ORIGIN AND DEFINITION OF THE TERM “LARAMIE” 545 
based upon erroneous observations and conclusions, while proving 
that Cross’s conclusion in this matter was incorrect, does not in any 
way detract from the great credit which is justly due him as the dis- 
coverer of this great break. Cross’s error in this one particular of 
the restriction of the word “‘ Laramie”’ to the lower beds was not due 
to his own observation, but to his acceptance of the work of others. 
This redefinition, instead of helping the already perplexed Laramie 
situation, but added one more complexity to it and resulted in the 
entirely incorrect and inappropriate application, to the Lower Laramie, 
of such terms as “Laramie proper,” ‘original Laramie,” “true 
Laramie.” 
The restriction of the term ‘“‘Laramie”’ to the beds below the 
unconformity, based on Cross’s studies in the Denver region, proves 
in its ultimate analysis to be an attempt to redefine a geologic term 
from the exposures and relations at a point almost 200 miles from the 
locality from which the geographic name was derived and at which 
the beds are most excellently exposed. This redefinition was based 
entirely on an abstract consideration of a statement based in part on 
erroneous observations, at a time when no critical re-examination 
had been made of the conditions in the region, whence the name was 
derived, and when nothing was known of the true relations in that 
area. We thus have the scientific anomaly of a geologic name derived 
from exposures in a certain region, all of which belong to one group 
of strata, redefined in a different region and applied to an entirely dis- 
tinct group of beds. This is clearly indefensible and absolutely at 
variance with the fundamental principles of geologic nomenclature. 
It in effect gives a result which is no better than a lithologic term, 
and certainly not as appropriate. The whole case but emphasizes 
the absolute necessity of a geographic place origin for geologic names 
in order to finally guard against misinterpretations, incorrect state- 
ments, and conclusions by the authors of such names. 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 
' 1. The name ‘‘ Laramie” is derived from the Laramie Plains in 
eastern Wyoming. As commonly used in the early seventies, this 
included the plains region extending from the Front Range to and 
slightly beyond the North Platte River. 
