Geology Presentation

1. Historical Geology:
Southern California
Region
Kristi Coy

2. Southern California Region
Most of Southern
California’s geological
history occurred during
the Mesozoic and
Cenozoic Eras. Due to
high volumes of volcanic
activity, much of this
area formed during this
time (“Geologic History
of Southern California”).
There were many
changes that occurred
for California, such as
mountain building,
faulting, erosion
sediment depositing
and, of course volcanic
activity (“Geologic
History of Southern
California”).
In the Southern California area, Tertiary and
Quaternary volcanic rocks are the most
commonly found, such as granite (Wagoner
and Maldonado).

3. History and Conditions of
Southern California
 During the Quaternary Period, 2.6-.011 million years ago, California’s
volcanic activity was subsiding and instead experienced uplift and erosion
(Wagoner & Maldonado, 2014).
 In addition, we had a lot of rivers and streams that moved sediment and
deposited it. Later, in the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras, ice ages
contributed to forming the valleys in which I took many of these photos
(“Geologic History of Southern California”).
 The region I took these photos is a very dry climate with temperatures
exceeding 105 degrees in the summer and below freezing temperatures in
winter. It currently receives approximately 11” of rain per year, so it is
considered to be a semiarid climate.
View of Lake Elsinore (Lake Elsinore, Wiki).

4. Hummingbirds
Apodeformes-Trochilidae
Photo Taken in Southern CA
Hummingbird nesting in my sister’s back yard in
Southern California.

5. How and Why
Did They Evolve?
 It is presumed hummingbirds
originated in Eurasia and
went over to South America
(Sanders, 2014).
 Once in South America, they
evolved to over 140 new
species (Sanders, 2014).
 Next, they went to North
America and the Caribbean
(Sanders, 2014).
 The phylogenetic history
connects them to swifts and
treeswifts (“Classification”).
 The answer to this question
is still unknown. According
to a study at UC Berkeley, it
is still unknown “since they
are dependent on plants
that coevolved with them
and developed unique
feeding adaptions”
(Sanders, 2014).
 Because they feed on
nectar, it is thought they
possibly drive the evolution
of the very plants they feed
upon.

6. When Did They Evolve?
 Hummingbirds are said to
have arose in Eurasia 42
million years ago
(“Evolution: Hummingbird
Species”).
 There are fossils dating
back to 28-34 million
years ago found in
Europe and Asia that look
similar to present day
hummingbirds (Sanders,
2014).
 Hummingbirds have extreme
abilities that allow them to
hover during flight.
 Their unique beak allows
them to feed on nectar
deep in a trumpeted flower.
 They are an extremely
diverse species with over 300
currently in existence and
predicted to rise to over 700
in the years to come.
(“Evolution: Hummingbird
Species”)

7. Sahara
Mustard
Brassica Tournefortii
Mustard plant growing wild behind my house in
Southern California.

8. Evolutionary History
of the Mustard Plant
The Sahara mustard originally came from North Africa and the Middle
East. Other areas it was known to exist was in southern Europe.
Apparently, it was brought to southern California in the early 18th century
and grows wild in fields or rocky areas (Sanders & Minnich, 2006).
Although I could not find a fossil record for this particular plant, it is a seed
plant and therefore began to appear in the Late Devonian. It is most
likely not an early seed plant, because it contains pollen chambers that
release a sticky fluid. Earlier seed plants do not have this feature (“Seed
Plants”).
This plant grows rapidly and produces anywhere from 750-9000 seeds
during December-May (Sanders & Minnich, 2006). This can be a problem,
because it grows and spreads so quickly, then dies off, it becomes a
huge fire hazard in the southern California area.
Adaption: The leaves are small with incised margins which is perfect for
the cool weather during their growth period (Monroe & Wicander, p.633).

9. California
Quail
Species: Callipepla Californica
This photo is of a female quail sitting on a
familiar rock with sagebrush in the background.

10. Habitat and Evolution
of the California Quail
The California Quail are
frequently found in southern
California areas that contain
plants, such as sagebrush in
which they can hide (Moore,
2014).
They are considered to be
New World quails, and were
given their own family name
of Odontophoridae, because
the DNA shows they are not
closely related to the Old
World quail descendants
(McIlvaine, 2000).
The California quail are
thought to have an
evolutionary history dating
back to an earlier bird from 63
million years ago in South
America.
Some fossil analysis have been
done and it is thought that the
Odontophoridae appeared
approximately 16 million years
ago.
Because the oldest genera
were found in Mexico and
further south, it is thought the
New World quail originally
appeared in tropical America
(McIlvaine, 2000).

11. Granite
Igneous Rock
Comparison
Photo Taken in Southern CA

12. Granite Igneous Rock
Comparison
 The picture shows uniquely
different granite rocks,
which contain minerals
causing them to be
different colors.
 The one on the left
contains more biotite,
which is black, causing it to
appear darker whereas the
three clustered on the right
contain potassium feldspar
that gives them the orange
or pink look.
 Both contain quartz and
plagioclase feldspar which
is the lighter white color
(Monroe & Wicander, p.75)
 Intrusive rock that is found
in volcanic arcs and
mountain building areas
(“Geology Rocks &
Minerals”).
 Comprised of minerals that
crystallized from cooling
molten rock matter or
particulate matter ejected
from volcanoes during
explosive eruptions
(Monroe and Wicander, p.
86).

13. Granite Rock
with Lichen
Igneous Rock
Photo Taken in Southern California

14. Igneous Granite Rock
Covered in Lichen
 I think this is a granite rock,
because under the lichen,
the rock is lighter in color
than a rock such as
grandodiorite.
 In addition, it is usually
found in mountain building,
which is where I found this
rock while hiking a hill
behind my house.
 It features several minerals
including quartz and
potassium feldspar and
similar to my rock, is
medium to coarse grained
in its texture (“Geology
Rocks & Minerals”).
 Lichen is basically a fungus
that are found in many
bright colors clinging to
rocks.
 Lichen is commonly found
on rocks in arid climates
and could not survive on its
own in the hot conditions
of Southern California.
 According to Wayne
Armstrong, “the relationship
is a kind of marriage where
each member depends on
the other for its survival”
(Armstong).

15. Igneous LavaRocks
Encasedina
Metamorphic
Foliated Gneiss Rock
Photo Taken in Southern CA

16. Details: Igneous Lava Rocks Encased in a
Metamorphic Foliated Gneiss Rock
 Igneous - granite, plutonic:
contains visible minerals that
reveals a slow cooling
process (“Rocks and the
Rock Cycle”).
 Comprised of minerals that
crystallized from cooling
molten rock matter or
particulate matter ejected
from volcanoes during
explosive eruptions (Monroe
and Wicander, p.86).
 Formed by heat, pressure
and chemical process
while buried below the
Earth (“Examples of
Common”).
 Two types of
metamorphic rocks:
foliated and non-foliated
(“Examples of
Common”).
 Foliated look like they
have layers or bands
whereas non-foliated do
not (“Metamorphic
Rocks”).

17. Details: Igneous Lava Rocks Encased in a
Metamorphic Foliated Gneiss Rock
 Shale or granite are usually
the parent rocks
(“Examples of Common”).
 Formed by granular
mineral grains
(“Metamorphic Rocks”).
 It has the greatest degree
of metamorphism of all
foliated rocks (“Examples
of Common”).
 Usually associated with
major mountain building
(“Examples of Common”)
and I found this near a
large hill.
 Gneiss is a very common
metamorphic rock
(“Examples of Common”).
Close up of a portion of the rock to show detail.

18. Rhyolite
Felsic Rock
Igneous Volcanic Rock
Photo Taken in Southern California

19. Details Rhyolite Igneous Volcanic Rock:
 I think this rock is a
rhyolite, because it has
a fine grained
appearance also known
as an aphanitic texture,
which is smoother than
most granite rocks.
 Another feature of a
rhyolite is that it is light
gray or pink and when I
compared this to
samples online, it was a
similar color (“Geology
Rocks & Minerals”).
 In addition, when
observing this rock up
close, it contains small
rock fragments, and has
a banded appearance
which is indicative of a
rhyolite rock (“The Rock-
Rhyolite”).
 Because there are so
many granite rocks
around this area and
the rhyolite is related to
granite, I think this could
be a good fit.
 This is a quick cooling
rock (“Geology Rocks &
Minerals”).

20. Granite Felsic Rock
with Iron Deposits
Igneous Rock
Photo Taken in Southern California

21. Details: Granite Felsic Rock
 I think it is felsic versus
mafic, because felsic are
lighter in color due to the
minerals.
 I thought this rock was
unique, because of the
iron deposit on the surface.
There were other similar
rocks in the area that had
been chipped and the iron
deposit only appears on
the surface.
 Igneous - plutonic:
contains visible minerals
that reveals a slow cooling
process (“Rocks and the
Rock Cycle”).
 This particular rock
shows oxidation which
then runs into the soil.
You can see how this
has occurred only on
the side exposed and
unprotected from
weathering.
 Initially, I thought it might
be a grandodiorite
which is a type of
granite, but decided
against it, because of
the pinkish colored
grains observed on the
side of the rock that are
consistent with granite.

22. References
Armstrong, W. The Desert’s Lichen Crust on Rocks. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
Classification: Where Do I Fit In. April 25, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2015. <http://
bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/esser_kels/>.
Evolution: Hummingbird species on the rise. (2014). Nature, 508(7495), 152. doi:
10.1038/508152a
Examples of Common Metamorphic Rocks. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://
www.rocksandminerals4u.com/metamorphic.html
Geology Fieldnotes. (2005, January 4). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://
www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/glac/
Geology Rocks & Minerals. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2015, from http://
flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks_minerals/rocks/grandodiorite.html
Lake Elsinore, California. (n.d.). In Wikipedia.org. Retrieved June 13, 2015 from
wiki:enwikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Elsinore,_California

23. References
McIlvaine, J. (2000). The Biogeography of California Quail. Retrieved June 13, 2015 from
http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall00Projects/Quail.html
Metamorphic Rocks. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://geology.com/rocks/
metamorphic-rocks.shtml
Monroe, J., & Wicander, R. (2012). Igneous Rocks and Plutons. In The Chaning Earth
Exploring Geology and Evolution (Sixth ed., p. 75, 86, 633). Belmont, CA: Brooks/
Cole, Cengage Learning.
Moore, C. (2014). California Quail & Mountain Quail: Precocial Gallinaceous Galliformes.
Retrieved June 13, 2015.
Rocks and the Rock Cycle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://
geoscience.wisc.edu/~chuck/Classes/Mtn_and_Plates/rock_cycle.html
Sanders, A., & Minnich, R. (2006). Invasive Plants of California’s Wildland. Retrieved June
13, 2015.

24. References
Sanders, R. (2014, April 3). Hummingbird Evolution Soared After They Invaded South
America 22 Million Years Ago. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
Seed Plants: Fossil Record. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2015, from http://
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/seedplants/seedplantsfr.html
Wagoner, D., & Maldonado, D. (2014). Generalized Geologic Map of California.
Retrieved May 17, 2015.
All photos taken by Kristi Coy, unless otherwise indicated.