Earth:Cuchara Formation

Short description: Geologic formation in Colorado, US

Cuchara Formation Stratigraphic range: Wasatchian ~55.8–50 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Along Highway 12 just north of La Veta
Type	Formation
Location
Coordinates
Paleocoordinates	[ ⚑ ] 42.2°N 89.4°W / 42.2; -89.4
Region	Colorado
Country	United States
Extent	Raton Basin

The Cuchara Formation is a geologic formation in Colorado. It preserves fossils dating back to the Ypresian stage of the Eocene period, or Wasatchian in the NALMA classification.

Fossil content

The following fossils have been reported from the formation:

Mammals

Ferae

• Didymictis sp.

Perissodactyla

• Hyracotherium sp.

Placentalia

• Phenacodus intermedius

Wasatchian correlations

Wasatchian correlations in North America

Basin	Powder River Uinta Piceance Colorado Plateau Wind River Green River Bighorn	Piceance	Colorado Plateau	Wind River	Green River	Bighorn		Williston	Okanagan	Princeton	Buck Creek	Nechako	Sverdrup	Potomac	GoM	Laguna Salada	Rio Grande	North Park	Raton	Galisteo	San Juan	Cuchara Formation (North America)
Country	United States								Canada					United States		Mexico	United States
Copelemur	14px	14px					14px														14px
Coryphodon	14px	14px		14px			14px	14px					14px		14px		14px			14px	14px
Diacodexis	14px	14px			14px		14px	14px								14px					14px
Homogalax	14px	14px		14px			14px	14px						14px						14px
Oxyaena	14px	14px					14px									14px					14px
Paramys	14px	14px		14px	14px		14px	14px					14px				14px				14px
Primates	10px			10px			10px						10px				10px			10px	10px
Birds	10px								10px	10px			10px	10px
Reptiles	10px		10px					10px					10px	10px		10px					10px
Fish	10px		10px					10px		10px			10px	10px		10px
Insects								10px	10px	10px	10px	10px						10px
Flora	10px					10px	10px	10px	10px	10px				10px		10px		10px
Environments	Alluvial-fluvio-lacustrine	Fluvial				Fluvial	Fluvio-lacustrine	Fluvial	Lacustrine		Fluvio-lacustrine		Deltaic-paludal	Shallow marine		Fluvial	Shallow marine	Fluvial		Fluvial		Wasatchian volcanoclastics 8px Wasatchian fauna Wasatchian flora
Volcanic	Yes	No							Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No						Yes	No

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Colorado
• Paleontology in Colorado

References

Bibliography

• Robinson, P. 1963. University of Colorado Studies, .. 1;