Detrital zircon geochronology and radiometric dating give a consistent age of 1700 Mya for the group, corresponding to the Statherian period.

[1][2] Detrital zircon geochronology establishes that the principal source regions for the sediments that became the Vadito Group had ages of 1765 to 1704 Mya.

[8] The kyanite pods have been interpreted as either metamorphosed pelitic silt lenses,[9] as unusual pegmatites,[10] or as hydrothermal systems.

[7][11] The unit was designated as the Vadito Formation in 1953 by Arthur Montgomery,[12] who had first taken interest in the geology of the Picuris Mountains as a result of his wartime operation of the Harding Pegmatite Mine.

Long recommended raising it to group rank in 1976[14] and this was adopted by Bauer and Williams in their sweeping revision of northern New Mexico Precambrian stratigraphy.