Pysht Formation Explained

The Pysht Formation is a geologic formation in Washington (state). It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period, which appear to have been deposited in an offshore marine environment. Outcrops are present on the northern Olympic Peninsula, in Clallam County.^[1]

Fossil content

Based on the Paleobiology Database:^[2]

Mammals

Mammals of the Pysht Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
cf. Allodesmus	A. sp.			A desmatophocid pinniped.
Behemotops	B. proteus			The most basal knowndesmostylian. Type locality for genus and species.
Borealodon	B. oseax			A stem-baleen whale. Type locality for genus and species.[3]
Fucaia	F. goedertorum			An aetiocetid baleen whale.
?Kronokotherium	K. sp.			A desmostylian.
Olympicetus	O. avitus		Two partial skulls belonging to a juvenile and a neonate, including part of the dentition and a tympanic bulla	A simocetid toothed whale. Type locality for genus and species.[4] [5]
	O. thalassodon		Posterior part of skull
Pinnarctidion	P. iverseni		A nearly complete skull and limited postcrania (SDSNH 146624).[6]	A pan-pinniped.
Sitsqwayk	S. cornishorum		Partial skull, tympanic bullae, mandibles and postcrania.[7]	An basal baleen whale. Type locality for genus and species.

Birds

Birds of the Pysht Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Klallamornis	K. buchanani			A plotopterid suliform.[8]
Tonsala	T. hildegardae			A plotopterid suliform.[9]

Crustaceans

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Washington (state)
• Paleontology in Washington (state)

References

• Web site: Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database. ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database)). 17 December 2021.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Geolex — Pysht publications . 2024-11-19 . ngmdb.usgs.gov.
2. Web site: Czaplewski . John J. . PBDB Navigator . 2024-11-19 . paleobiodb.org . en.
3. Shipps . B. K. . Peredo . Carlos Mauricio . Pyenson . Nicholas D. . 2019 . Borealodon osedax, a new stem mysticete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Oligocene of Washington State and its implications for fossil whale-fall communities . Royal Society Open Science . en . 6 . 7 . 182168 . 10.1098/rsos.182168 . 2054-5703 . 6689636 . 31417706.
4. Velez-Juarbe . J. . 2017 . A new stem odontocete from the late Oligocene Pysht Formation in Washington State, U.S.A. . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 37 . 5 . e1366916 . 2017JVPal..37E6916V . 10.1080/02724634.2017.1366916 . 90151706.
5. Velez-Juarbe . J. . 2023 . New heterodont odontocetes from the Oligocene Pysht Formation in Washington State, U.S.A., and a reevaluation of Simocetidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti) . PeerJ . 11 . e15576 . 10.7717/peerj.15576 . 10292202 . 37377790 . free.
6. Everett . Christopher J. . Deméré . Thomas A. . Wyss . André R. . 2023-03-23 . A new species of Pinnarctidion from the Pysht Formation of Washington State (U.S.A.) and a phylogenetic analysis of basal pan-pinnipeds (Eutheria, Carnivora) . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 42 . 3 . e2178930 . 10.1080/02724634.2023.2178930 . 257731013 . 0272-4634.
7. Peredo . Carlos Mauricio . Uhen . Mark D. . 2016-11-01 . A new basal chaeomysticete (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene Pysht Formation of Washington, USA . Papers in Palaeontology . en . 2 . 4 . 533–554 . 10.1002/spp2.1051 . 2056-2802.
8. Mayr . G. . Goedert . J. L. . 2016 . Eocene and Oligocene remains of the flightless, penguin-like plotopterids (Aves, Plotopteridae) from Western Washington State . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 36 . 4 . 1–18 . 2016JVPal..36E3573M . 10.1080/02724634.2016.1163573 . 88129671.
9. Olson . S. L. . 1980 . A new genus of penguin-like pelecaniform bird from the Oligocene of Washington (Pelecaniformes : Plotopteridae) . Contributions in Science . 330 . 51–57 . 10.5962/p.208144 . 4803730 . free.
10. Fraaije . R. . January 2006 . Two new Paleogene species of mud shrimp (Crustacea, Decapoda, Upogebiidae) from Europe and North America . Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum . 33 . 81–89.