Bearpaw Formation
The Bearpaw Formation, also called the Bearpaw Shale, is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age. It outcrops in the U.S. state of Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and was named for the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana. It includes a wide range of marine fossils, as well as the remains of a few dinosaurs. It is known for its fossil ammonites, some of which are mined in Alberta to produce the organic gemstone ammolite.
| Bearpaw Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian, | |
Contact (red arrow) between the underlying marine shales of the Bearpaw Formation and the coastal Horseshoe Canyon Formation. | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Montana Group |
| Underlies | Horseshoe Canyon Formation, St. Mary River Formation, Eastend Formation, and others |
| Overlies | Dinosaur Park Formation, Judith River Formation |
| Thickness | Up to 350 meters (1,150 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Shale, claystone |
| Other | Siltstone, sandstone, concretionary beds |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 48°15′0″N 109°30′0″W |
| Region | Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana |
| Country | Canada, United States |
| Extent | Northern Montana to central Alberta and southern Saskatchewan |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Bear Paw Mountains, Montana |
| Named by | Hatcher and Stanton, 1903 |
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