View source for White River Formation

{{Infobox rockunit
| name           = White River Formation
| image          =
| caption        =
| type           = [[Formation (stratigraphy)|Formation]]
| age            = [[Eocene]]-[[Oligocene]]
| period         = Paleogene
| prilithology   = [[Tuff]]aceous [[claystone]], [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]]<ref>[https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=WYTwr%3B0 USGS: White River Formation]</ref>
| otherlithology = 
| namedfor       =  [[White River (Missouri River)|White River]]<br>([[Missouri River]] tributary)
| namedby        =
| region         = [[Colorado]],<br>[[Nebraska]],<br>[[South Dakota]],<br>[[Wyoming]] 
| country        = [[United States]]
| coordinates    =
| unitof         =
| subunits       =[[Brule Formation]],<br>[[Chadron Formation]]  <ref name=donaldprothero>[http://www.donaldprothero.com/files/47440344.pdf  DonaldProthero.com: "Eocene-Oligocene climatic change in North America: the White River Formation"]</ref>
| underlies      = 
| overlies       = [[Pierre Shale]]
| thickness      = {{convert|230|-|300|m|ft}} <ref>[http://www.douglasfossils.com/paleo_geo3.html  DouglasFossils.com: Paleontology and Geology of The White River Formation]</ref>
| extent         =
| area           =
| map            =
| map_caption    =
}}

The '''White River Formation''' is a [[Formation (geology)|geologic formation]] of the [[Paleogene]] [[Period (geology)|Period]], in the northern [[Great Plains]] and central [[Rocky Mountains]], within the [[United States]]. 

It has been found in northeastern [[Colorado]], [[Dawes County, Nebraska|Dawes County]] in western [[Nebraska]], [[South Dakota Badlands|Badlands]] of western [[South Dakota]], and [[Douglas, Wyoming|Douglas]] area of southeastern [[Wyoming]]. <ref name=donaldprothero/>

==Fossil record==
{{For|the formation's prehistoric animals|Category: White River Fauna}}
The geologic formation preserves [[fossils]] dating back to the [[Eocene]] and [[Oligocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|Epoch]]s of the Paleogene Period, during the [[Cenozoic Era]].  <ref>{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database|url= http://www.fossilworks.org/|accessdate= 8 July 2014}}</ref>  It contains the most complete [[Late Eocene]]−[[Priabonian]] and [[Early Oligocene]]−[[Rupelian]] vertebrate record in North America. <ref name=donaldprothero/> <ref>[http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1208&context=tnas    DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: "Preliminary Biostratigraphy of the White River Group (Chadron and Brule Formations) in the Vicinity of Chadron, Nebraska"], by Eric Paul Gustafson, January 1986.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Geology|Paleontology|Paleogene|South Dakota}}
* {{C|White River Fauna|White River Formation prehistoric fauna}}
* [[Chadronian]] — [[Priabonian]], Rupelian
* [[Orellan]] — [[Rupelian]]

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}


[[Category:White River Fauna| 01]]
[[Category:Paleogene United States]]
[[Category:Eocene paleontological sites of North America]]
[[Category:Oligocene paleontological sites of North America]]
[[Category:Paleogene Colorado]]
[[Category:Paleogene geology of Nebraska]]
[[Category:Paleogene geology of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Paleogene geology of Wyoming]]
[[Category:Eocene United States]]
[[Category:Priabonian]]
[[Category:Rupelian]]
[[Category:Geology of the Rocky Mountains]]
[[Category:Great Plains]]
[[Category:Paleontology in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Wyoming]]

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