PALEONTOLOGY AND GEOLOGY OF WASHINGTON

The Precambrian: Precambrian rocks exist only along the northeastern portion of the state. Since the Precambrian, huge amounts of crust have been added to the western edge of the North American continent.

All the land west of the Precambrian rocks has been created through complex tectonic processes along an active continental margin or transported from elsewhere and accreted onto the continent of this region.

Paleozoic: In the early Paleozoic, easternmost Washington was at the edge of a large ocean. Early Paleozoic fossiliferous sandstone, shales, and limestone were deposited along this ancient shoreline.

Other Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of Washington were transported as exotic terranes and accreted to the margin of the continent in the Mesozoic. These terranes contain unrelated slivers of Devonian-, Carboniferous-, and Permian-aged rocks, originally formed far from their present location.

Mesozoic: During the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, numerous blocks of exotic terranes were added to the western edge of the North American continent to form most of what we know as Washington state today. British Columbia and Oregon are also made up primarily of these terranes. Most of these terranes consist of narrow, banded,rock sequences, often overturned and formed far from their current location —much like a badly shuffled deck of cards.

They include volcanic island rocks and fossiliferous marine sediments that originated elsewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils occur in the north-central and northwestern part of the state. By the end of the Mesozoic, approximately two-thirds of the state was assembled.

Cenozoic: Cenozoic marine sediments make up the western part of Washington and were formed as the sea gradually retreated westwards. Marine fossiliferous sandstones and siltstone cover most of Washington west of the Cascades Mountains.

The Olympic Mountains consist of marine sedimentary rocks uplifted about 10 million years ago. The Cascade volcanic began in the mid-Cenozoic and has been active ever since. Continental sedimentary rocks are not common. Continental ice sheets covered the northern third of the state during the late Cenozoic, and alpine glaciers covered the Cascades and Olympic Mountains. Large and small mammals lived at the edge of the ice, and salmon swam up the rivers to ice-blocked dams.

From the paleontological portal: http://www.paleoportal.org/kiosk/sample_site/state_46.html

CHILD OF THE WILD WEST

FOSSIL HUNTRESS

SEAWEED BOUNTY

FINGERS AND TOES FOR SCALE

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

WEST COAST FISHER

ROCKIES: LIMESTONE CAP

EURYPTERUS LACUSTRIS

The impressive homeotype specimen of a Eurypterus lacustris duo hails from Late Silurian deposits of New York. These lovelies are now housed in UCMP Berkeley's paleontological collections.

About two dozen families of eurypterids “sea scorpions” are known from the fossil record. Although these ancient predators have a superficial similarity, including a defensive needle-like spike or telson at their tail end, they are not true scorpions.

They are an extinct group of arthropods related to spiders, ticks, mites and other extant creepy crawlies.

Eurypterids hunted fish in the muddy bottoms of warm shallow seas before moving on to hunting grounds in fresh and brackish water during the latter part of their reign.They declined in numbers and diversity until becoming extinct during the Permian–Triassic extinction event (or sometime shortly before) 251.9 million years ago. As to the oldest and youngest of the order, we can look to the Stylonurina. Members of the suborder are collectively and informally known as "stylonurine eurypterids" or "stylonurines". They are known from deposits primarily in Europe and North America, but also in Siberia.

Compared to the suborder, Eurypterina, the stylonurines were comparatively rare and retained their posterior prosomal appendages for walking. Despite their rarity, the stylonurines have the longest temporal range of the two suborders. The suborder contains some of the oldest known eurypterids, such as Brachyopterus, from the Middle Ordovician as well as the youngest known eurypterids, from the Late Permian. They remained rare throughout the Ordovician and Silurian, though the radiation of the mycteropoids (a group of large sweep-feeding forms) in the Late Devonian and Carboniferous is the last major radiation of the eurypterids before their extinction in the Permian.

FEATHER

LONE BEAUTY

WANNERIA DUNNAE: EAGER FORMATION

BIBIONIDAE OR MARCH FLIES

March flies are also known as love bugs or tumble bugs and are still common today, although they are usually found in warmer climates than that of BC.

During the Eocene, approximately 40-60 million years ago, the climate in the Princeton area of British Columbia, where these specimens were found was warmer than it is now.

SEA OTTER

VARGAS ISLAND

LONG HOUSE :: HUNT MEMORIAL POTLATCH

POPPY FIELDS A GO GO

Vancouver Paleontological Society

The Vancouver Paleontological Society is a group of professional and amateur fossil enthusiasts who generally meet at 8PM the 4th Thursday of every month at the Vancouver Museum/Planetarium, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

We host colorful, thought provoking slide shows & lectures related to geology and paleontology with a bit of natural history, travel log and local lore. We hold fossil field trips for members from March to October that take us out to great sites in British Columbia and beyond. This year we had trips to the Interior of BC, Vancouver Island, Castle Peak, high in the rockies and a few easy daytrips to sites near Harrison Lake and Princeton. Field trips are free (except for your gas, food, etc) and range from easy, family oriented, no hike day trips to weeklong trips that require a greater degree of fitness and skill All lectures are free and open to the public.

Field trip participation requires membership ($35/year for an individual or a family). You are welcome to become a member of the Facebook VanPS site if you are a BCPA member in good standing. If you 'd like to join one of the regional societies go to http://www.bcfossils.ca/

If you'd like to learn more about the Vancouver Paleontological Society visit www.vcn.bc.ca/vanpsFor more information e-mail: fossilhuntress@hotmail.co.uk or fossilhuntress@rogers.blackberry.net

CRYSTAL LIGHT BOX

TASEKO BASE CAMP :: FOSSIL FIELD TRIP

INOCERAMUS CLAMS

These oyster-like clams were common through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The presence of certain fossil Inoceramus species allows geologists to date specific formations. The entire group went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous, as did the ammonites and the dinosaurs. This specimen from Hornby Island is approximately 67 million years old. It was found a perfect sunny day while collecting with Graham Beard, author of West Coast Fossils and Chair of the Vancouver Island Museum Paleontological Society. Graham has a keen eye and knack for finding the best specimens on the island. Visit his collection at the Qualicum Museum on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is well worth the trip!

AMMONITE GLORY