Puente Formation

Puente Formation
Stratigraphic range: Tortonian
↓
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofLos Angeles Basin
Sub-units(ascending) La Vida, Soquel, Yorba, Sycamore Canyon[1]
Underlies
Overlies
ThicknessAbout 3900 meters[2]
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, conglomerate & mudrock[2]
Location
Region California
Country United States
Type section
Named forPuente Hills

The Puente Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back to the middle to upper Miocene epoch of the Neogene period, most of which were deposited in a deepwater environment.[2] Owing to its depositional environment, it is one of the very few geologic formations to preserve articulated specimens of fossilized deep-sea anglerfish.[3]

Stratigraphy of the Los Angeles Basin incl. Puente Formation

As its name suggests, it primarily outcrops in the Puente Hills.[1]

Paleoecology

The Yorba Member of the Puente Formation preserves some of the world's only known fossils of deep-sea anglerfish, most of which were discovered during the construction of a rail line. These anglerfish are assigned to several genera and species that inhabit hypoxic, upwelling-influenced subtropical and tropical environments in the eastern Pacific today, suggesting that the composition of these ecological communities has changed little in the time since the deposition of this formation. These taxa are not found off the coast of California today, suggesting that the region was much warmer and more tropical during the late Miocene. The minimum depth of this depositional environment would have been about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep.[4][5]

Paleobiota

Ray-finned fish

Based on Fierstine et al (2012):[3]

Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images
Acentrophryne A. sp. City of Industry, Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Yorba Articulated skeleton An leftvent deep-sea anglerfish.[6]
Acipenseridae indet. Subopercule A sturgeon of uncertain affinities.
Argentina A. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill "Remains" A herring smelt.
Argyropelecus A. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A marine hatchetfish.
Atherinops A. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A Neotropical silverside related to the modern topsmelt silverside.
Atherinopsis A. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A Neotropical silverside related to the modern jack silverside.
Bathylaginae indet. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A deep-sea smelt.
Borophryne B. cf. apogon LACM Locality 6202 Yorba Complete articulated skeleton A leftvent deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern netdevil.[5]
Chaenophryne C. aff. melanorhabdus LACM Locality 6202 Yorba 4 complete articulated skeletons An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish, potential affinities to the modern smooth dreamer.[5]
Chauliodus C. eximius Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A viperfish.
Cyclothone C. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A bristlemouth.
Decapterus D. cf. hopkinsi Continental Oil Company “Turnbull” well number 3 Lower One scale; lost A scad.
D. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown
Etringus E. scintillans Puente Hills Two scales; lost A herring.
Ganoessus G. clepsydra Featherstone Quarry Unknown A herring.
G. meiklejohni Featherstone Quarry Articulated skeleton
Ganolytes G. cameo Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A herring.
Genyonemus G. whistleri Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Partial articulated specimen. A drumfish related to the white croaker.
Lampanyctus L. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill ">100 otoliths and several skeletal imprints with otoliths" A lanternfish.
Leptacanthichthys L. cf. gracilispinis LACM Locality 6202 Yorba Articulated skeleton An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern plainchin dreamarm.[5]
Linophryne L. cf. indica LACM Locality 6202 Yorba Articulated skeleton A leftvent deep-sea anglerfish, potentially referable to the modern headlight angler.[5]
Lompoquia L. sp. Upper Unknown A drumfish.
Molidae indet. An ocean sunfish of uncertain affinities.
Moridae indet. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A codling of uncertain affinities.
Oneirodes O. sp. LACM Locality 6202 Yorba Articulated incomplete skeleton An oneirodid deep-sea anglerfish.
Paralabrax P. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A sand bass.
Pseudoseriola P. gilliandi A relative of the bluefish.
Sarda S. stockii Union Oil Company “Chapman” well number 29 Lower 2 scales A bonito.
Scomber S. cf. japonicus Continental Oil Company “Turnbull” well number 3 Lower 1 scale, lost A mackerel, potentially referable to the modern chub mackerel.
S. sp. Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A mackerel.
Seriphus S. lavenbergi City of Industry Yorba Disarticulated skull with otolith A drumfish related to the queenfish.
Symphurus S. sp. Santiago Road Overcrossing La Vida 6 partial skeletons A tonguefish.
Syngnathus S. emeritus San Dimas Several articulated skeletons A pipefish.
Thyrsocles T. kriegeri Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A euzaphlegid.
Xyne X. grex Pomona Freeway Chalk Hill Unknown A herring.
?Xyrinius X. houshi "Los Angeles" Unknown A herring, from either the Monterey or Puente Formations. Potentially conspecific with Xyne grex.
Zanteclites Z. hubbsi Covina, El Modena 6 specimens A Neotropical silverside.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Geolex — Puente publications". ngmdb.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e Salvatore Critelli, Peter E. Rumelh (January 1994). "Composition and Provenance of the Puente Formation (Miocene), Los Angeles Basin". AAPG Bulletin. 78. doi:10.1306/bdff9302-1718-11d7-8645000102c1865d. ISSN 0149-1423.
  3. ^ a b California Academy of Sciences (1890). Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco : California Academy of Sciences.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Geolex2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e Carnevale, Giorgio; Pietsch, Theodore W.; Takeuchi, Gary T.; Huddleston, Richard W. (2008). "Fossil ceratioid anglerfishes (Teleostei: Lophiiformes) from the Miocene of the Los Angeles Basin, California". Journal of Paleontology. 82 (5): 996–1008. doi:10.1666/07-113.1. ISSN 0022-3360.
  6. ^ Carnevale, Giorgio; Pietsch, Theodore W. (2009-06-12). "The deep-sea anglerfish genus Acentrophryne (Teleostei, Ceratioidei, Linophrynidae) in the Miocene of California". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (2): 372–378. doi:10.1671/039.029.0232. ISSN 0272-4634.


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