{{Short description|Sediment formation in Washington, United States}} {{Infobox rockunit | name = Ringold Formation | image = File:Columbia River at Hanford Reach.jpg | caption = The Columbia River flowing through the Ringold Formation. | type = Formation | age = Late Miocene-Pliocene, 8.5–3 Ma {{fossilrange|8.5|3|}} | period = Pliocene | prilithology = | otherlithology = | namedfor = Ringold Post Office<ref name=Name /> | namedby = John C. Merriam, John P. Buwalda<ref name=GeologicMap /> | region = Washington (state) | country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|46.667|N|119.436|W}}<ref name=WTA>{{cite web| url=https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/white-bluffs-south | title=White Bluffs South | author=David Hagen | publisher=Washington Trails Association | accessdate=2019-12-19}}</ref> | unitof = | subunits = | underlies = Deposits from Missoula Floods | overlies = Columbia River Basalt Group | thickness = {{convert|1000|ft|m}}<ref name=Paleontology /> | extent = | area = | map = | map_caption = }}
The '''Ringold Formation''' is a geological formation in Eastern Washington, United States. The formation consists of sediment laid down by the Columbia River following the flood basalt eruptions of the Columbia River Basalt Group, and reaches up to {{convert|1000|ft|m}} thick in places.<ref name=Saddle>{{cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hanford_Reach/Geology/River.html | title=Columbia River | publisher=United States Fish and Wildlife Service |accessdate=2019-12-19}}</ref><ref name=Paleontology>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/national-monument/hanford-reach/geology|title=Paleontology - Hanford Reach| publisher=United States Fish and Wildlife Service |accessdate=2024-11-01}}</ref> It preserves fossils dating back to the late Miocene and Pliocene epochs of the Neogene period.<ref>{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org/|access-date= 17 December 2021|archive-date= 25 March 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220325060448/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=home|url-status= dead}}</ref>
Exposures of the Ringold Formation can be found from Hanford Reach National Monument north to the Moses Lake area.<ref name=GeologicMap>{{cite web|url=https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_gm45_geol_map_se_wa_250k.pdf |title=Geologic Map of Washington - Southeast Quadrant |author1=J. ERIC SCHUSTER |author2=CHARLES W. GULICK |author3=STEPHEN P. REIDEL |author4=KARL R. FECHT |author5=STEPHANIE ZURENKO |publisher=Washington State Department of Natural Resources |date=1997 |accessdate=2019-12-20}}</ref> Large portions of the formation are buried by other sediment deposits, extending as far as Wallula Gap southeast of Kennewick.<ref name=MinesandGeology /> In recent years, irrigation water entering the groundwater system has destabilized some Ringold Formation slopes and cliffs, causing landslides.<ref name=Reach /> The formation was named in 1917 for a school of the same name that existed at the time. Ringold School was located on the Franklin County side of the Columbia River to the south of Savage Island.<ref name=Name>{{cite book|title=Age of strata referred to the Ellensburgh formation in the White Bluffs of the Columbia River |author1=John C. Merriam |author2=John P. Buwalda |publisher=University of California |date=1917}}</ref><ref>{{cite map|title=Hanford Quadrangle |author=C.P. McKinley |url=http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/washington/txu-pclmaps-topo-wa-hanford-1922.jpg |scale=1:62,500 |publisher=United States Geological Survey |year=1922 |accessdate=2019-12-20}}</ref>
==Geology== During the flood basalt eruptions before the sediments were laid down, the Columbia River followed a different route than it does today, taking it near the present-day sites of Yakima and Goldendale. North-to-south compression of the Columbia Plateau caused anticline folds like Rattlesnake Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills to rise.
These ridges provided geographic barriers, rerouting the river eastward toward the Tri-Cities with it eventually flowing through Wallula Gap. During part of this period, the Columbia River was completely dammed leading to the development of a large lake covering the Yakima Valley and southern Columbia Basin. The Ringold Formation is the sediment laid down during the period of the lake's existence and while the route of the river was changing.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Staisch |first=Lydia M. |last2=O'Connor |first2=Jim E. |last3=Cannon |first3=Charles M. |last4=Holm-Denoma |first4=Chris |last5=Link |first5=Paul K. |last6=Lasher |first6=John |last7=Alexander |first7=Jeremy A. |date=2021 |title=Major reorganization of the Snake River modulated by passage of the Yellowstone Hotspot |url=https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/g351/2021_Staisch_SnakeYHS%20copy.pdf |journal=GSA Bulletin |publisher=Geological Society of America}}</ref>
Some of the sediments found as part of the formation may have been sourced from ancestral versions of other Pacific Northwest rivers like the Clearwater and Pend Oreille.<ref name=Paleontology /> Layers of volcanic ash can also be found, with thicknesses ranging from being barely noticeable to {{convert|4|ft|m}} thick.<ref name=MinesandGeology>{{cite web|url=https://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_reprint1_ringold_formation.pdf |title=RINGOLD FORMATION OF PLEISTOCENE AGE IN TYPE LOCALITY, THE WHITE BLUFFS, WASHINGTON |author=R. C. Newcomb |publisher=Washington State Department of Natural Resources |date=1958 |accessdate=2019-12-20}}</ref>
===Stratigraphy=== The Ringold Formation represents sand and gravel placed by the Columbia River between around 8.5 and 3 million years ago. These deposits overlay cooled lava erupted as part of the Columbia River Basalt Group, a type of volcanic eruption known as flood basalts erupting from fissures across eastern Washington and Oregon that were unrelated to the Cascade Range.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cvo_columbia_river_basalt.html |title=Columbia River Basalt Group Stretches from Oregon to Idaho |publisher=United States Geological Survey |accessdate=2019-12-19 |archive-date=2020-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113182530/https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cvo_columbia_river_basalt.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is covered in places by deposits from the Missoula Floods.
Regional uplift caused the Columbia to erode parts of the Ringold Formation. The White Bluffs on Hanford Reach National Monument are a significant example of this.<ref name=Saddle />
===Recent landslides=== thumbnail|Sand dunes on top of White Bluffs. The material in this small dune field is from a nearby landslide.Landslides along the Columbia River have increased in recent years due to irrigation around Basin City and Othello. Irrigation water enters and flows through the groundwater system toward the river easily through deposits left by the Missoula Floods. This destabilizes Ringold Formation features like the White Bluffs, causing the landslides.<ref name=Reach>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitthereach.org/a-geological-paradise/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220053833/https://www.visitthereach.org/a-geological-paradise/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |title=A Geological Paradise |publisher=Reach Museum |accessdate=2019-12-19}}</ref> Landslides did not occur frequently before 1960. Rapid changes in river flow caused by the Priest Rapids Dam upstream may also contribute to slope destabilization.<ref name=Slide />
The largest landslide in the White Bluffs portion of the formation is adjacent to Locke Island. This complex, initiated in the 1970s, has rerouted the Columbia River. As a result of the change, critical salmon spawning habitat has been destroyed. The landslide restricts the flow of the river on the east side of the river and as a result, large portions of Locke Island are being removed by the Columbia River. Movement of this landslide is ongoing, but the primary factor behind the continued movement is destabilization by the Columbia River eroding the fallen material. Blown sand from this landslide is the primary source material for sand dunes atop the bluffs near the island.<ref name=PNNL>{{cite web|url=https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-15941.pdf |title=Past, Present, Future Erosion at Locke Island |author=B. N. Bjornstad |publisher=Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |date=2006 |accessdate=2019-12-20}}</ref><ref name=Reach />
The Locke Island slide is the northernmost slide along the White Bluffs. There are at least five other major slides into the Columbia River, with the southernmost one being across the river from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in north Richland, which occurred in 2008. At least one slide has occurred in nearby coulees.<ref name=Slide>{{cite web|url=https://12c2f97e-e9de-9620-eeb5-c0d53388ee06.filesusr.com/ugd/12afd0_7660a9179e4731665eb815ae8ce92c95.pdf |title=Hydrogeologic Controls and Impacts of Quaternary Landslides Along the White Bluffs of the Columbia River, South-Central Washington |author1=Bruce N. Bjornstad |author2=Robert E. Peterson |publisher=Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |accessdate=2019-12-20}}</ref>
== Paleobiota == {{paleobiota-key-compact}}
=== Mammals === The mammal fossils of the Ringold Formation are divided into several local faunas, from youngest to oldest:
* '''Taunton local fauna''' (Blancan III NALMA, chron C2An.1r of the mid-Pliocene, ~3.05 million years old)<ref name=":52">{{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Christopher J. |chapter=7. The Blancan, Irvingtonian, and Rancholabrean Mammal Ages |date=2004-04-21 |title=Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Mammals of North America: Biostratigraphy and Geochronology |pages=232–314 |editor-last=Woodburne |editor-first=Michael O. |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263425514 |access-date= |publisher=Columbia University Press |language=en |doi=10.7312/wood13040-009 |isbn=978-0-231-50378-5 |last2=Lundelius |first2=Ernest L. |last3=Barnosky |first3=Anthony D. |last4=Graham |first4=Russell W. |last5=Lindsay |first5=Everett H. |last6=Ruez |first6=Dennis R. |last7=Semken |first7=Holmes A. |last8=Webb |first8=S. David |last9=Zakrzewski |first9=Richard J. |url-access=}}</ref> * '''Blufftop local fauna''' (Blancan II NALMA, mid-Pliocene, ~4.3 million years old)<ref name=":52" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite journal |last=Ruez |first=Dennis R. |date=2009 |title=Revision of the Blancan (Pliocene) mammals from Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263425141 |journal=Journal of the Idaho Academy of Sciences |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=1–143}}</ref> * '''White Bluffs local fauna''' (Blancan I NALMA, chrons C3n.3r or C3n.2r of the early Pliocene, 4.98–4.62 million years old)<ref name=":52" /><ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=May 2015 |title=Bassariscus from the Early Pliocene of Washington |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280533200 |journal=Northwest Science |volume=89 |issue=2 |pages=129–135 |doi=10.3955/046.089.0204 |issn=0029-344X |url-access=}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=2015 |title=An early Pliocene North American deer: Bretzia pseudalces, its osteology, biology, and place in cervid history |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279061548 |journal=Bulletin of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon |volume=25}}</ref> * '''River Road local fauna''' (late Hemphillian NALMA, latest Miocene or earliest Pliocene)<ref name=":52" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=1985 |title=Soricids (Mammalia, Insectivora) from the Blufftop Local Fauna, Blancan Ringold Formation of Central Washington, and the correlation of Ringold Formation faunas |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254313495 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=88–92 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1985.10011846 |issn=0272-4634}}</ref>
==== Artiodactyla ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Artiodactyls of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |Antilocapridae | |White Bluffs<ref name=":8" /> |Indeterminate pronghorns. | |- |† ''Bretzia<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Fry |first=Willis E. |last2=Gustafson |first2=Eric Paul |date=1974 |title=Cervids from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Central Washington |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=375–386 |jstor=1303258}}</ref>'' |† ''B. pseudalces<ref name=":3" />'' |White Bluffs |A very common capreoline deer with palmate antlers similar to moose. One of the earliest deer in North America.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=1985 |title=Antlers of Bretzia and Odocoileus (Mammalia, Cervidae) and the Evolution of New World Deer |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278328519 |journal=Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences |volume=8 |pages=83-92}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> | |- |† ''Camelops'' |† ''C.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Morgan |first=James K. |last2=Morgan |first2=Neil H. |date=1995-03-14 |title=A New Species of <i>Capromeryx</i> (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) From the Taunton Local Fauna of Washington, and the Correlation with Other Blancan Faunas of Washington and Idaho |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1995.10011215 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=160–170 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1995.10011215 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4523614|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |A large camel. | |- |† ''Capromeryx'' |† ''C. tauntonensis<ref name=":7" />'' |Taunton |An antilocaprid (pronghorn). Later ''Capromeryx'' species were quite small, but this early species was only slightly smaller than living pronghorns.''<ref name=":7" />'' | |- |Cervidae | |Blufftop,<ref name=":0" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |Indeterminate deer. Some Taunton fossils are similar to ''Odocoileus'' (mule deer and kin) and ''Rangifer'' (reindeer).<ref name=":7" /> | |- |† ''Hemiauchenia'' |† ''H. blancoensis'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=1978 |title=The Vertebrate Faunas of the Pliocene Ringold Formation, South-Central Washington |url=https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/items/6ca2d93a-56f9-4f52-abec-10ab3444da05 |journal=Bulletin of the Museum of Natural History, University of Oregon |volume=23}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A common lamine camelid (related to llamas, alpacas, and kin). | |- |† ''Megatylopus'' |† ''M.'' sp. aff. ''M. gigas'' |River Road,<ref name=":5" /> White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A common large camel, either ''M. gigas''<ref name=":8" /> or ''M. cochrani''.<ref name=":5" /> | |- | rowspan="2" |† ''Platygonus'' |† ''P. pearcei'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> | rowspan="2" |A common flat-headed peccary. | |- |† ''P.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | |}
==== Carnivora ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Carnivorans of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |''Bassariscus'' |''B. astutus'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":13" /> Taunton<ref name=":13" /> |The living ringtail, a species of procyonid (raccoon-like mammals). |center|150x150px |- | rowspan="2" |† ''Borophagus'' |† ''B. diversidens'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite journal |last=Wang |first=Xiaoming |last2=Tedford |first2=Richard R. |last3=Taylor |first3=Beryl E. |date=1999 |title=Phylogenetic Systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora: Canidae) |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1288&context=museummammalogy |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=243}}</ref> | rowspan="2" |A very large borophagine (bone-crushing dog). | |- |† ''B. hilli'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":16" /><ref name=":8" /> | |- |† ''Buisnictis'' |† ''B.'' cf. ''breviramus'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |A skunk. | |- |''Canis'' |† ''C. lepophagus'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |A coyote-like canine. | |- |† ''Chasmaporthetes'' |† ''C. ossifragus'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":8" /> |A long-limbed hyena. | |- |† ''Dinofelis'' |cf. † ''D. paleoonca'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A possible machairodontine (saber-toothed cat). | |- |† ''Eucyon'' |† ''E. davisi'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A coyote-like canine, previously classified as a species of ''Canis''. | |- |''"Felis"'' |''F.'' sp.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |White Bluffs, Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A cougar-sized cat, probably the same as ''Puma lacustris'' or ''"Lynx rexroadensis''".<ref name=":15" /> | |- |cf. † ''Homotherium'' |cf. † ''H.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A relatively small machairodontine (saber-toothed cat).<ref name=":5" /> | |- |† ''Huracan<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last=Jiangzuo |first=Qigao |last2=Flynn |first2=John J. |last3=Wang |first3=Shiqi |last4=Hou |first4=Sukuan |last5=Deng |first5=Tao |date=2023-03-14 |title=New Fossil Giant Panda Relatives (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae): A Basal Lineage of Gigantic Mio-Pliocene Cursorial Carnivores |url=https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2023/issue-3996/3996.1/New-Fossil-Giant-Panda-Relatives-Ailuropodinae-Ursidae--A-Basal/10.1206/3996.1.full |journal=American Museum Novitates |volume=2023 |issue=3996 |doi=10.1206/3996.1 |issn=0003-0082}}</ref>'' |† ''H.'' cf. ''schneideri'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=James E. |date=2013 |title=A late occurrence of the bear Agriotherium from the Blancan ringold formation in southeastern Washington |url=https://sdaos.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2013/123-126.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science |volume=92 |pages=123–126}}</ref> |A large ailuropodine (panda-like) bear, previously considered a species of ''Agriotherium''.<ref name=":2" /> One of the last surviving ailuropodine bears in North America.<ref name=":10" /> | |- |''Lynx'' |''L''. cf. ''rufus'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A possible bobcat. |center|150x150px |- |''Mustela'' |† ''M.'' cf. ''rexroadensis'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |A weasel. | |- |† ''Parailurus'' |† ''P.'' sp. |Taunton<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tedford |first=R. H. |last2=Gustafson |first2=E. P. |date=1977 |title=First North American record of the extinct panda Parailurus |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/265621a0 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=265 |issue=5595 |pages=621–623 |doi=10.1038/265621a0 |issn=1476-4687|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":7" /> |A large ailurid (red panda-like mammal). | |- | rowspan="2" |† ''Plionarctos'' |† ''P. harroldorum<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal |last1=Tedford |first1=Richard H. |last2=and Martin |first2=James |date=2001-07-20 |title=Plionarctos, a tremarctine bear (Ursidae: Carnivora) from western North America |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=311–321 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0311:PATBUC]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=20061955}}</ref>'' |White Bluffs''<ref name=":12" />''<ref name=":15" /> | rowspan="2" |A tremarctine (short-faced bear) which was probably ancestral to later tremarctines.''<ref name=":12" />'' Fossils of this species were previously identified as ''Ursus abstrusus'' or ''Tremarctos floridanus''.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7" />''<ref name=":12" />'' | rowspan="2" | |- |† ''P.'' cf. ''harroldorum'' |Taunton''<ref name=":12" />'' |- |† ''Pliotaxidea'' |† ''P.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":8" /> |An American badger-like mustelid. | |- |''Procyon''? |''P.?'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A possible raccoon. | |- |† ''Satherium'' |† ''S. piscinarium'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |An otter. | |- |''Spilogale'' |''S.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A spotted skunk. | |- |''Taxidea'' |''T.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |An American badger. | |- |† ''Trigonictis'' |† ''T. cookii'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":15" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |An ictonychine (grison-like mustelid). ''T. cookii'' may represent small individuals of ''T. macrodon''.<ref name=":8" /> | |}
==== Lagomorpha ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Lagomorphs of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |† ''Alilepus'' |† ''A. vagus'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=White |first=John A. |last2=Morgan |first2=Neil H. |date=1995-06-13 |title=The Leporidae (Mammalia, Lagomorpha) from the Blancan (Pliocene) Taunton Local Fauna of Washington |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1995.10011235 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=366–374 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1995.10011235 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4523636|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |A rabbit. | |- | rowspan="4" |† ''Hypolagus'' |† ''H. edensis'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" /> | rowspan="4" |A rabbit. | |- |† ''H. furlongi'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" /> | |- |† ''H. gidleyi'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" /> | |- |† ''H. ringoldensis''<ref name=":5" /> |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | |- |Leporidae | |Blufftop<ref name=":0" /> |An indeterminate rabbit or hare. | |- | rowspan="2" |† ''Nekrolagus'' |† ''N. progressus'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> | rowspan="2" |A rabbit. | |- |† ''N.?'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":9" /> | |}
==== Perissodactyla ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Perissodactyls of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |† ''Aphelops'' |† ''A.'' cf. ''mutilus'' | |An aceratheriine rhinoceros, the oldest mammal in the formation.<ref name=":14">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric P. |date=2012 |title=New records of rhinoceroses from the Ringold Formation of central Washington and the Hemphillian-Blancan boundary |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254315133 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=727–731 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2012.658481 |issn=0272-4634}}</ref> | |- | rowspan="2" |''Equus'' |† ''Equus francescana'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":8" /> |A zebra-like horse similar to the Hagerman horse.<ref name=":5" /> Sometimes classified as ''Dolichohippus'' or ''Plesippus''. | |- |† ''Equus simplicidens'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A zebra-like Hagerman horse.<ref name=":5" /> Sometimes classified as ''Dolichohippus'' or ''Plesippus''. |center|150x150px |- |''Tapirus'' |''T.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":8" /> |A tapir. | |- |† ''Teleoceras'' |† ''T. hicksi'' |River Road,<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=1977 |title=First record of Teleoceras (Rhinocerotidae) from the Ringold Formation, Pliocene of Washington |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278328438 |journal=PaleoBios |volume=27 |pages=1-4}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> White Bluffs<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":8" /> |A teleoceratin aceratheriine rhinoceros. | |}
==== Pilosa ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Pilosans of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- | rowspan="2" |† ''Megalonyx'' |† ''M. leptostomus'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |A megalonychid ground sloth. | |- |† ''M. rohrmanni'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> |A fairly common megalonychid ground sloth.<ref name=":5" /> | |}
==== Proboscidea ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Proboscideans of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |† ''Mammut'' |† ''M. americanum'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |The oldest known fossils of the American mastodon. |center|150x150px |}
==== Rodentia ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Rodents of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |''Ammospermophilus'' |† ''A. hanfordi''<ref name=":5" /> |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> |An antelope squirrel. | |- |''Castor'' |† ''C. californicus'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A beaver. | |- |† ''Dipoides'' |† ''D. rexroadensis'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> |A very large beaver. | |- | rowspan="3" |† ''Mimomys'' |† ''M. meadensis'' |Taunton<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Repenning |first=Charles A. |date=2003 |title=Chapter 17: Mimomys in North America |url=http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1206/0003-0090%282003%29279%3C0469%3AC%3E2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |language=en |volume=279 |pages=469–512 |doi=10.1206/0003-0090(2003)279<0469:C>2.0.CO;2 |issn=0003-0090|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |A microtine vole. Some fossils of this species were previously known as ''Ophiomys taylori''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":11" /> | |- |† ''M. sawrockensis'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":8" /> |A microtine vole. Some fossils of this species were previously known as ''Ophiomys mcknighti''.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":11" /> | |- |† ''M. sawrockensis-taylori'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":11" /> Blufftop<ref name=":11" /> |A microtine vole, intermediate between ''M. sawrockensis'' and ''M. taylori''. Some fossils of this population were previously known as ''Ophiomys mcknighti''.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":11" /> | |- | rowspan="2" |''Neotoma (Paraneotoma)'' |† ''N.'' (''P.)'' cf. ''fossilis'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | rowspan="2" |A woodrat. | |- |† ''N.'' (''P.)'' cf. ''quadriplicatus'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> | |- |† ''Paenemarmota'' |† ''P.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A very large marmot. | |- |''Perognathus'' |''P.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A pocket mouse. | |- |''Peromyscus'' |† ''P. nosher''<ref name=":5" /> |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> |A deer mouse. | |- |''Ondatra (Pliopotamys)'' |† ''O. (P.) minor'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":15" /> |A muskrat. | |- |† ''Procastoroides'' |† ''P.'' cf. ''idahoensis'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A beaver. | |- |† ''Prodipodomys'' |† ''P.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A heteromyid with similarities to ''Dipodomys'' (kangaroo rats).<ref name=":15" /> | |- | rowspan="3" |''Spermophilus'' |† ''S.'' cf. ''howelli'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | rowspan="3" |A ground squirrel. | |- |† ''S.? russelli''<ref name=":5" /> |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /> | |- |† ''S.?'' cf. ''russelli'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | |- |''Thomomys'' |† ''T.'' cf. ''gidleyi'' |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A smooth-toothed pocket gopher. | |}
==== Soricomorpha ==== {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Soricomorphs of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |† ''Paracryptotis'' |† ''P. rex'' |Blufftop<ref name=":0" /> |A shrew. | |- |''Scapanus'' |''S.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A broad-footed mole. | |- | rowspan="3" |''Sorex'' |† ''S.'' cf. ''meltoni'' |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | rowspan="3" |A long-tailed shrew. | |- |† ''S. powersi'' |Blufftop<ref name=":0" /> | |- |''S.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> | |}
=== Birds === {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Birds of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |''Aechmophorus'' |''A.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A grebe. | |- |''Anas'' |''A.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A teal-like duck. | |- |''Aythya'' |''A.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A scaup-like duck. | |- |''Branta'' |''B.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A black goose. | |- |''Dendragapus'' |''D.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A grouse. | |- |''Fulica'' |''F.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A coot. | |- |''Podiceps'' |''P.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |A grebe. | |}
=== Reptiles === {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Reptiles of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |''Charina'' |''C. bottae'' |Taunton<ref name=":18">{{Cite journal |last=Parmley |first=Dennis |last2=Walker |first2=Don |date=2003 |title=Snakes of the Pliocene Taunton Local Fauna of Adams County, Washington with the Description of a New Colubrid |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287624320 |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=235-244 |jstor=1566138}}</ref> |The living rubber boa. |center|150x150px |- |Chelonia | |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |Indeterminate turtles and tortoises. | |- |''Chrysemys''? |''C.''? sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A painted turtle. | |- |''Clemmys'' |''C. marmorata'' |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |The living Western pond turtle. |center|150x150px |- |''Coluber'' / ''Masticophis'' |''C.'' sp. / ''M.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |A racer or whip snake. | |- |''Crotalus'' |''C.'' sp. |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |A rattlesnake. | |- | rowspan="2" |''Elaphe'' |† ''E. pliocenica'' |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |A rat snake. | |- |''E. vulpina'' |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |The living Eastern foxsnake. |center|150x150px |- |''Lampropeltis'' |''L. getula'' |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |The living common kingsnake. |center|150x150px |- |''Pituophis'' |''P. catenifer'' |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |The living Western gopher snake. |center|150x150px |- |Squamata | |White Bluffs,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> Taunton<ref name=":7" /> |Indeterminate snakes and lizards. | |- |† ''Tauntonophis''<ref name=":18" /> |† ''T. morganorum'' |Taunton<ref name=":18" /> |A colubrine colubrid snake. | |- |''Testudo'' / ''Geochelone'' |''T.'' sp. / ''G.'' sp. |White Bluffs<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /> |A tortoise. | |- |''Thamnophis'' |''T.'' sp. |Taunton |A garter snake. | |}
=== Amphibians === Indeterminate frog or toad bones are known from the White Bluffs local fauna.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" />
=== Fish === {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="5" align="center" |'''Fish of the Ringold Formation''' |- !Genus / Taxon !Species !Local fauna !Notes !Images |- |''Acipenser'' |''A. transmontanus'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17">{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Gerald R. |last2=Morgan |first2=Neil |last3=Gustafson |first3=Eric |date=2000 |title=Fishes of the Mio-Pliocene Ringold Formation, Washington: Pliocene Capture of the Snake River by the Columbia River. |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/30849423 |journal=University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology |volume=32}}</ref> |The living white sturgeon. |center|150x150px |- |''Acrocheilus'' |† ''A. latus'' |Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A chiselmouth. | |- |''Ameiurus'' |† ''A. reticulatus'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A bullhead catfish. | |- |''Archoplites'' |† ''A. molarus'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A freshwater sunfish. | |- |''Catostomus'' |''C. macrocheilus'' |Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |The living largescale sucker. | |- |''Chasmistes'' |† ''C.'' sp. cf. ''batrachops'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A sucker. | |- |''Esox'' |† ''E. columbianus'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A large pike. | |- |† ''Klamathella'' |† ''K. milleri'' |Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A chub. | |- |''Lavinia'' |† ''L. hibbardi'' |Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A hitch. | |- |''Mylocheilus'' |† ''M. heterodon<ref name=":17" />'' |White Bluffs, Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A peamouth chub. | |- |''Oncorhynchus'' |† ''O. rastrosus'' |River Road<ref name=":17" /> |A giant tusked salmon. | |- |''Ptychocheilus'' |† ''P.'' ''arciferus'' |Blufftop, Taunton<ref name=":17" /> |A pikeminnow. | |}
=== Invertebrates === Several species of freshwater snails are known from the White Bluffs local fauna.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" />
=== Plants and climate === Pollen has been sampled from the lower Ringold Formation (8.5–5.5 Ma, late Miocene) near Hanford, as well as the upper Ringold Formation (4.5–2.8 Ma) at White Bluffs. The lower Ringold flora is similar to moist eastern ecosystems such as the Mississippi lowland forests, where cypress and broadleaf hardwoods coexist in close proximity. Pollen from White Bluffs corresponds to semi-arid grassland plants such as grasses (Poaceae), saltbush-type plants (Amaranthaceae), and sunflower-type plants (Asteraceae), alongside rare pine pollen.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mustoe |first=George E. |last2=Leopold |first2=Estella B. |date=2014 |title=Paleobotanical evidence for the post-Miocene uplift of the Cascade Range |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266138839 |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=51 |issue=8 |pages=809–824 |doi=10.1139/cjes-2013-0223 |issn=0008-4077}}</ref>
Warm-water fish and tortoises suggest that the fossil-rich Pliocene portion of the formation probably had hot summers (>{{Convert|27|C|F}}) and mild winters. In warmer parts of the Pliocene, winters may have been entirely frost-free. Pike and sturgeon may indicate the presence of deep, persistent streams (rainfall >{{Convert|80|cm/yr|in/yr|abbr=on}}).<ref name=":17" /> Other studies estimate a yearly rainfall not exceeding {{Convert|40|cm/yr|in/yr|abbr=on}}, still much greater than the modern Columbia Plateau. Riverside floodplain environments were far more common than today, supporting a greater diversity of mammals and wetland inhabitants.<ref name=":8" />
==See also== {{Portal|Earth sciences|United States|Paleontology}} *Hanford Reach *Lake Idaho *List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Washington (state) *Paleontology in Washington (state)
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Columbia River Category:Neogene geology of Washington (state)