Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Early-Middle Campanian ~ | |
Type | Formation |
Unit of | Black Creek Group |
Underlies | Bladen Formation |
Overlies | Middendorf Formation |
Lithology | |
Primary | Siltstone, sandstone |
Location | |
Coordinates | 34°36′N78°30′W / 34.6°N 78.5°W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 35°00′N50°12′W / 35.0°N 50.2°W |
Region | North Carolina South Carolina |
Country | United States |
Type section | |
Named for | Tar Heel, North Carolina |
The Tar Heel Formation, also known as the Coachman Formation in South Carolina, is a Late Cretaceous (early to middle Campanian-aged) geologic formation in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. It preserves fossils, including amber dating back to the Cretaceous period. A locality known as Phoebus Landing, has been dated to 78.5-77.1 Ma, and the formation has been overall dated to the early Campanian based on fossil pollen. [1] [2] [3]
Likely deposited in a nearshore coastal environment representing a lower shoreface, it contains a high diversity of vertebrate remains. It has one of the most diverse dinosaur faunas known from the former landmass of Appalachia, the majority of which are known from two sites: Phoebus Landing along the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, North Carolina, as well as Stokes Quarry in Darlington County, South Carolina. [4] [5] [6]
Fossil pollen grains suggest a subtropical to warm, moist temperate climate for the region, with an ecosystem largely dominated by flowering plants. [3] The Tar Heel/Coachman Formation appears to be roughly concurrent with the Marshalltown Formation of New Jersey, which preserves a similar fauna. [4]
Cartilaginous fish of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | ||
I. mira | An extinct genus of sawfish | |||||
| An anacorid shark. Includes a coprolite potentially assignable to S. kaupi, containing the vertebrae of a baby turtle. [7] | |||||
H. sp. | A hybodontid shark | |||||
S. texanus | A type of goblin shark | |||||
A. sp. | A hybodontid shark | |||||
| A prehistoric stingray | |||||
C. appendiculata | An otodontid Shark | |||||
Cretodus sp. | A cretoxyrhinid shark | |||||
Carcharias sp. | A genus of sand shark (sand tiger sharks) | |||||
Odontaspis sp. | A type of sand shark | |||||
Based on the Paleobiology Database & Stringer et al (2018). Some species are known only from otolith remains from Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina, which are indicated: [8] [9]
Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albula | ? A. campaniana | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 263-378 otoliths | A bonefish. | |
?A. cf. A. ripleyensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | |||
A. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | ||||
Anomoeodus | A. phaseolus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A pycnodontid pycnodont. | ||
Ariidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 11 otoliths | A sea catfish of uncertain affinities. | ||
Aulopidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | A flagfin of uncertain affinities. | ||
Beryx | ? B. maastrichtiensis | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 55 otoliths | A potential relative of alfonsinos. | |
? B. zideki | 41 otoliths | ||||
?Congridae indet. | Auger Hole Landing, NC | 1 otolith | An apparent conger eel of uncertain affinities. | ||
Cylindracanthus | C. ornatus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A fish of uncertain affinities. | ||
Enchodus | E. cf. petrosus | Phoebus Landing, NC | An enchodontid aulopiform. | ||
Gonostomatidae indet. | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 4 otoliths | A bristlemouth of uncertain affinities. | ||
Hoplostethus | ? H. coffeesandensis | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 4 otoliths | A slimehead. | |
Kokenichthys | K. ensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 2 otoliths | An elopiform or osteoglossiform. [10] | |
Lepisosteidae indet. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A gar. | |||
Megalopidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | A tarpon of uncertain affinities. | ||
Osmeroides | O. weileri | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 6 otoliths | An osmeroidid elopomorph. | |
Paralbula | P. casei | Phoebus Landing, NC | A phyllodontid elopomorph. | ||
? Pempheris | ? P. huddlestoni | Auger Hole Landing, NC | 1 otolith | An apparent sweeper. | |
Percoidei indet. | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 5 otoliths | A percoid. | ||
? Polymixia | ?P. cf. harderi | Blue Banks Landing, NC | An apparent beardfish. | ||
Pterothrissus | P. carolinensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 67 otoliths | A pterothrissine bonefish. | |
Saurodon | S. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A saurodontid ichthyodectiform. | ||
Stephanodus | S. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A pycnodont. | ||
Xiphactinus | X. audax | Phoebus Landing, North Carolina, NC | An ichthyodectid ichthyodectiform. | ||
X. vetus |
Records from SC based on Schwimmer et al (2015): [6]
Based mainly on Brownstein (2018): [4]
Ornithischians of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | ||
cf. Hadrosaurus | ?H. foulkii | Phoebus Landing & Sampson County, NC [11] | A hadrosaurid, tentatively assigned to the well-known H. foulkii. | |||
" Hadrosaurus" | "H." minor | Phoebus Landing, NC | A small or juvenile hadrosaur, nomen dubium . | |||
H. crassicauda | Phoebus Landing & Sampson County, NC | A gigantic hadrosauroid. First discovered in North Carolina from Sampson County, 1869, and described by Edward Drinker Cope. It was measured to be 12-17 meters, making it one of the largest hadrosauroids. Type locality for genus and species. | ||||
Leptoceratopsidae indet. | Sampson County, NC | A leptoceratopsid ceratopsian. Known from an indeterminate left maxilla found in 2016. [12] | ||||
L. atopus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A hadrosauromorph. Originally described from the Mooreville Chalk Formation, Alabama. |
An indeterminate hadrosauroid is known from Stokes Quarry, SC. [4]
Theropods of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
Appalachiosaurus | A. montgomeriensis | Stokes Quarry, SC | A large eutyrannosaur. [4] | |
cf. Coelosaurus (=" Ornithomimus ") | C. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | An intermediate ornithomimosaur. [4] [13] | |
Dromaeosauridae indet. | Sampson County, NC | A large dromaeosaurid, larger than Saurornitholestes but smaller than Dakotaraptor. [14] | ||
Dryptosaurus | D. aquilunguis | Phoebus Landing, NC | A large dryptosaurid eutyrannosaur. Originally known from the Maastrichtian of New Jersey, but similar remains referable to this species have been recovered from the Tar Heel. [4] | |
S. langstoni | Burches Ferry & Stokes Quarry, SC | A widespread dromaeosaurid ("raptor"). Specimens from this formation provided the first evidence of this species from Appalachia. [4] [15] [16] |
Indeterminate theropods, ornithomimosaurs, and maniraptorans are known from Stokes Quarry. [4]
Based on the Paleobiology Database: [8]
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Borealosuchus | B. formidabilis | Phoebus Landing, NC | A eusuchian. | |
Bottosaurus | B. sp. | Stokes Quarry, SC | An early caiman. | |
Deinosuchus | D. rugosus (=Thecachampsa rugosa, Polydectes biturgidus, Polyptychodon rugosus) | Phoebus Landing & Clifton Farm, NC Stokes Quarry, SC | An alligatoroid, one of the largest known crocodilians. Type locality for genus and species. | |
Gavialoidea indet. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A gavialoid. |
Based on the Paleobiology Database: [8]
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adocus | A. beatus | Phoebus Landing, NC Stokes Quarry, SC | An adocid. | |
Bothremys | B. cooki | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle. | |
Chedighaii | C. barberi | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle. | |
C. hutchinsoni | ||||
Corsochelys | C. bentlyi | Stokes Quarry, SC | A sea turtle, likely a dermochelyid. Type locality for species. | |
Euclastes | E. wielandi | Stokes Quarry, SC | A pancheloniid sea turtle. | |
Osteopygis | O. emarginatus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A macrobaenid. | |
? Taphrosphys | ?T. dares | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle, taxonomic placement disputed. | |
Toxochelys | T. sp. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A toxochelyid sea turtle. | |
" Trionyx " | "T." halophilus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A stem-softshell turtle, likely not an actual member of the genus Trionyx. Species names are nomina dubia . | |
"T." priscus | Stokes Quarry, SC |
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elasmosauridae indet. | Stokes Quarry, South Carolina | An elasmosaurid. |
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Halisaurus | H. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A halisaurine mosasaur. | |
Platecarpus | P. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A plioplatecarpine mosasaur. | |
Prognathodon | P. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A mosasaurine mosasaur. | |
Teiidae indet. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A teiid lizard. | ||
Tylosaurus | T. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC Stokes Quarry, SC | A tylosaurine mosasaur. |
Based on the Paleobiology Database: [17]
Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|
Marsupialia indet. | Darlington County, SC | A presumed marsupial relative. [17] | ||
Multituberculata indet. | Darlington County, SC | A multituberculate. [17] |
Deinosuchus is an extinct genus of alligatoroid crocodilian, related to modern alligators and caimans, that lived 82 to 73 million years ago (Ma), during the late Cretaceous period. The name translates as "terrible crocodile" and is derived from the Greek deinos (δεινός), "terrible", and soukhos (σοῦχος), "crocodile". The first remains were discovered in North Carolina in the 1850s; the genus was named and described in 1909. Additional fragments were discovered in the 1940s and were later incorporated into an influential, though inaccurate, skull reconstruction at the American Museum of Natural History. Knowledge of Deinosuchus remains incomplete, but better cranial material found in recent years has expanded scientific understanding of this massive predator.
Saurornitholestes is a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Canada (Alberta) and the United States.
Pentaceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America. Fossils of this animal were first discovered in 1921, but the genus was named in 1923 when its type species, Pentaceratops sternbergii, was described. Pentaceratops lived around 76–73 million years ago, its remains having been mostly found in the Kirtland Formation in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico. About a dozen skulls and skeletons have been uncovered, so anatomical understanding of Pentaceratops is fairly complete. One exceptionally large specimen later became its own genus, Titanoceratops, due to its more derived morphology, similarities to Triceratops, and lack of unique characteristics shared with Pentaceratops.
Appalachiosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of what is now eastern North America. It was a basal member of the Eutyrannosauria clade meaning it was rather close in relation to the true tyrannosaurids such as Tyrannosaurus. Like most theropods, it was a bipedal predator. Only a juvenile skeleton has been found, representing an animal approximately 6.5 metres (21 ft) long and weighing 623 kilograms (1,373 lb), which indicates an adult would have been significantly larger.
The Judith River Formation is a fossil-bearing geologic formation in Montana, and is part of the Judith River Group. It dates to the Late Cretaceous, between 79 and 75.3 million years ago, corresponding to the "Judithian" land vertebrate age. It was laid down during the same time period as portions of the Two Medicine Formation of Montana and the Oldman Formation of Alberta. It is an historically important formation, explored by early American paleontologists such as Edward Drinker Cope, who named several dinosaurs from scrappy remains found here on his 1876 expedition. Modern work has found nearly complete skeletons of the hadrosaurid Brachylophosaurus.
Leptoceratopsidae is an extinct family of neoceratopsian dinosaurs from Asia, North America and Europe. Leptoceratopsids resembled, and were closely related to, other neoceratopsians, such as the families Protoceratopsidae and Ceratopsidae, but they were more primitive and generally smaller.
Lambeosaurinae is an extinct group of crested hadrosaurid dinosaurs.
The Aguja Formation is a geological formation in North America, exposed in Texas, United States and Chihuahua and Coahuila in Mexico, whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. Fossil palms have also been unearthed here.
The Navesink Formation is a 66 to 70 mya greensand glauconitic marl and sand geological formation in New Jersey. It is known for its Cretaceous period fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones.
Ampheristus is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish. It was a basal or stem member of the family Ophidiidae, which contains modern cusk-eels. Fossils are known from worldwide from the Late Cretaceous to the late Paleogene, making it a rather successful survivor of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
The Marshalltown Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
Tatankaceratops is a controversial genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur. It is a small chasmosaurine ceratopsian which lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now South Dakota. It is known from a single partial skull which was collected from the Hell Creek Formation, dating to 66 million years ago. Tatankaceratops was described by Christopher J. Ott and Peter L. Larson in 2010 and the type species is Tatankaceratops sacrisonorum. Tatankaceratops is known from one specimen housed at the Black Hills Institute, BHI 6226.
Kosmoceratops is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur that lived in North America about 76–75.9 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. Specimens were discovered in Utah in the Kaiparowits Formation of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in 2006 and 2007, including an adult skull and postcranial skeleton and partial subadults. In 2010, the adult was made the holotype of the new genus and species Kosmoceratops richardsoni; the generic name means "ornate horned face", and the specific name honors Scott Richardson, who found the specimens. The find was part of a spate of ceratopsian discoveries in the early 21st century, and Kosmoceratops was considered significant due to its elaborate skull ornamentation.
During most of the Late Cretaceous the eastern half of North America formed Appalachia, an island land mass separated from Laramidia to the west by the Western Interior Seaway. This seaway had split North America into two massive landmasses due to a multitude of factors such as tectonism and sea-level fluctuations for nearly 40 million years. The seaway eventually expanded, divided across the Dakotas, and by the end of the Cretaceous, it retreated towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Hudson Bay.
Titanoceratops is a controversial genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur. It was a giant chasmosaurine ceratopsian that lived in the Late Cretaceous period in what is now New Mexico. Titanoceratops was named for its large size, being one of the largest known horned dinosaurs and the type species was named T. ouranos, after Uranus (Ouranos), the father of the Greek titans. It was named in 2011 by Nicholas R. Longrich for a specimen previously referred to Pentaceratops. Longrich believed that unique features found in the skull reveal it to have been a close relative of Triceratops, classified within the subgroup Triceratopsini. However, other researchers have expressed skepticism, and believe "Titanoceratops" to simply be an unusually large, old specimen of Pentaceratops.
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The Bladen Formation is a geologic formation from the Late Cretaceous of North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. It is known for a plethora of terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate fossils, including dinosaurs and mosasaurs. It appears to be roughly concurrent with the Tuscaloosa Formation of Alabama.