The Word Formation is a geologic formation in Texas.[1] It preserves fossils dating back to the Permian period. It is probably named for the Old Word Ranch in the Glass Mountains of Brewster County.[2]
| Word Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Roadian-Wordian ~ | |
 Fossil from the Word Formation | |
| Type | Formation |
| Sub-units | Appel Ranch, China Tank & Willis Ranch members |
| Overlies | Road Canyon Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Limestone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 30°24′N 103°12′W / 30.4°N 103.2°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 1°36′N 33°00′W / 1.6°N 33.0°W |
| Region | Texas |
| Country |  United States |
| Extent | Glass Mountains |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Old Word Ranch |
  Word Formation (the United States)  Word Formation (Texas) | |
Defining formation
editThe Wordian age of the Permian Period is named for the Word Formation.[3]
Subdivisions
editThe formation is subdivided into three members, from young to old:
Fossil content
editThe limestone formation contains marine gastropods, brachiopods and ammonites.[1]
Vertebrate paleofauna
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Word Formation at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Word Formation by USGS, retrieved 5 January 2017
- ^ Old Word Ranch, Glass Mountains at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Appel Ranch member at Fossilworks.org
- ^ China Tank member at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Willis Ranch member at Fossilworks.org
Further reading
edit- M. Kelly and R. Zangerl. 1976. Helicoprion (Edestidae) in the Permian of West Texas. Journal of Paleontology 50(5):992-994
- G. A. Cooper and R. E. Grant. 1972. Permian brachiopods of west Texas, I. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 14:1-231
- R. L. Batten. 1958. Permian Gastropoda of the southwestern United States. 2. Pleurotomariacea: Portlockiellidae, Phymatopleuridae, and Eotomariidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 114(2):153-246
- E. L. Yochelson. 1956. Permian Gastropoda of the southwestern United States. 1. Euomphalacea, Trochonematacea, Pesudophoracea, Anomphalacea, Craspedostomatacea, and Platyceratacea. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 110(3):173-276
- A. K. Miller and W. M. Furnish. 1940. Permian ammonoids of the Guadalupe Mountain region and adjacent area. Geological Society of America Special Paper 26:1-242
- F. B. Plummer and G. Scott. 1937. Upper Paleozoic ammonites in Texas. The University of Texas Bulletin 3701:1-516
- R. E. King. 1931. The Geology of the Glass Mountains, Texas, Part II, Faunal summary and correlation of the Permian formations with description of Brachiopoda. The University of Texas Bulletin 3042:1-245
- G. H. Girty. 1909. The Guadalupian fauna. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 58:1-651