and shales.[1][3] The 'Upper' and 'Middle' Members are Cambrian in age, including the upper rocks of the 'Lower Member', whilst the rest of the 'Lower' Member is Ediacaran in age.[1]

## Paleobiota

The Wood Canyon Formation spans from the late Ediacaran period of the Neoproterozoic Era into the Lower Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic Era.[3][4][6] As for the fossils and biota found within the formation, the Cambrian strata is home to olenellid trilobites and archaeocyathid sponges,[3] whilst the Ediacaran strata contains petalonamid forms like Pteridinium and ichnotaxon traces like Helminthoidichnites.[1]

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Color key
| Taxon | Reclassified taxon | Taxon falsely reported as present | Dubious taxon or junior synonym | Ichnotaxon | Ootaxon | Morphotaxon

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| Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

### Cambrian

All the organisms and trace fossils from the Cambrian sections of the formation.

#### Arthropoda

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Olenellidae indet.[3] |

* Unapplicable

| Redlichiid trilobite arthropods.  |
Nevadia (?)[3] |

* N. gracile (?)

| Redlichiid trilobite arthropods, from the family Nevadiidae. Misslabelled as Nevadella gracile, tentative assignment. Some studies also note this to possibly be Judomia.[2] |

#### Lophotrochozoa

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Kutorgina (?)[3] |

* Kutorgina sp. (?)

| Rhynchonelliform brachiopods, tentative assignment. |
Hyolithes (?)[3][2] |

* Hyolithes sp. (?)

| Lophotrochozoan Hyolith, tentative assignment. |

#### Porifera (Sponges)

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Cordilleracyathus (?)[7] |

* Cordilleracyathus (?)sp.

| Archeocyathid sponge.  |
Archaeocyathus (?)[7] |

* Archaeocyathus (?)sp.

| Archeocyathid sponge.  |

#### Echinodermata

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Helicoplacus[8] |

* H. gilberti

| Oblong echinoderm.  | Error creating thumbnail:

#### Petalonamae

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Swartpuntia[9] |

* S. germsi

| Sessile frondose organism, although assignment has been questioned based on the possibility that known specimens could be referred to other known Cambrian frondose organisms.[10] |

#### incertae sedis

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Harlaniella[11] |

* H. confusa

| Ribbon-like organism.  |
Tirasiana (?)[9] |

* T. disciformis (?)

| Discoidal organism, tentative assignment. Possibly junior synonym of Aspidella. |

#### Ichnogenera

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Bergaueria[12] |

* Bergaueria isp.

| Resting place of Cnidarians.  | Error creating thumbnail:
Conichnus[12] |

* Conichnus isp.

| Burrows.  |
Cruziana[13] |

* C. pectinata
* C. tenella

| Burrows.  |
Dolopichnus[12] |

* Dolopichnus isp.

| Burrows.  |
Didymaulichnus[13] |

* D. miettensis

| Burrows.  |
Psammichnites[13] |

* P. gigas

| Burrows.  |
Rusophycus[13] |

* Rusophycus isp.

| Burrows.  |
Skolithos[3][13] |

* S. linearis

| Burrows.  |
Treptichnus[14] |

* T. pedum

| Burrows.  | File:Treptichnus pedum.png
Zoophycos[15] |

* Zoophycos isp.

| Feeding trace of polychaete worms.  | File:ZoophycosMississippian.jpg

### Ediacaran

All the organisms and trace fossils from the Ediacaran sections of the formation.

#### Petalonamae

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Charnia (?)[1] |

* Charnia sp. (?)

| Sessile frondose organism, tentative assignment. | File:Charnia masoni LEIUG 2328.png
Ernietta[16][17] |

* E. plateauensis

| Sessile bag-like frondose organism. Reclassified as Tulaneia.  |
Pteridinium[1] |

* Pteridinium sp.

| Frondose organism.  |
Swartpuntia[16] |

* S. germsi

| Sessile frondose organism, assignment has been questioned due to poor preservation.[10] |
Tulaneia[18] |

* T. amabilia

| Sessile bag-like frondose organism.  |

#### incertae sedis

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Archaeichnium[16] |

* A. haughtoni

| Tubular organism. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[17] although future studies do not note this.  |
Costatubus[19] |

* C. bibendi

| Tubular fossil, first occurrence in this formation and new species. A study done in the same year discovered some of the first remains of cloudinomorph soft-tissue material within the tubes, resembling bilaterian-like through-guts, which would also make them the oldest known guts in the fossil record.[20] |
Cloundina[16] |

* Cloundina sp.

| Tubular organism. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[17] although future studies do not note this.  |
Conotubus[17] |

* Conotubus sp.

| Tubular organism.  |
Corumbella[16][17] |

* Corumbella sp.

| Tubular organism.  |
Gaojiashania[17] |

* Gaojiashania sp.

| Tubular organism.  |
Saarina[19] |

* S. hagadorni

| Tubular fossil, first occurrence in this formation and new species. A study done in the same year discovered some of the first remains of cloudinomorph soft-tissue material within the tubes, resembling bilaterian-like through-guts, which would also make them the oldest known guts in the fossil record.[20] |
Nimbia (?)[16] |

* N. occlusa (?)

| Discoid organism, tentative assignment. | File:Nimbia occlusa 3D Reconstruction.png
Onuphionella[16] |

* Onuphionella sp.

| Tubular organism, first known occurrence in Ediacaran aged rock. A recent 2017 suggests reported specimens may instead be poorly preserved Gaojiashania specimens,[17] although future studies do not note this.  |

#### Ichnogenera

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Helminthoidichnites[13] |

* Helminthoidichnites isp.

| Burrows.  |
Palaeophycus[13] |

* Palaeophycus isp.

| Burrows.  |
Planolites[13] |

* Planolites isp.

| Burrows.  |
Bilobate trails[13] |

* ???

| Trails, bears similarities with the ichnogenus Scolicia.  |

#### Undescribed

Genus  | Species  | Notes  | Images

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Conical calcareous fossils[16] |

* Unapplicable

| Calcareous fossils that are conical in shape, although their poor preservation hinders any proper assignments. They have been suggested to represent the well-known and common organism Cloudina, the small shelly fossil Wyattia, or even a new genus.  |
Enigmatic tubular fossils[17] |

* Unapplicable

| Various pyritized tubular forms ranging from 0.3 to 7 cm in length and 1 to 5 mm in diameter.  |

## See also

* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California
* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nevada
* Paleontology in California
* Paleontology in Nevada

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Evans, Scott D.; Smith, Emily F.; Vayda, Prescott; Nelson, Lyle L.; Xiao, Shuhai (October 2024). "The Ediacara Biota of the Wood Canyon formation: Latest Precambrian macrofossils and sedimentary structures from the southern Great Basin". Global and Planetary Change 241. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2024.104547. Bibcode: 2024GPC...24104547E.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stewart, J. H.. "Upper Precambrian and Lower Cambrian Strata, in the Southern Great Basin California and Nevada". Geological Survey Professional. https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0620/report.pdf.
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Hunt, C B; Mabey, D (1966). "Stratigraphy and structure, Death Valley, California". Geological Survey Professional Paper. doi:10.3133/pp494A. Bibcode: 1966usgs.rept...12H.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Digital-desert.com: "Death Valley Geology - Wood Canyon Formation"
5. ↑ Springer.com: "Tidal Deposits in the Zabriskie Quartzite (Cambrian), Eastern California and Western Nevada"; John J. Barnes, George deVries Klein.
6. ↑ ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database)). "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". https://www.fossilworks.org/.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pruss, Sara B.; Smith, Emily F.; Zhuravlev, Andrey Yu; Nolan, Rhiannon Z.; McGann, Tessa C. (June 2025). "Rise and fall of archaeocyath reefs shaped early Cambrian skeletal animal abundance". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 667. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.112852.
8. ↑ Durham, J. W. (1993). "Observations on the Early Cambrian Helicoplacoid Echinoderms". Journal of Paleontology 67 (4): 590–604. doi:10.1017/S0022336000024938. ISSN 0022-3360. Bibcode: 1993JPal...67..590D.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hagadorn, James W.; Fedo, Christopher M.; Waggoner, Ben M. (2000). "Early Cambrian Ediacaran-Type Fossils from California". Journal of Paleontology 74 (4): 731–740. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2000)074<0731:ECETFF>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-3360.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Runnegar, Bruce; Gehling, James G.; Jensen, Sören; Saltzman, Matthew R. (October 2024). "Ediacaran paleobiology and biostratigraphy of the Nama Group, Namibia, with emphasis on the erniettomorphs, tubular and trace fossils, and a new sponge, Arimasia germsi n. gen. n. sp.". Journal of Paleontology 98 (S94): 1–59. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.81. Bibcode: 2024JPal...98S...1R.
11. ↑ Signor, P.W. (1994). "Proterozoic-Cambrian boundary trace fossils: biostratigraphic significance of Harlaniella in the Lower Cambrian Wood Canyon Formation, Death Valley, California". New York State Stratigraphy and Paleontology 481: 347–361.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Mata, Scott A.; Corsetti, Cara L.; Corsetti, Frank A.; Awramik, Stanley M.; Bottjer, David J. (2012). "Lower Cambrian Anemone Burrows from the Upper Member of the Wood Canyon Formation, Death Valley Region, United States: Paleoecological and Paleoenvironmental Significance". PALAIOS 27 (9/10): 595–607. doi:10.2110/palo.2012.p12-016r. ISSN 0883-1351. Bibcode: 2012Palai..27..594M.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 Jensen, S; Droser, M; Heim, N. "Trace fossils and ichnofabrics of the Lower Cambrian Wood Canyon Formation, southwest Death Valley area". Pacific Section SEPM. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261875450.
14. ↑ Corsetti, Frank A.; Hagadorn, James W. (2000). "Precambrian-Cambrian transition: Death Valley, United States". Geology 28 (4): 299. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<299:PTDVUS>2.0.CO;2. Bibcode: 2000Geo....28..299C.
15. ↑ Sappenfield, Aaron; Droser, Mary; Kennedy, Martin; Mckenzie, Ryan (November 2012). "The oldest Zoophycos and implications for Early Cambrian deposit feeding". Geological Magazine 149 (6): 1118–1123. doi:10.1017/S0016756812000313. Bibcode: 2012GeoM..149.1118S.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 Hagadorn, James W.; Waggoner, Ben (2000). "Ediacaran Fossils from the Southwestern Great Basin, United States". Journal of Paleontology 74 (2): 349–359. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2000)074<0349:EFFTSG>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-3360. Bibcode: 2000JPal...74..349H.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 Smith, E. F.; Nelson, L. L.; Tweedt, S. M.; Zeng, H.; Workman, J. B. (12 July 2017). "A cosmopolitan late Ediacaran biotic assemblage: new fossils from Nevada and Namibia support a global biostratigraphic link". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284 (1858). doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.0934. PMID 28701565. Bibcode: 2017RSPSB.284....1S.
18. ↑ Runnegar, Bruce; Horodyski, Robert J.; Gehling, James G.; Jensen, Sören; Bengtson, Stefan; Peterson, Kevin J.; Saltzman, Matthew R.; Vendrasco, Michael J. (November 2024). "Tulaneia amabilia n. gen. n. sp.: a new erniettomorph from the Wood Canyon Formation, Nevada and the age of the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition in the Great Basin". Journal of Paleontology 98 (6): 929–951. doi:10.1017/jpa.2024.45. Bibcode: 2024JPal...98..929R.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Selly, Tara; Schiffbauer, James D.; Jacquet, Sarah M.; Smith, Emily F.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Andreasen, Brock D.; Huntley, John Warren; Strange, Michael A. et al. (16 February 2020). "A new cloudinid fossil assemblage from the terminal Ediacaran of Nevada, USA". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 18 (4): 357–379. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1623333. Bibcode: 2020JSPal..18..357S.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Schiffbauer, James D.; Selly, Tara; Jacquet, Sarah M.; Merz, Rachel A.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Strange, Michael A.; Cai, Yaoping; Smith, Emily F. (10 January 2020). "Discovery of bilaterian-type through-guts in cloudinomorphs from the terminal Ediacaran Period". Nature Communications 11 (1): 205. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13882-z. PMID 31924764. Bibcode: 2020NatCo..11..205S.

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