Goliad Formation


The Goliad Formation is a geologic formation in Texas. It preserves fossils dating back to the Serravallian to earliest Pliocene stages of the Neogene period, including the gomphothere Blancotherium among many other fossil mammals, reptiles, birds and fish.
The formation hosts uranium deposits and forms the Evangeline aquifer underneath the city of Houston.

Description

The Goliad Formation was described by Plummer in 1933, as consisting of three members; the Lapara Sand, overlain by the Lagarto Creek Beds, in turn overlain by the Labahia Beds with outcrop thicknesses ranging from. The Goliad Formation comprises claystone, sand, sandstone, marl, caliche, limestone, and conglomerates and reaches in certain areas a thickness of. The formation overlies the Fleming Formation and dates from the Clarendonian to the earliest Blancan. In the southwest of its range, the formation overlies the Catahoula and Gueydan Formations. The Goliad Formation is recognized regionally across the Texas coastal plain as an interval of dominantly fluvial siliciclastic strata that overlies the Miocene Fleming Formation and underlies Pleistocene terrace deposits. The formation is now interpreted as a basinward-thickening progradational wedge of Middle and Late Miocene age. Stratigraphic thicknesses in outcrop range from, but offshore the interval thickens to as much as.
Together with the Catahoula, Fleming and Oakville Formation, the Goliad Formation is part of the Gulf Coast aquifer, an extensive artesian aquifer that produces water primarily for irrigation and municipalities. The Evangeline aquifer is hosted by the Goliad Formation underlying the city of Houston. The formation hosts uranium deposits in the South Texas Uranium Province and is mined for caliche in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Fossil content

Tertiary mammal fossils from South Texas were first reported by Dumble as coming from the Lapara division, later the Lapara Beds.
The following fossils have been reported from the formation:
GroupTaxaNotesImages
MammalsAelurodon taxoides
MammalsBlancotherium buckneri
MammalsCalippus martini
MammalsCalippus placidus
MammalsCalippus regulus
MammalsCeratogaulus rhinocerus
MammalsCormohipparion ingenuum
MammalsCranioceras teres
MammalsDinohippus subvenus
MammalsHipparion tehonense
MammalsHypohippus affine
MammalsHypohippus affinis
MammalsIschyrocyon gidleyi
MammalsLeptocyon vafer
MammalsMegatylopus primaevus
MammalsNeohipparion affine
MammalsNothotylopus camptognathus
MammalsPliohippus pernix
MammalsProcamelus grandis
MammalsProcamelus occidentalis
MammalsProsthennops xiphidonticus
MammalsProtohippus supremus
MammalsProtolabis coartatus
MammalsPseudhipparion curtivallum
MammalsPseudoceras skinneri
MammalsRamoceros ramosus
MammalsSynthetoceras tricornatus
MammalsTeleoceras major
MammalsUstatochoerus medius novomexicanus
MammalsProtolabis cf. yavapaiensis
MammalsUstatochoerus cf. medius
MammalsAepycamelus sp.
MammalsAmphicyon sp.
MammalsAphelops sp.
MammalsBison sp.
MammalsBlastomeryx sp.
MammalsCalippus sp.
MammalsGlyptodon sp.
MammalsHypohippus sp.
MammalsHippotherium sp.
MammalsHypolagus sp.
MammalsMegatylopus sp.
MammalsMerychippus sp.
MammalsMerychyus sp.
MammalsMerycodus sp.
MammalsNannippus sp.
MammalsNeohipparion sp.
MammalsPliauchenia sp.
MammalsPliohippus sp.
MammalsProcamelus sp.
MammalsProsthennops sp.
MammalsProtolabis sp.
MammalsTeleoceras sp.
Mammalscf. Domninoides sp.
Mammalscf. Eucyon sp.
Mammalscf. Gomphotherium sp.
MammalsAmphicyoninae indet.
MammalsMerycodontinae indet.
MammalsProtoceratinae indet.
MammalsTayassuinae indet.
MammalsAntilocapridae indet.
MammalsCanidae indet.
MammalsEquini indet.
MammalsPalaeomerycidae indet.
MammalsProtoceratidae indet.
MammalsRhinocerotidae indet.
MammalsRodentia indet.
MammalsRuminantia indet.
Mammalscf. Mustelidae indet.
Birdscf. Anserinae indet.
BirdsAves indet.
ReptilesAlligator cf. mississippiensis
ReptilesApalone sp.
ReptilesHesperotestudo sp.
ReptilesTestudo sp.
ReptilesTrionyx sp.
Reptilescf. Gopherus sp.
Reptilescf. Mycteria sp.
Reptilescf. Terrapene sp.
Reptilescf. Trachemys sp.
ReptilesEmydidae indet.
FishPylodictis olivaris
FishIctalurus cf. lambda
FishAmeiurus sp.
FishLepisosteus sp.