Temblor Formation

The Temblor Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene of the Neogene period. It is notable for the famous Sharktooth Hill deposit (otherwise known as Ernst Quarry).^[1][2][3]

Temblor Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Oligocene-Mid Miocene ~28–11.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geologic formation
Sub-units	Agua Sandstone Member, Buttonbed Sandstone Member, Carneros Sandstone Member, Cymric Shale Member, Devilwater Siltstone, Gould Shale, Media Shale Member, Round Mountain Silt, Santos Shale Member, Wygal Sandstone Member
Underlies	Monterey Formation
Lithology
Primary	Shale, sandstone
Location
Region	Western San Joaquin Valley, Kern County, California
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Temblor Ranch, McKittrick district, Kern County
Named by	Anderson
Year defined	1905

Fossils

Vertebrates

Cartilagenous fishes

Sharks

Isurus planus upper teeth from the Sharktooth Hill bonebed

• Carcharias^[2]
• Cephaloscyllium^[2]
• Cetorhinus^[2]
• †Carcharocles megalodon ^[4]
• †Galeocerdo aduncus^[2]
• †Hemipristis serra^[2]
• Heterodontus^[2]
• Hexanchus^[2]
• †Isurus desori
• †Isurus hastalis ^[2]
• †Isurus planus^[3]
• Megachasma
• Notorhynchus^[2]
• †Parotodus benedenii
• Scyliorhinus^[2]
• Squalus ^[2]
• Squatina^[2]

Rays and skates

• Dasyatis^[2]
• Myliobatis^[2]

Reptiles

• Pacifichelys^[2]
• †Chelonia californiensis^[2]
• †Syllomus aegyptiacus^[2]

Birds

• †Diomedea californica^[5]
  • †D. milleri^[5]
• †Fulmarus miocaenus^[5]
• †Hadrogyps aigialerus^[5]
• †Megalodytes morejohni^[5]
• †Morus vagabundus^[5]
• †Osteodontornis orri^[5]
• †Pandion homalopteron^[5]
• †Presbychen abavus^[5]
• †Puffinus inceptor^[5]
  • †P. milleri^[5]
  • †P. priscus^[5]

Artist's rendering of Hypohippus in its natural habitat

Restoration of Paleoparodoxia

Mammals

• †Allodesmus kernensis^[2]
• †Bouromeryx americanus^[2]
• †Hypohippus^[2]
• †Miotapirus^[2]
• †Paleoparadoxia tabatai^[2]
• †Paratomarctus temerarius^[2]
• †Pelagiarctos thomasi^[2]
• †Aulophyseter morricei
• †Oedolithax mira
• †Loxolithax sinuosa
• †Parietobalaena securis

See also

• California portal
• Geology portal
• Paleontology portal

• Geology of Kern County, California
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California
• Paleontology in California