undifferentiated rock units

Paleontology and geology

Northern Alberta was above sea level and exposed to erosion for much of the Ordovician, and shallow seas covered the rest of the province. The warm, tropical waters were home to many different invertebrates, including brachiopods, trilobites, gastropods, corals, and conodonts. Their fossils are preserved in the limestones, dolostones, sandstones, and mudstones that accumulated. Although these seas covered much of the province, many of the rocks have been eroded, while others have been buried beneath younger deposits. When the Rocky Mountains were uplifted, some of these rocks were pushed up, where they form many separate exposures. On this map, these rocks can be seen by viewing the undifferentiated rock units.