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Funks Shale facts for kids

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Funks Shale
Stratigraphic range: Cretaceous
Type Formation
Underlies Forbes Shale
Location
Region Sacramento Valley
California
Country United States

The Funks Shale is a special type of rock layer found in the Sacramento Valley in northern California. It's like a chapter in Earth's history book! This rock formation is located near the Sutter Buttes in Sutter County, California. Scientists study the Funks Shale to learn about ancient times.

What is the Funks Shale?

The Funks Shale is a shale formation. Shale is a type of sedimentary rock. It forms from tiny bits of mud and clay. These tiny bits settle at the bottom of ancient oceans or lakes. Over millions of years, these layers of mud are pressed and hardened into rock.

Where is it Found?

You can find the Funks Shale in the Sacramento Valley of California. Specifically, it is located in the area around the Sutter Buttes. The Sutter Buttes are a group of small, old volcanoes in Sutter County, California.

What Does it Tell Us About the Past?

The Funks Shale is very important because it holds fossils. These fossils are like clues from the past. They tell us about life on Earth a very long time ago.

Fossils from the Cretaceous Period

The fossils found in the Funks Shale date back to the Cretaceous Period. This period was about 145 to 66 million years ago. It was a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth! The fossils in the Funks Shale usually come from sea creatures. This tells us that the area was once covered by an ocean.

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