The sedimentary rocks in Cuyama Valley range in age from Cretaceous(?) to Pliocene-Pleistocene. The major rock units in ascending order are: Cretaceous(?) interbedded sandstone and shale; Pattiway formation, Eocene(?); Simmler formation, continental Oligocene(?); Soda Lake sand, Soda Lake shale, and Painted Rock sand members of the lower Miocene Vaqueros formation; Saltos shale and Whiterock shale members of the lower and middle Miocene Monterey formation; Bitter Creek formation, the sand equivalent of the Monterey formation; Caliente formation, in large part the eastern continental equivalent of the Bitter Creek and Monterey formations; Santa Margarita formation, upper Miocene and its continental equivalent on the east, the Quatal formation; and the Morales formation, co tinental Pliocene(?).

The time-stratigraphic sequence of some of these rock units can be determined from microfaunal, megafaunal and vertebrate fossil assemblages.

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