List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Alberta

This is a list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Alberta, Canada.

Group or formation Period Stage Dominant lithology Depositional
environment
Alberta Group/Waipiabi Formation Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Santonian shale marine
Alexo Formation Late Devonian Frasnian to Famennian dolomitic limestone marine
Bad Heart Formation Late Cretaceous Turonian shale marine
Banff Formation Mississippian Tournasian limestone marine
Battle Formation (Edmonton Group) Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian mudstone nonmarine
Bearpaw Formation (Edmonton Group) Late Cretaceous Campanian Campanian shale marine
Beaverfoot Formation Ordovician to Silurian Ashgillian to Llandoverian dolomite marine
Beaverhill Lake Group Devonian late Givetian to early Frasnian limestone marine
Beaverhill Lake Group/Slave Point Formation Late Devonian Frasnian limestone marine
Beaverhill Lake Group/Waterways Formation Middle Devonian to Late Devonian late Givetian to Frasnian limestone, calcareous shale marine
Belcourt Formation Early Permian Asselian to Sakmarian dolomite, limestone marine
Belle Fourche Formation (Colorado Group) Cretaceous Cenomanian shale marine
Belloy Formation Permian Artinskian to Roadian dolomite, sandstone marine
Belly River Formation (Judith River Formation) Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Belly River Group/Allison Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Belly River Group/Dinosaur Park Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Belly River Group/Foremost Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Belly River Group/Oldman Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Bison Creek Formation Late Cambrian shale marine
Blackstone Formation Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Turonian shale marine
Blairmore Group/Luscar Group Early Cretaceous Aptian to Albian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Blood Reserve Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone nonmarine
Brazeau Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian to Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Burgess Shale Formation (Stephen Formation) Middle Cambrian shale marine
Cadomin Formation Early Cretaceous Barremian to Aptian conglomerate, sandstone nonmarine
Cairn Formation Late Devonian Frasnian calcareous dolomite marine
Cardium Formation (Colorado Group) Late Cretaceous Turonian to Coniacian sandstone, siltstone marine
Clearwater Formation (Mannville Group) Early Cretaceous Albian shale marine
Coalspur Formation Late Cretaceous to Paleocene Maastrichtian to Danian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Colorado Group/Belle Fourche Formation Cretaceous Cenomanian shale marine
Colorado Group/Cardium Formation Late Cretaceous Turonian to Coniacian sandstone, siltstone marine
Colorado Group/Second White Speckled Shale Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Turonian shale marine
Colorado Group/Westgate Formation Late Cretaceous Turonian shale marine
Cooking Lake Formation Late Devonian Frasnian limestone marine
Deadwood Formation Middle to Late Cambrian sandstone marine
Dessa Dawn Formation (obsolete) Mississippian limestone marine
Dinosaur Park Formation (Belly River Group) (Judith River Group) Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Dunvegan Formation Late Cretaceous Cenomanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Duvernay Formation Late Devonian Frasnian bituminous limestone, argillaceous limestone marine
Edmonton Group Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene Campanian to Danian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Edmonton Group/Battle Formation Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian mudstone nonmarine
Edmonton Group/Horseshoe Canyon Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian to early Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Edmonton Group/Scollard Formation Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene Maastrichtian to Danian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Edmonton Group/Whitemud Formation Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone, claystone nonmarine
Etherington Formation Mississippian Serpukhovian dolomitic limestone marine
Exshaw Formation Late Devonian to Early Mississippian late Famennian to middle Tournasian shale marine
Fairholme Group Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Fairholme Group/Mount Hawk Formation Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Fernie Formation Jurassic Hettangian to middle Tithonian shale, siltstone marine
Flume Formation Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Foremost Formation (Belly River Group) Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Fort St. John Group Cretaceous Albian to Cenomanian sandstone, siltstone, shale nonmarine and marine
Fort St. John Group/Shaftesbury Formation Cretaceous Albian to Cenomanian shale marine
Gates Formation Early Cretaceous Albian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Ghost River Formation (obsolete) Cambrian to Middle Devonian
Gog Group Early Cambrian quartzose sandstone, conglomerate
Grand Rapids Formation (Mannville Group) Early Cretaceous Albian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Hasler Formation Early Cretaceous Albian shale marine
Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Edmonton Group) Late Cretaceous Campanian to early Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Ireton Formation Late Devonian Frasnian shale marine
Judith River Formation (Belly River Formation) Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Judith River Group/Dinosaur Park Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Kananaskis Formation Late Carboniferous Late Pennsylvanian limestone, dolomite, chert marine
Kaskapau Formation Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Turonian shale marine
Lea Park Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian shale marine
Leduc Formation Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Livingstone Formation (Rundle Group) Mississippian Tournasian to Visean dolomitic limestone marine
Loon River Formation (obsolete) Early Cretaceous Albian shale marine
Lyell Formation Late Cambrian Dresbachian limestone, dolomite marine
Mannville Group Early Cretaceous Barremian to Albian sandstone, siltstone, shale nonmarine and marine
Mannville Group/Clearwater Formation Early Cretaceous Albian shale marine
Mannville Group/Grand Rapids Formation Early Cretaceous Albian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Mannville Group/McMurray Formation Early Cretaceous late Barremian to Aptian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine, marginal marine
McMurray Formation (Mannville Group) Early Cretaceous late Barremian to Aptian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine, marginal marine
Mikkwa Formation Middle Devonian Givetian dolomitic limestone marine
Milk River Formation Late Cretaceous Santonian to Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Mistaya Formation Late Cambrian limestone marine
Montney Formation Early Triassic Olenekian siltstone, shale marine
Mount Hawk Formation (Fairholme Group) Late Devonian Frasnian to Famennian dolomite, limestone marine
Mount Head Formation (Rundle Group) Mississippian Visean dolomitic limestone marine
Mowitch Formation Permian Guadalupian sandstone, calcareous sandstone marine
Mural Formation Early Cambrian limestone, dolomite marine
Nikanassin Formation Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Portlandian to Barremian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Nisku Formation Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Nordegg Formation (Fernie Group) Jurassic limestone marine
Norquay Formation (obsolete) Permian
Oldman Formation (Belly River Group) Late Cretaceous Campanian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Outram Formation Early Ordovician limestone, shale marine
Pakowki Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian shale, siltstone marine
Palliser Formation Late Devonian Famennian limestone marine
Paskapoo Formation late Paleocene Thanetian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Peace River Formation Early Cretaceous Albian sandstone, siltstone, shale marine and nonmarine
Peechee Formation late Devonian Frasnian dolomite, calcareous dolomite marine
Perdrix Formation Late Devonian Frasnian calcareous shale marine
Porcupine Hills Formation late Paleocene Danian sandstone, siltstone, shale nonmarine
Puskwaskau Formation Late Cretaceous Santonian to Campanian shale marine
Ranger Canyon Formation Permian Guadalupian to Lopingian sandstone, dolomite marine
Rocky Mountain Group Permian dolomite, sandstone marine
Rundle Group/Etherington Formation Mississippian Serpukhovian dolomitic limestone marine
Rundle Group/Livingstone Formation Mississippian Tournasian to Visean dolomitic limestone marine
Rundle Group/Mount Head Formation Mississippian Visean dolomitic limestone marine
Rundle Group/Tunnel Mountain Formation Mississippian sandstone, dolomitic sandstone marine
Scollard Formation (Edmonton Group) Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene Maastrichtian to Danian sandstone, siltstone, coal nonmarine
Second White Speckled Shale (Colorado Group) Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Turonian shale marine
Shaftesbury Formation Cretaceous Albian to Cenomanian shale marine
Simla Formation Late Devonian Frasnian siltstone, dolomitic limestone marine
Skoki Formation Middle Ordovician dolomite marine
Slave Point Formation (Beaverhill Lake Group) Middle Devonian Givetian limestone marine
Smoky Group/Bad Heart Formation Late Cretaceous Turonian shale marine
Smoky Group/Kaskapau Formation Late Cretaceous Cenomanian to Turonian shale marine
Southesk Formation Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Spray River Formation Triassic siltstone, shale, dolomite marine and nonmarine
St. Mary River Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian to Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Stephen Formation Middle Cambrian shale marine
Sulphur Mountain Formation Triassic siltstone, dolomite, shale marine
Survey Peak Formation Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician calcareous shale, limestone marine
Swan Hills Formation Middle Devonian late Givetian limestone marine
Tunnel Mountain Formation (Rundle Group) Mississippian sandstone, dolomitic sandstone marine
Two Medicine Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian claystone, sandstone nonmarine
Wabamun Formation Late Devonian Famennian limestone, dolomite marine
Wapiabi Formation Late Cretaceous Coniacian to Campanian shale, siltstone marine
Wapiti Formation Late Cretaceous Campanian to Maastrichtian sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Waterways Formation (Beaverhill Lake Group) Middle Devonian to Late Devonian late Givetian to Frasnian limestone, calcareous shale marine
Westgate Formation (Colorado Group) Late Cretaceous Turonian shale marine
Whitemud Formation (Edmonton Group) Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian sandstone, claystone nonmarine
Willow Creek Formation Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian to Paleocene sandstone, siltstone nonmarine
Woodbend Group/Duvernay Formation Late Devonian Frasnian bituminous limestone, argillaceous limestone marine
Woodbend Group/Leduc Formation Late Devonian Frasnian dolomite marine
Yahatinda Formation Middle Devonian Givetian dolomitic sandstone, conglomerate, mudstone nonmarine and marine

References

  • Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  • Alberta Geological Survey, 2015. "Alberta Table of Formations; Alberta Energy Regulator". Retrieved 26 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • Glass, D.J. (editor) 1997. Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, vol. 4, Western Canada including eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary, 1423 p. on CD-ROM. ISBN 0-920230-23-7.
  • Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I. (compilers), Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Geological Survey, 1994. "The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin". Retrieved 26 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)