White River Formation

Stratigraphic range: Late Eocene-Early Oligocene (Chadronian-Whitneyan)
~37.2–30.8 Ma

PreꞒ

White River Badlands in South Dakota

Type| Formation
Sub-units| Brule Formation,
Chadron Formation[1]
Overlies| Pierre Shale
Thickness| 230–300 m (750–980 ft)[2]
Lithology
Primary| Tuffaceous claystone, conglomerate[3]
Location
Coordinates| 43°12′N 107°06′W﻿ / ﻿43.2°N 107.1°W﻿ / 43.2; -107.1
Approximate paleocoordinates| 44°48′N 98°24′W﻿ / ﻿44.8°N 98.4°W﻿ / 44.8; -98.4
Region| Colorado,
Nebraska,
South Dakota,
Wyoming
Country| United States
Extent| northern Great Plains and central Rocky Mountains
Type section
Named for| White River
(Missouri River tributary)

White River Formation (the United States)

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White River Formation (Wyoming)

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The White River Formation is a geologic formation of the Paleogene Period, in the northern Great Plains and central Rocky Mountains, within the United States.

It has been found in northeastern Colorado, Dawes County in western Nebraska, Badlands of western South Dakota, and Douglas area of southeastern Wyoming.[1]

## Fossil record

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For the formation's prehistoric animals, see White River Fauna.

The geologic formation preserves fossils dating back to the Eocene and Oligocene Epochs of the Paleogene Period, during the Cenozoic Era.[4] It contains the most complete Late Eocene−Priabonian and Early Oligocene−Rupelian vertebrate record in North America.[1][5]

## See also

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* White River Formation prehistoric fauna
* Chadronian — Priabonian, Rupelian
* Orellan — Rupelian

## References

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1. ^ a b c DonaldProthero.com: "Eocene-Oligocene climatic change in North America: the White River Formation"
2. ^ DouglasFossils.com: Paleontology and Geology of The White River Formation
3. ^ USGS: White River Formation
4. ^ Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
5. ^ DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: "Preliminary Biostratigraphy of the White River Group (Chadron and Brule Formations) in the Vicinity of Chadron, Nebraska", by Eric Paul Gustafson, January 1986.