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Fort Union Formation

Geologic formation in the northwestern United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fort Union Formationmap
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The Fort Union Formation is a geologic unit containing sandstones, shales, and coal beds in Wyoming, Montana, and parts of adjacent states. In the Powder River Basin, it contains important economic deposits of coal, uranium, and coalbed methane.[1]

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Description

The Fort Union is mostly of Paleocene age and represents a time of extensive swamps as well as fluvial and lacustrine conditions. The rocks are more sandy in southwestern Wyoming and more coal-bearing in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana, reflecting a general change from rivers and lakes in the west to swamps in the east, but all three environments were present at various times in most locations.[2]

Coal in the Fort Union in the Powder River Basin occurs mainly in the Tongue River Member, where as many as 32 coal seams total more than 300 feet in thickness.[1] One such bed, the Wyodak Coal near Gillette, Wyoming, is as much as 110 feet (34 m) thick. Most of the coals in the Fort Union Formation are ranked subbituminous.[3]

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Fort Union Formation - stratigraphy
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Fossil content

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Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Mammals

Cimolestans

More information Cimolestans reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Leptictids

More information Leptictids reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Marsupials

More information Marsupials reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Primatomorphs

More information Primatomorphs reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Ungulates

More information Ungulates reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Reptiles

Birds

A partial ornithurine coracoid bone found in this formation is identical to others found in the older Hell Creek Formation. At present, this unnamed species is the only known individual bird species that have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.[15]

More information Birds reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Crocodilians

More information Crocodilians reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Squamates

More information Squamates reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Testudines

More information Testudines reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Amphibians

More information Amphibians reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Fish

More information Fish reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Invertebrates

Bivalves

More information Bivalves reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Gastropods

More information Gastropods reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...

Plants

More information Plants reported from the Fort Union Formation, Genus ...
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See also

References

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