Biostratigraphy of Tertiary rocks in Cuyama Basin, Southern California

This thesis tabulates Miocene macrofossils from the Vaqueros and Hurricane Deck Formations that crop out in the Cuyama Badlands, Sierra Madre, and Caliente Range. Geologic ranges of macrofossils from the Vaqueros and Hurricane Deck Formations and from Vedder and Smith data are plotted to show different biozones of turritellids and pectinids. Lyropecten miguelensis extends throughout the Vaqueros Formation in the Sierra Madre. Aequipecten andersoni and Amusium lompocensis are found in the upper part of the Hurricane Deck Formation. This analysis found that the Macrochiamis magnoiia biozone overiaps the lower geologic ranges of Lyropecten miguelensis and Vertipecten bowersi in the Sierra Madre. Amussiopecten vanlecki, Chlamys hertleini, Chlamys sespeensis, and Macrochlamis magnolia are the oldest taxa in the three areas studied: Cuyama Badlands, Sierra Madre and Caliente Range. The environment of deposition is interpreted as a regressive sea in which the Painted Rock Sandstone Member was deposited.