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 Polvadera Peak, which is a major eruptive center for the group and the second highest peak in the Jemez Mountains (). They included in the group the Lobato Basalt, the Tschicoma Formation, and the El Rechuelos Rhyolite. Loeffler et al. narrowed the definition of the El Rechuelos Rhyolite in 1988, and Kelley et al. defined the La Grulla Formation in 2013.