Ashley Formation

Ashley Formation
Stratigraphic range: Lower Oligocene (Rupelian)
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Gettysville Member, Runnymeade Marl Member and Givhans Ferry Member. [1]
Location
Region	South Carolina
Country	United States

The Ashley Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.

Vertebrate fauna

Mammals

Carnivorans
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Phocidae	Gen. et. sp. indeterminate		Proximal portion of a right femur (ChM PV5713). [2]	"A taxon closely comparable to the most specialized phocid, the modern genus Cystophora".

Cetaceans
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Agorophius	A. pygmaeus	Underwater cliff face from the base of the formation. [3]	A skull. [3]
Albertocetus	A. meffordorum	Givhans Ferry Member and Runnymede Marl Member. [4]	A partial skeleton and an isolated braincase. [4]	A xenorophid.
Ankylorhiza	A. tiedemani		AMNH 10445 (partial rostrum) and CCNHM 220 (partial skull and associated vertebrae). [5]	An odontocete.
Ashleycetus	A. planicapitis	Near Charleston, South Carolina. [6]	A partial skull. [6]
Coronodon	C. havensteini	"Wando River near Highway 41 Bridge, Berkeley County, South Carolina". [7]		A basal mysticete.
Ediscetus	E. osbornei			"Slightly outside the odontocete crown group". [8]
Micromysticetus	M. rothauseni		2 braincases without rostra. [9]
Saurocetus	S. gibbesi	[10]	A cheek tooth (MCZ 8760). [11]
Xenorophus	X. sloanii		Incomplete skull. [12]	A xenorophid.

Sirenians
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Crenatosiren	C. olseni		[13]	A dugongid also found in the Chandler Bridge and Parachucla formations.
Stegosiren	S. macei		[14]	A dugongid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.

Reptiles

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Crocodilians
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Gavialosuchus	G. carolinensis	Dorchester County, South Carolina. [15]	ChM PV 4282 (mandible). [15]	Now moved to the genus Thecachampsa .
Thecachampsa	T. carolinensis	Dorchester County, South Carolina. [15]	ChM PV 4282 (mandible). [15]	A gavialoid.

Turtles
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Ashleychelys	A. palmeri	East bank of Limehouse Branch, Berkeley County, South Carolina. [16]		A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.
Carolinochelys	C. wilsoni		MCZ 1005-A (a nearly complete skull) and ChM PV8309. [16]	A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.
Natemys	N. sp. 1	Givhan's Ferry Member. [17]	CCNHM 4288 (a non-ridged carapacial ossicle). [17]	A dermochelyid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.
	N. sp. 2	?Givhan's Ferry Member and ?Runnymede Marl Member. [17]	CCNHM 4287.1 and 4287.2 (a pair of associated non-ridged carapacial ossicles) and CCNHM 4910 (a non-ridged ossicle). [17]	A dermochelyid.
Procolpochelys	P. charlestonensis		A humerus (MCZ 1005-B). [16]	A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.
cf. Psephophorus	cf. P. sp.	Givhan's Ferry Member. [17]	CCNHM 5460 (an isolated non-ridged carapacial ossicle). [17]	A dermochelyid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.

Fish

Cartilaginous fish

Rays
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Dasyatis	"D." sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A stingray.
Mobula	"M." sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]		A devil ray.
Plinthicus	P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A tooth (SC2007.36.48). [1]
Raja	R. mccollumi	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Abundant teeth. [1]	A skate also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation.
	"R." sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A skate, appears to be conspecific with R. sp. from the Chandler Bridge Formation.
Rhinoptera	"R." sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A broken symphyseal tooth (SC2015.29.30). [1]	A cownose ray.
Rhynchobatus	R. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth (SC2007.36.39, SC2015.29.13, SC2015.29.32). [1]	A wedgefish.
Taeniurops	"T." cavernosus	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A stingray.

Sharks
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Araloselachus	A. sp.	May be derived from the Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]
Carcharhinus	C. gibbesi	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A large number of teeth. [1]	The most common shark in the Ashley Formation sample.
Galeocerdo	G. aduncus	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]	A ground shark.
Ginglymostomatidae	Gen. et. sp. indeterminate	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A partial tooth (SC2007.36.208). [1]	A nurse shark.
Hemipristis	H. cf. H. serra	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	4 teeth (SC2007.36.7, SC2007.36.8, SC2007.36.9). [1]	A weasel shark.
Otodus	O. angustidens	Ashley River, in the Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Ablated specimens. [1]	A megatoothed shark.
Pachyscyllium	P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A tooth (SC2007.36.5). [1]	A catshark.
Physogaleus	P. cf. P. contortus	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	SC2007.36.19, SC2007.36.20 (four teeth), SC2015.29.27. [1]	A ground shark.
	P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	SC2007.36.21 and SC2007.36.22. [1]	A ground shark.
Pristiophorus	P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	An incomplete tooth crown (SC2015.29.20). [1]	A sawshark.
Scyliorhinus	S. weemsi	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A catshark.
Sphyrnidae	Gen. et. sp. indeterminate	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	SC2007.36.23, SC2007.36.24, SC2007.36.25 (11 teeth), SC2007.36.26, SC2007.36.27, SC2007.36.28 (five teeth). [1]	A hammerhead shark.
Squalus	S. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]	A spurdog.
Squatina	S. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth (SC2007.36.4, SC2007.36.126, SC2007.36.149, SC2007.36.227, SC2015.29.18, SC2015.29.19, SC2015.33.2). [1]	An angelshark.
Trigonotodus	T. alteri		Teeth. [1]	A thresher shark.

Bony fish

Bony fish
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Albula	A. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	SC2007.36.165, SC2007.36.228 (five teeth), SC2015.29.200 (66 teeth), SC2015.29.201, SC2015.29.204. [1]	A bonefish.
Archosargus	A. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A sea bream.
?Calamus	?C. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]	A sea bream.
Diplodus	D. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	SC2015.29.195 (13 teeth), SC2015.29.222, SC2015.29.223, SC2015.29.224. [1]	A sea bream.
?Labridae	Gen. et. sp. indet.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Multiple teeth. [1]	A wrasse.
Osteoglossidae	Gen. et. sp. indeterminate	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]
Palaeocybium	P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A tooth (SC2007.36.122), a neurocranium and a left dentary. [1]	A scombrid.
Paralichthyidae	Gen. et. sp. indeterminate	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	A tooth (SC2015.36.259). [1]	A flatfish.
?Pogonias	?P. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]	A croaker.
Scomberomorus	S. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Teeth. [1]	A scombrid.
?Sciaenops	?S. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Many teeth. [1]	A croaker.
Sphyraena	S. sp.	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	Many cheek and laniary teeth. [1]	A barracuda.
Trichiurides	T. cf. T. sagittidens	Givhans Ferry Member. [1]	2 ablated laniary teeth. [1]	A cutlassfish.

See also

• Paleontology portal

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Carolina
• Paleontology in South Carolina

References

1. Cicimurri, David J.; Knight, James L.; Ebersole, Jun A. (2022). "Early Oligocene (Rupelian) fishes (Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes) from the Ashley Formation (Cooper Group) of South Carolina, USA". PaleoBios. 39 (1). doi: 10.5070/P939056976 . ISSN   0031-0298. S2CID   247912932.
2. J., Ray, Clayton Edward. Emry, Robert (2002). Cenozoic mammals of land and sea: tributes to the career of Clayton E. Ray. Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 179–183. OCLC   1035595001.
3. Godfrey, Stephen J.; Uhen, Mark D.; Osborne, Jason E.; Edwards, Lucy E. (January 2016). "A new specimen of Agorophius pygmaeus (Agorophiidae, Odontoceti, Cetacea) from the early Oligocene Ashley Formation of South Carolina, USA" . Journal of Paleontology. 90 (1): 154–169. Bibcode:2016JPal...90..154G. doi:10.1017/jpa.2016.4. ISSN   0022-3360. S2CID   132593720.
4. Boessenecker, Robert W.; Ahmed, Erum; Geisler, Jonathan H. (2017-11-08). "New records of the dolphin Albertocetus meffordorum (Odontoceti: Xenorophidae) from the lower Oligocene of South Carolina: Encephalization, sensory anatomy, postcranial morphology, and ontogeny of early odontocetes". PLOS ONE. 12 (11) e0186476. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1286476B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186476 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   5695589 . PMID   29117197.
5. Boessenecker, Robert W.; Churchill, Morgan; Buchholtz, Emily A.; Beatty, Brian L.; Geisler, Jonathan H. (2020-08-17). "Convergent Evolution of Swimming Adaptations in Modern Whales Revealed by a Large Macrophagous Dolphin from the Oligocene of South Carolina". Current Biology. 30 (16): 3267–3273.e2. Bibcode:2020CBio...30E3267B. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.012 . ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   32649912. S2CID   220435400.
6. Sanders, Albert E.; Geisler, Jonathan H. (2015-01-02). "A new basal odontocete from the upper Rupelian of South Carolina, U.S.A., with contributions to the systematics of Xenorophus and Mirocetus (Mammalia, Cetacea)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (1) e890107. Bibcode:2015JVPal..35E0107S. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.890107. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   85040115.
7. Geisler, Jonathan H.; Boessenecker, Robert W.; Brown, Mace; Beatty, Brian L. (2017-07-10). "The Origin of Filter Feeding in Whales". Current Biology. 27 (13): 2036–2042.e2. Bibcode:2017CBio...27E2036G. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.003 . ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   28669761. S2CID   36765725.
8. Albright, L. Barry; Sanders, Albert E.; Geisler, Jonathan H. (April 2019). "An Unexpectedly Derived Odontocete from the Ashley Formation (Upper Rupelian) of South Carolina, U.S.A." . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (4): (1)-(15). doi:10.1080/02724634.2018.1482555. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   92830510.
9. Sanders Albert, E.; Barnes Lawrence, G. (2002-11-21). "Paleontology of the late Oligocene Ashley and Chandler Bridge Formations of South Carolina; 2, Micromysticetus rothauseni, a primitive cetoteriid mysticete (Mammalia, Cetacea)". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 93: 271–293.
10. L. Agassiz. 1848. [on the species Saurocetus gibbesii]. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 4:4-5
11. Dooley, Alton C. Jr (2003). "A Review of the Eastern North American Squalodontidae (Mammalia: Cetacea)". Jeffersoniana (11): 1–26.
12. Kellogg, Remington (1923). "Description of an apparently new toothed cetacean from South Carolina". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 76 (7): 1–7. hdl:10088/23638.
13. Domning, Daryl P. (1997-06-19). "Fossil Sirenia of the west Atlantic and Caribbean region. VI. Crenatosiren olseni (Reinhart, 1976)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 17 (2): 397–412. Bibcode:1997JVPal..17..397D. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10010984. ISSN   0272-4634.
14. Domning, Daryl P.; Beatty, Brian L. (2019-05-04). "Fossil Sirenia of the West Atlantic and Caribbean region. XII. Stegosiren macei, gen. et sp. nov". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (3) e1650369. Bibcode:2019JVPal..39E0369D. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1650369. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   203407242.
15. R.., Erickson, Bruce (1996). The estuarine crocodile Gavialosuchus Carolinensis n.sp. (Crocodylia: Eusuchia) from the late Oligocene of South Carolina, North America (PDF). Science Museum of Minnesota. OCLC   491733633.
16. Weems, Robert E.; Sanders, Albert E. (January 2014). "Oligocene pancheloniid sea turtles from the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (1): 80–99. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34...80W. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.792826. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   128543145.
17. "Multispecies leatherback turtle assemblage from the Oligocene Chandler Bridge and Ashley formations of South Carolina, USA - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica". www.app.pan.pl. Retrieved 2022-09-11.

Further reading

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database" . Retrieved 17 December 2021.