Peedee Formation

Last updated
Peedee Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early to Late Maastrichtian, 71.0–66.9  Ma
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Cucullaea melhaseana (fossil bivalve) (Pee Dee Formation, Upper Cretaceous; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA) 3.jpg
Cucullaea , a fossil bivalve from the Peedee Formation (South Carolina)
Type Formation
Sub-unitsRocky Point Member, Island Creek Member
Underlies Castle Hayne Limestone
Overlies Black Creek Group
ThicknessUp to 886 ft (270 m)
Lithology
Primary Glauconitic to argillic sandstone
Other Claystone, limestone
Location
RegionFlag of North Carolina.svg  North Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Type section
Named for Pee Dee River, type locality: Burches Ferry, South Carolina [1]

The Peedee Formation is a geologic formation in North and South Carolina. A marine deposit, named for exposures along the Great Peedee River, it preserves invertebrate (primarily belemnites, echinoderms and foraminifera) and vertebrate (primarily shark teeth, with some marine reptile remains) fossils dating to the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian). [1]

Contents

The formation is notable for its occurrence of Belemnitella americana , known as the Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB), a long-standing standard in stable carbon isotope research. A single pterosaur femur, possibly an Azhdarchid, from the Peedee formation is one of the few pterosaur body fossils found in Eastern North America. [2]

The stratigraphy of the formation spans from the early Maastrichtian (in South Carolina) [3] to the late Maastrichtian shortly before the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. The formation is divided into several members, including the early-mid Maastrichtian Rocky Point Member and the late Maastrichtian Island Creek Member. [4] Based on its fauna, it appears to be roughly concurrent with the Navesink Formation from New Jersey. [2]

Vertebrate paleobiota

Cartilaginous fish

Bsaed on Case et al (2017): [4]

Sharks

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Anomotodon A. cf. toddiMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA goblin shark. Anomotodon novus.jpg
Archaeolamna A. kopingensisDuplin County, North CarolinaAn archaeolamnid mackerel shark. Archaeolamna.jpg
Cantioscyllium C. cf. meyeriMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA nurse shark.
Carcharias C. cf. samhammeri Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA sand shark, related to the modern sand tiger shark. Sandtiger shark (Duane Raver).png
Cretalamna C. maroccanaMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA megatooth shark. Cretalamna reconstruction.png
Heterodontus H. granti Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA bullhead shark. Heterodontus japonicus.jpg
" Hybodus ""H." sp.Duplin County, North CarolinaA hybodont shark. Hybodus hauffianus.png
Notidanodon N. sp.Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA cow shark. Teeth damaged but resemble those of the widespread species N. dentatus. Hexanchidae species - Tooth.jpg
Odontaspis O. aculeatus Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA sand shark. Odontaspis ferox (Smalltooth sand tiger).gif
Palaeogaleus P. sp.Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA houndshark. Palaeogaleus faujasi.jpg
Plicatoscyllium P. antiquumMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaA nurse shark.
P. derameei
Pseudocorax P. cf. affinisMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA pseudocoracid mackerel shark. Psuedocorax granti.jpg
Scapanorhynchus S. texanusDuplin County, North CarolinaA goblin shark. Scapanorhynchus sp Sahel Alma Santonian.jpg
Serratolamna S. serrataMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA serratolamnid mackerel shark. Cretoxyrhinidae - Serratolamns gasfana cropped.jpg
Squalicorax S. kaupiMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA crow shark. Squalicorax falcatus.jpg
S. pristodontus
Squalus S. huntensis Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA spurdog. Squalus acanthias.jpg

Rays

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Dasyatis D. commercensis Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA whiptail stingray. Dasyatis akajei.jpg
Ischyrhiza I. avonicolaMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA sawskate. Onchosaurus (Ischyrhiza) marrocanus Arambourg 1935 - Dalpiazia stromeri Checcia-Rispoli, 1933 7100.5122.jpg
I. mira
Ptychotrygon P. clementsiMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA ptychotrygonid sawskate. Ptychotrygon sp.jpg
Raja R. farishi Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA skate. FMIB 41797 Spotted Skate (Raja ocellata Mitchill).jpeg
Rhinobatos R. sp.Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA guitarfish, tentatively placed in Rhinobatos. Rhinobatos sainsburyi csiro.jpg
Rhombodus R. binkhorstiMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA rhombodontid stingray. Rhombodus NT small cropped.png
Sclerorhynchus S. cf. pettersiMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaIsland CreekA ganopristid sawskate. Sclerorhynchus lebanon.jpg

Bony fish

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Enchodus E. sp.East Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaRocky PointAn enchodontid aulopiform. [2] Enchodus petrosus.png

Reptiles

Pterosaurs

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
cf. Azhdarchidae indet.East Coast Limestone QuarryRocky PointA potential azhdarchid, known from a femur closely resembling that of Azhdarcho . [2]

Crocodilians

GenusSpeciesLocationNotesImages
Borealosuchus B. sp.Diamondhead Loop Road, South CarolinaA eusuchian. [3] Borealosuchus wilsoni HMNS.jpg

Turtles

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Peritresius P. ornatusEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina

Allison Ferry, South Carolina

Rocky PointA pancheloniid sea turtle. [2] Peritresius martini.png
" Trionyx " "T." halophilus Lynchburg, South CarolinaA stem-trionychian. [3]

Plesiosaurs

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Cimoliasaurus C. magnusEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaRocky PointAn elasmosaurid. [2] Cimoliasaurus.jpg

Mosasaurs

GenusSpeciesLocationNotesImages
Halisaurus H. sp.Holden Beach, North CarolinaA halisaurine. [5] Halisaurus arambourgi.jpg
Mosasaurus M. cf. beaugeiHolden Beach, North CarolinaA mosasaurine. [5] Mosasaurus 21copy.jpg
M. cf. hoffmannii
Prognathodon P. cf. solvayiHolden Beach, North Carolina

?Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

A mosasaurine. [5] Prognathodon3.jpg
Prognathodontini indet.Holden Beach, North CarolinaAn indeterminate mosasaurine with large teeth, reminiscent of Thalassotitan . [5]
Tylosaurus T. sp.Diamondhead Loop Road, South CarolinaA tylosaurine. [3] Tylosaurus-proriger.jpg

Invertebrate paleobiota

Echinoderms

Echinoids

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Cardiaster C. leonensisEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaRocky PointA holasterid. Cardiaster cinctus FOS 2519 - 1.JPG
Catopygus C. mississippiensisEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaA cassidulid. Catopygus laevis FOS 2269 - 3.jpeg
Hardouinia H. aequoriaWadsworth Marl Pit, North Carolina

Niels Eddy Landing, North Carolina East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

A cassiduloid. Hardouinia florealis Alabama.jpg
H. kellumi
H. mortonia
Faujasia F. cheloniumEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaA sand dollar.
Lefortia L. trojanaEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaA sand dollar.
Linthia L. variabilisEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaA schizasterid heart urchin. Linthia verticalis FOS 2368 - 1.jpg
Porosoma P. sp.East Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaA phymosomatid. Porosoma cribrum FOS 2348 - 1.jpg

Sea stars

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Aldebarania A. areniteaMartin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North CarolinaRocky PointAn astropectinid. [6]

Crinoids

The Peedee Formation preserves some of the latest-occurring remains of the Roveacrinida, an extinct order of minute, pelagic crinoids. [7]

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Applinocrinus A. texanusWilmington, North CarolinaAn applinocrinine saccocomid.
Birgelocrinus B. degraafiWilmington, North CarolinaAn hessicrinine saccocomid.
Lucernacrinus B. degraafiWilmington, North CarolinaAn hessicrinine saccocomid.
B. jagti
Peedeecrinus P. sadorfiWilmington, North CarolinaAn applinocrinine saccocomid.

Molluscs

Cephalopods

GenusSpeciesLocationMemberNotesImages
Belemnitella B. americanaEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina

Black Rock Landing, North Carolina

Rocky PointA belemnite, source of the famous "Pee Dee Belemnite". Belemnitella americana (fossil belemnites) (Cretaceous; New Jersey, USA) (49103465241).jpg
Sphenodiscus S. lobatusEast Coast Limestone Quarry, North CarolinaRocky PointA sphenodiscid ammonite. Sphenodiscus.jpg

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 USGS Peedee Formation South Carolina and USGS Peedee Formation North Carolina
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parris, David, C.; Smith Grandstaff, Barbara; Clements, Donald (August 2004). "A Pterosaur Femur from the Upper Cretaceous of North Carolina". Southeastern Geology. 43 (1): 51–55.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Schwimmer, David R.; Sanders, Albert E.; Erickson, Bruce R.; Weems, Robert E. (2015). "A Late Cretaceous Dinosaur and Reptile Assemblage from South Carolina, Usa". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 105 (2): i–157. ISSN   0065-9746.
  4. 1 2 Case, Gerard R.; Cook, Todd D.; Saford, Eric M.; Shannon, Kevin R. (2016). "A late Maastrichtian selachian assemblage from the Peedee Formation of North Carolina, USA". Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology. 3. doi: 10.18435/B5T88N . ISSN   2292-1389.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Rempert, Trevor H.; Martens, Brennan P.; Vinkeles Melchers, Alexander P. M. (2024). "Mosasaurs (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Late Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) of North Carolina, USA". Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS. 328 (3): 384–391. doi: 10.31610/trudyzin/2024.328.3.384 .
  6. Blake, Daniel B.; Sturgeon, Keith (1995). "Aldebarania arenitea, a new genus and species of Astropectinidae (Asteroidea; Echinodermata) from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) Peedee Formation of North Carolina". Journal of Paleontology. 69 (2): 376–380. doi:10.1017/S0022336000034697. ISSN   0022-3360.
  7. Gale, Andrew S.; Sadorf, Eric; Jagt, John W. M. (2018-05-01). "Roveacrinida (Crinoidea, Articulata) from the upper Maastrichtian Peedee Formation (upper Cretaceous) of North Carolina, USA – The last pelagic microcrinoids". Cretaceous Research. 85: 176–192. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.01.008. ISSN   0195-6671.