The group was first defined by Bailey, Smith, and Ross in 1969 as part of their work establishing the stratigraphy of the Jemez Mountains. The group was named for the Keresean Range, an older name for the southern Jemez Mountains. They included in the group the Basalt of Chamisa Mesa, the Canovas Canyon Rhyolite, the Paliza Canyon Formation, and the Bearhead Rhyolite. The Basalt of Chamisa Mesa has since been abandoned as a formation name, since it is similar in age and composition to the Paliza Canyon Formation.