Quitman Mountains Talk 090513

The Early Aptian to Late Albian Sediments of the Southern Quitman Mountains Along the Texas-Mexico Border

March 11-18, 2012 Field Trip to Mayfield and Goat Canyons, and Red Bull Hill, Hudspeth County, Texas

By Keith P. MinorPrincipal Investigator: Professor Jean-Louis Latil

Groupe de Reherche et d'Études GéologiquesLe Maupas05300 LAZERFRANCEe-mail: [email protected]

Field Trip Coordinator: Daniel Woehr

copyright Keith Minor

Special thanks goes to:Ann Molineux, PhD

Curator and Collection Manager Non-Vertebrate PaleontologyTexas Natural Science CenterThe University of Texas at AustinBuilding 122, J. J. Pickle Research Campus10100 Burnet RoadAustin, TX [email protected]

Dr. Josep Anton Moreno BedmarDepartamento de PaleontologíaInstituto de GeologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Ciudad Universitaria. 04510 México, [email protected]

Southern QuitmanMountains

EagleMountains

Van HornMountains

DevilRidge

CarrizoM ountains

M aloneM ountains

FinlayMountains

SierraBlanca

SierraDiablo

BaylorM ountains

Northern Quitm anM ountains

IndioM ountains

SierraCieneguilla

Sierra delAlambre

Sierra delos Pinos

Sierralos Frailes

BeachMountains

WylieM ountains

MayfieldCanyon

GoatCanyon

Red Bull H ill

SierraVieja

ApacheM ountains

TripleHill

R i o G r a n d e

Mexico

Physiographic Map of the Texas-Mexico Border, Showing the Locations of Mountain Ranges and Investigation Areas

Road distance from Sierra Blanca to Indian Hot Springs (camp site) = 32 miles.As the crow flies = 23 miles.

Map of GPS Waypoints Showing the Various Stops (Yellow)and Fossil Locations (Red)

Entrances to canyonsare only 3.0 mi apart.

Polaris ride to east sideof Calvert Canyon: 12.3 mi.

Hike into Goat Canyon: ~ 1.3 mi.


Entrance to Mayfield Canyon

Sierra Cieneguilla

Mexico

Quitman Moutains

Texas

Rio Grande River

Mayfield Canyon Looking East


Rio Grande River

MexicoTexas


A A’

MayfieldCanyon

Kmt(l) Kmt(u) Kqt(l) Kqt(m) Kqt(u)

Kcx(l)

Kmt(l) = Lower Mountain SS/Conglomerate (Neocomian? to Barremian)

Kmt(u) = Upper Mountain SS/Conglomerate (Late Barremian? to Early Aptian)

Kqt(l) = Lower Quitman Limestone (Early Aptian to Earliest Albian?)

Kqt(m) = Middle Quitman Shale/Limestone (Very Early Albian)

Kqt(u) = Upper Quitman Limestone (Late Early Albian)

Kcx(l) = Lower Cox Limestone (Early? to Middle Albian)

Stratigraphic Cross-Section Across Mayfield Canyon

Qtb

UD

47

45

Wood site 2

Ammonite Site1

Wood site 3

Scott’s M6 Site(1940, p. 985)

Scott’s M1 Site(1940, p. 981)

Neocomian? to Barremian

Early Aptian

Late Aptian

Early Albian

Middle Albian

Redrawn from Reaser, 1974

Geologic Map of Mayfield Canyon

Jones & Reaser, 1970

Kcu

Kqt(l)

Kluv/Kac(b)

Kcpt

CoahuilaIsland

Ktm(l)

Kmo

ChihuahuaTrough

Cupido-SligoShelf Margin

CupidoPlatform

Kmo

Kam

Khm/Kcc(l)

KhfKhf

Kto

Khf = Hell-to-FinishKcu = CuchilloKqt(l) = Lower QuitmanKtm(l) = Lower TamaulipasKcpt = “Cupidito”Kluv = Las UvasKac(b) = Basal AcatitaKmo = MoritaKam = AmuleKsl = SligoKhm = HammettKcc(l) = Lower Cow CreekKto = Torcer

ComanchePlatform

SabinasBasin

LlanoUplift

Fm?

AldamaPeninsula

KhfPaleogeographic Setting During the Early Aptian Stage

(Transgressive Lower Trinity Group Deposition)

copyright Keith Minor (see handout for complete refrences)

Kac(l)

Klp

CoahuilaPlatform

KchKub

KubKub

Kcu(l)Km uKmuKmuKm uKmu

Klo

Km u

Kco

Kgl(b)/Kcc(u)/

Kbx

Kqt(l)

Kyu Kmx

ChihuahuaTrough

VallesPlatform

Kpr

Kyu

Kyu

Kgr(b)

SabinasBasin

ComanchePlatform

BisbeeBasin

LlanoUplift

Khecananea high

AldamaPeninsula

Kam

Kmu = Mural

Kub = U-Bar

Kcu(l) = Lower CuchilloKqt(l) = Lower QuitmanKac(l) = Lower AcatitaKgr(b) = Basal Glen Rose

Klp = La Pena

Kch = Carbonate Hill

Klo = Lowell

Kam = Am ule ArkoseKco = CocoraqueKcc(u) = Upper Cow CreekKyu = YuccaKmx = MaxonKhe = HenselKbx = BexarKpr = Presidio

Paleogeographic Setting During the Late Aptian Stage(Transgressive Middle Trinity Group Deposition)

copyright Keith Minor (see handout for complete references)

West Side of the Quitman Mountains Showing the Upper Part of theNonmarine Mountain Fm and

Marine Lower Quitman Fm

Lower Quitman Fm (U)(Late Aptian to Earliest Albian?)

Uppermost Mountain Fm(Late Barremian? To Early Aptian)

Lower Quitman Fm (L)(Early Aptian)


Petrified wood inthe Upper Mountain Fm

Wood Site 1


Petrified tree log in placein the Upper Mountain Fm

(Early Aptian)

(Reaser (1970) found dinomaterial at this locality)

Wood Site 1


Petrified tree knotin the Upper Mountain Fm


Looking North

Lower Quitman Fm(Early Aptian to Early Albian)

Western Slope

MiddleQuitman Fm

(Early Albian)Eastern Slope


Echinoid in the Lower Quitman Fm

Western Slope


Bivalves in the Lower Quitman Fm

Western Slope


Rudists in the Lower Quitman Fm


Ktm(u)

Kac(u)

Kar(b)

CoahuilaPlatform

Kqt(m)

Kch

KubKubKmu

KapKap

ComanchePlatformKmu

Kgr

Kcu(u)/Kbn

Ksh

Kyr

Kcg

Kbm Kgr

Kmx

Stuart CityTrend

LlanoUplift

SabinasBasin

BisbeeBasin

VallesPlatform

ChihuahuaTrough

Khecananea high

AldamaPeninsula

KcoKam

Kac(u) = Upper AcatitaKqt(m) = Middle Quitman

Kap = Apache CanyonKch = Carbonate Hill

Kar(b) = basal AuroraKub = U-BarKam = AmuleKco = CocoraqueKgr = Glen RoseKcu(u) = Upper CuchilloKbn = Benigno

Kyu = YuccaKhe = HenselKcg = Cam pagrandeKyr = YearwoodKbm = Bluff MesaKsh = ShafterKmx = Maxon

Ktm(u) = Upper Tam aulipas

Paleogeographic Setting During the Early Albian Stage(Transgressive Upper Trinity Group Deposition)

(Bisbee Highstand)


Base of MiddleQuitman Fm

(Early Albian)

Eastern Slope


Upper Quitman Fm(Considered Early Albian)

MiddleQuitman Fm

(Early Albian)

Eastern Slope


Mayfield CanyonLooking North

MiddleQuitman Fm

(Early Albian)

Eastern Slope Looking South-Ammonite Site 1 (Scott’s 1940 M1 Site)


“Exogyra” quitmanensis from the Middle Quitman Fm


“Exogyra” quitmanensis from the Middle Quitman Fm


Echinoids (Pliotoxaster comanchei?) in the Middle Quitman Fm


Some Ammonites That Can Be Found at Mayfield Canyon

Dufrenoyia justinae (Hill, 1893) IGM-1631copyright J.A. Moreno-Bedmar

Douvilleiceras spathi Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34809copyright Texas Natural Science Center

“Trinitoceras” rex Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34801copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Rhytidoplites robertsi Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34825copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Hypacanthoplites bakeri Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34811copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Hypacanthoplites mayfieldensis Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34812 copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Quitmanites ceratitosus Scott, 1940 TMM BEG-34823copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Kazanskyella minima (Scott, 1940) TMM BEG-34827copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Hypacanthoplites cragini Scott, 1940 TMM WSA-14698 copyright Texas Natural Science Center

Hypacanthoplites (cragini?)from the Middle Quitman Fm


Hypacanthoplites (cragini?) from the Middle Quitman Fm


“Trinitoceras” (rex?) froma prominent limestone bed in the Middle Quitman Fm


Crushed Hypacanthoplites mayfieldensisin the Middle Quitman Fm


Quadratotrigonia sp. from the Middle Quitman Fm


Quadratotrigonia (mearnsi?) from the Middle Quitman Fm

(three or four other types of trigoniids were also found)


Red Bull Hill Area Looking East


Geologic Map of the Red Bull Hill Site (Scott’s 1940 M2 Site)


Scott’s 1940 M2 Site(p. 981)

x

Red BullHill

Ammonite Site 2

Middle Quitman Fm(Lower Albian)


Rastellums weathering outof the Middle Quitman Fm


Entrance to Goat Canyon

Sierra Cieneguilla

MexicoQuitman Moutains

Texas

Rio Grande River

Goat Canyon Looking South Southeast


Stratigraphic Cross-Section Across Goat Canyon

B

B'

B B’

GoatCanyon

CalvertCanyonCalvert

(Overturned)Syncline

Kfn(u) = Upper Finlay Limestone (Middle Albian)

Kfn(u)Kbe

KesKem

KbuKoj(l) Koj(u)

Kbe = Benevides Shale/Limestone (Late Middle to Late Albian)

Kes = Espy Shale/Limestone (Late Albian)

Kem = Eagle Mountains Limestone (Early Cenomanian)

Kbu = Buda Limestone (Early Cenomanian)

Koj(l) = Lower Ojinaga Shale/Limestone (Middle to Late Cenomanian)

Koj(u) Upper Ojinaga Shale/Limestone (Late Cenomanian to Campanian)

Calvert Syncline

DU

65

Qal

Ammonite Site3

Mid

dle

Albi

an

Late

Albi

an

Ceno

man

ian

Turo

nian

Redrawn from Reaser, 1974

Geologic Map of Goat Canyon


CoahuilaPlatform

Ktm(u)

Kac(u)

Kar(m)

KubKub

Ksc

Kcx/Kfn

Kmu

ComanchePlatform

VallesPlatform

Km u

Kwa/Ked/Kcp

Kch

Klg/Kfn

LlanoIslands

KdvKdc/Ktc

Kmk/Kwn

Ksg(l)/Kft

Stuart CityTrend

Kcx/Kfn

Kcx/Kfn

Kcx/Kfn

Kdc/Ktc

Kwa/Ked/Kcp

Kpa

MaverickBasin

SabinasBasin

BisbeeBasin Chihuahua

Trough

Ksc

cananea high

AldamaPeninsula

Kmu

Kmu

Kmu

Kmu

Ktm(u) = Upper Tamaulipas

Kac(u) = Upper AcatitaKar(m ) = middle Aurora

Kub = U-Bar

Ksc = Shellenberger Canyon

Kcx = CoxKmu = MuralKwa = WalnutKed = EdwardsKfn = FinlayKch = Carbonate HillKlg = Lagrima

Kmk = McKnightKwn = West Nueces

Kdc = Del CarmenKtc = Telephone CanyonKft = Fort TerrettKpa = Paluxy

Kac(u) = Upper Acatita

Paleogeographic Setting During the Middle Albian Stage(Transgressive Fredericksburg Group Deposition)


Paleogeographic Setting During the Upper Albian Stage (Washita Group Equivalent Deposition)

(Skull Creek Highstand-Opening of W. Int. SW.)copyright Keith Minor (see handout for complete references)

ComanchePlatform

KcnKmj

Kaur/Kcdc

Kbe/Kes

Kcn

Kmv/Kml/Kst/Kdn

Ksr

Kmj

LlanoIslands

KgtKboKsg(u)

Kse/Ksu

Kdv

Ksp

Stuart CityShelf Margin

CoahuilaPlatform

VallesPlatform

Ktm(u)

Ktm(u)

MaverickBasin

Central TexasPlatform

ChihuahuaTrough

Kcn

Kcn

Kcn

Kcn

Kbe = BenevidesKes = EspyKmv = Mesilla ValleyKml = MulerosKst = SmeltertownKdn = Del NorteKsr = SartenKgt = GeorgetownKbo = Boracho

Kdv = Devils River

Kse = Santa Elena

Ktm(u) = Upper Tam aulipasKsg(u) = Upper Segovia

Ksp = Salmon Peak

Ksu = Sue Peaks

(includes Levinson and San Martine Mem bers)

Kcdc(l) = Lower Cuesta del Cura

Kaur = AuroraKmj = MojadoKcn = Cintura

Trip to Goat Canyon

Calvert Canyon

(Overturned) Upper Ojinaga Fm (Turonian)


Calvert Canyon

Buda Limestone

Upper Ojinaga Fm (Turonian)

Brief Stop on East Side of

Calvert Canyon


Mortoniceras equidistans (gracile form) from the Upper Benevides Fm

Some Ammonites That Can Be Found at Goat Canyon

Eopachydiscus marcianus (Shumard, 1854) Heavily Ribbed Form, copyright William Jolley

Eopachydiscus marcianus (Shumard, 1854) Weakly Ribbed Form, copyright Keith Minor

Mortoniceras equidistans (Cragin, 1893) Weakly Ribbed Form, copyright William Jolley

Mortoniceras equidistans (Cragin, 1893) Heavily Ribbed Form, copyright William Jolley

Oxytropidoceras (Adkinsites) diazi Young, 1966copyright William Jolley

Oxytropidoceras (Oxytropidoceras) powelli (Young, 1966)copyright William Jolley

keel

rostrum

Elobiceras (Craginites) serratescens (Cragin, 1893)copyright William Jolley

Oxytropidoceras (Mirapelia) texanum (Young, 1966) TMM G-4126 copyright Texas Natural Science Center

These specimens are from the Goodland, Kiamichi, Duck Creek, and Fort Worth Formations, but these species were seen in Goat Canyon by the presenter.

Overturned Beds on the Western Slopeof Goat CanyonFinlay Limestone

(Middle Albian)

Lower Benevides Fm(Late Middle to Late Albian)

Upper Benevides Fm(Late Albian)

your Oxytropidoceras’s, Adkinsites’s, and Dipoloceras’s are up here!

your Mortoniceras’s andEopachydiscus’s are down here!


Upper Espy Fm(Late Albian)

Lower Espy Fm(Late Albian)

Upper Benevides Fm(Late Albian)

Overturned Beds on the Eastern Slope of

Goat Canyon


Mortoniceras equidistans (weakly ribbed form) from the

Upper Benevides Fm


Eopachydiscus marcianus (strongly ribbed form) from the

Upper Benevides Fmcopyright Keith Minor

Eopachydiscus marcianus (strongly ribbed form)

still in place in the Upper Benevides Fm


Stay off of my property!You damn Yankee!

JL is now an official Texan…


References:

Reaser, D.F.; Jones, B.R. 1970. Geology of Southern Quitman Mountains, Hudspeth County. Texas. Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, Geologic Quadrangle Map No. 39.

Reaser, D.F. 1974. Geology of Cieneguilla Area, Chihuahua and Texas. The University of Texas at Austin, PhD Thesis.

Scott, G. 1940. Cephalopods from the Cretaceous of the South-Central United States. The University of Texas at Austin, Publication No. 3945.

Young, K. 1974. Lower Albian and Aptian (Cretaceous) Ammonites of Texas. Geoscience and Man, vol. VIII, pp. 175-228.

Young, K. 1980. Ammonite Zones of Northern Chihuahua. New Mexico Geological Society, 20th Field Conference, pp. 97-101.

González-León, C.M.; Scott, R.W.; Löser, H.; Lawton, T.F.; Robert, E.; Valencia, V.A. 2008. Upper Aptian-Lower Albian Mural Formation: stratigraphy, biostratigraphy and depositional cycles on the Sonoran shelf, northern México. Cretaceous Research, vol. 29, pp. 249-266.

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Quitman Mountains Talk 090513