The Geological History of PlantsDawson, John William, Sir
Science
The Geological History of Plants
Dawson, John William, Sir
Paleobotany
On the geological map of Canada the Laramie series, formerly known as
the lignitic or lignite Tertiary, occurs, with the exception of a few
outliers, in two large areas west of the 100th meridian, and separated
from each other by a tract of older Cretaceous rocks, over which the
Laramie beds may have extended, before the later denudation of the region.
The most eastern of these areas, that of the Souris River and Wood
Mountain, extends for some distance along the United States boundary,
between the 102d and 109th meridians, and reaches northward to about
thirty miles south of the "elbow" of the South Saskatchewan River, which
is on the parallel of 51° north. In this area the lowest beds of the
Laramie are seen to rest on those of the Fox Hill group of the Upper
Cretaceous, and at one point on the west they are overlaid by beds of
Miocene Tertiary age, observed by Mr. McConnell, of the Geological
Survey, in the Cypress Hills, and referred by Cope, on the evidence of
mammalian remains, to the White River division of the United States
geologists, which is regarded by them as Lower Miocene.[DT] The age of
the Laramie beds is thus stratigraphically determined to be between the
Fox Hill Cretaceous and the Lower Miocene. They are also undoubtedly
continuous with the Fort Union group of the United States geologists on
the other side of the international boundary, and they contain similar
fossil plants. They are divisible into two groups--a lower, mostly
argillaceous, and to which the name of "Bad Lands beds" may be given,
from the "bad lands" of Wood Mountain, where they are well exposed, and
an upper, partly arenaceous member, which may be named the Souris River
or Porcupine Creek division. In the lower division are found reptilian
remains of Upper Cretaceous type, with some fish remains more nearly
akin to those of the Eocene.[DU] Neither division has as yet afforded
mammalian remains.
[DT] "Report of the Geological Survey of Canada," 1885.
[DU] Cope, in Dr. G. M. Dawson's "Report on the 49th Parallel."
The western area is of still larger dimensions, and extends along the
eastern base of the Rocky Mountains from the United States boundary
to about the 55th parallel of latitude, and stretches eastward to the
111th meridian. In this area, and more especially in its southern part,
the officers of the Geological Survey of Canada have recognised three
divisions, as follows: (1) The Lower Laramie or St. Mary River series,
corresponding in its character and fossils to the Lower or Bad Lands
division of the other area. (2) A middle division, the Willow Creek beds,
consisting of clays, mostly reddish, and not recognised in the other
area. (3) The Upper Laramie or Porcupine Hills division, corresponding
in fossils, and to some extent in mineral character, to the Souris River
beds of the eastern area.
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