The Gadsden County paleontological sites are assemblages of Early Miocene invertebrates and vertebrates occurring in Gadsden County, Florida, United States.
Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,389. Its county seat is Quincy.
The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages.
Era : Neogene
Period : Early Miocene
Faunal stage : Hemingfordian ~20.6—16.3 Mya, calculates to a period of approximately 4.3 million years
Geologic formation : Torreya Formation
A geologic era is a subdivision of geologic time that divides an eon into smaller units of time. The Phanerozoic Eon is divided into three such time frames: the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic that represent the major stages in the macroscopic fossil record. These eras are separated by catastrophic extinction boundaries, the P-T boundary between the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic and the K-Pg boundary between the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. There is evidence that catastrophic meteorite impacts played a role in demarcating the differences between the eras.
The Neogene is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period 23.03 million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period 2.58 Mya. The Neogene is sub-divided into two epochs, the earlier Miocene and the later Pliocene. Some geologists assert that the Neogene cannot be clearly delineated from the modern geological period, the Quaternary. The term "Neogene" was coined in 1853 by the Austrian palaeontologist Moritz Hörnes (1815–1868).
Gadsden County paleontological sites are represented by the following:
La Camelia Site. Time period: 17.7 Mya. (AEO)
Midway Site. Time period: ~18.9—18.8 Mya.
Milwhite Gunn Farm Site. Time period: ~17.0 Mya. (AEO)
Quincy Site. Time period: ~17.0 Mya. (AEO)
Coordinates: 30°30′N84°30′W / 30.5°N 84.5°W
La Camelia site = LCS. Midway site. = MIS. Milwhite Gunn Farfm Site. Marks River site = MGFD. Quincy site = QUI.
Batrachosauroides is an extinct genus of prehistoric salamander known from several sites across the United States.
The Colubrinae are a subfamily of the family Colubridae of snakes. It includes numerous genera, and although taxonomic sources often disagree on the exact number, The Reptile Database lists 698 species in 97 genera as of May 2018. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after Dipsadinae. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes, and indigo snakes.
The Natricinae are a subfamily of snakes in the family Colubridae. The subfamily comprises 36 genera. Members include many very common snake species, such as the European grass snakes, and the North American water snakes and garter snakes. Some Old World members of the subfamily are known as keelbacks, because their dorsal scales exhibit strong keeling.
Amphicyon is an extinct genus of large carnivorous bone-crushing mammals, popularly known as bear dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae, subfamily Amphicyoninae, from the Burdigalian Epoch until the late Pliocene. They ranged over North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from 16.9—2.6 Ma ago, existing approximately 14.3 million years.
The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids called "bone-crushing dogs" that were endemic to North America during the Oligocene to Pliocene and lived roughly 36—2.5 million years ago and existing for about 33.5 million years.
Procyon is the brightest object in the constellation of Canis Minor and usually the eighth-brightest star in the night sky with a visual apparent magnitude of 0.34. It has the Bayer designation α Canis Minoris, which is Latinised to Alpha Canis Minoris, and abbreviated α CMi or Alpha CMi, respectively. As determined by the European Space Agency Hipparcos astrometry satellite, this system lies at a distance of just 11.46 light-years, and is therefore one of Earth's nearest stellar neighbours.
Acritohippus is an extinct genus of equine from North America.
Anchitherium was a fossil horse with a three-toed hoof.
Aphelops is an extinct genus of rhinoceros endemic to North America during the Miocene through the Pliocene, living from 20.43—4.9 mya.
A pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, very round body, rounded ears, and no external tail. They resemble their close cousin the rabbit, but with shorter ears. They live in mountainous countries in Asia, and there are also two species in North America. Most pikas prefer rocky slopes. The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains is one of the highest living mammals; it is found at heights of more than 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). Pikas graze on a range of plants, mostly grasses, flowers and young stems. In the autumn, they pull hay, soft twigs and other stores of food into their burrows to eat during the long, cold winter. The name "pika" is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs; the latter also includes the Leporidae. One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species. It is also known as the "whistling hare" due to its high-pitched alarm call when diving into its burrow. In the United States, the pika is colloquially called a "coney", a nonspecific term also used for rabbits, hares, and hyraxes. The name "pika" appears to be derived from the Tungus piika and the scientific name Ochotona is from the Mongolian word ogdoi which means pika.
Merychippus is an extinct proto-horse of the family Equidae that was endemic to North America during the Miocene, 15.97–5.33 million years ago. It had three toes on each foot and is the first horse known to have grazed.
Moropus is an extinct genus of perissodactyl mammal that belonged to the group called chalicotheres, which were endemic to North America during the Miocene from ~20.4—13.6 Mya, existing for approximately 6.8 million years.
Castoroides, or giant beaver, is an extinct genus of enormous beavers that lived in North America during the Pleistocene. C. leiseyorum and its northern sister species Castoroides ohioensis, were the largest beavers to ever exist.
Ancylotherium is an extinct genus of the family Chalicotheriidae, subfamily Schizotheriinae, endemic to Europe, Asia, and Africa during the Late Miocene-Early Pleistocene, existing for approximately 7.2 million years.
Hesperocyon is an extinct genus of canids that was endemic to North America, ranging from southern Canada to Colorado. It appeared during the Uintan age–Bridgerian age (NALMA) of the Mid-Eocene 42.5 mya—31.0 Ma. (AEO). Hesperocyon existed for approximately 11.5 million years.
Syndyoceras is a small extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to central North America from the Miocene epoch, existing for approximately 4.2 million years.
Osbornodon iamonensis is an extinct species of bone-crushing Hesperocyoninae, a predecessor of modern dogs that were endemic to North America and which lived from the Orellan age of the Early Oligocene to Early Miocene epoch 23.6—16.3 Ma and existed for approximately 7.3 million years.
The Thomas Farm site is an Early Miocene, Hemingfordian assemblage of vertebrate fossils located in Gilchrist County, northern Florida.
The Torreya Formation is a Miocene geologic formation with an outcrop in North Florida. It is within the Hawthorn Group.
Plionarctos is an extinct genus of mammals of the family Ursidae (bears) endemic to North America and Europe during Miocene through Pleistocene, living from ~10.3—3.3 Mya, existing for about 7 million years.
Pachyarmatherium is a genus of extinct large armadillo-like cingulates found in North and South America from the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, related to the extant armadillos and the extinct pampatheres and glyptodonts. It was present from 4.9 Mya to 11,000 years ago, existing for approximately 4.889 million years.
The Leon County paleontological sites are assemblages of Early Miocene invertebrates and vertebrates of Leon County, Florida, United States.
The Jefferson County, Florida paleontological sites are assemblages of Mid-Miocene to Late Pleistocene vertebrates from Jefferson County, Florida, United States.
The Hawthorn Group is a stratigraphic unit that includes several several geologic formations of Late Oligocene to Pliocene age in North Florida, United States. It is known for its phosphate rock resources, and for its rich assemblages of Neogene vertebrate fossils. It was originally called the Waldo Formation by L.C. Johnson of the United States Geological Survey in 1887, and later became the Hawthorne Group named for Hawthorne, Florida, where its phosphate-rich rock was quarried and processed for use as fertilizer.
The Suwannee County, Florida paleontological sites are assemblages of Early Miocene invertebrates and vertebrates occurring in Suwannee County, Florida.
The Polk County paleontological sites are assemblages of Early Miocene to Late Pleistocene vertebrates occurring in Polk County, Florida, United States.
Scaphohippus is an extinct Miocene genus of equine, with two known species, known from fossils found in California, New Mexico, Montana, and Nebraska.
Paleontology in Florida refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Florida. Florida has a very rich fossil record spanning from the Eocene to recent times. Florida fossils are often very well preserved.
The Alum Bluff Group is a geologic group in the states of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period.