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Tar Heel/Coachman Formation

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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]

Tar Heel/Coachman Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early-Middle Campanian
~83.2–77.5 Ma
TypeFormation
Unit ofBlack Creek Group
UnderliesBladen Formation
OverliesMiddendorf Formation
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates34°36′N 78°30′W / 34.6°N 78.5°W / 34.6; -78.5
Approximate paleocoordinates35°00′N 50°12′W / 35.0°N 50.2°W / 35.0; -50.2
Region North Carolina
 South Carolina
Country United States
Type section
Named forTar Heel, North Carolina

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]

Paleobiota

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Cartilaginous fish

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Cartilaginous fish of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation
Genus Species Location Notes Images

Ischyrhiza

I. mira An extinct genus of sawfish
 
Squalicorax kaupi
 
Cretolamna
 
Modern sand tiger shark.

Squalicorax

  • S. falcatus
  • S. kaupi
  • S. pristodontus
  • S. bassanii
 An anacorid shark. Includes a coprolite potentially assignable to S. kaupi, containing the vertebrae of a baby turtle.[7]

Hybodus

H. sp. A hybodontid shark

Scapanorhynchus

S. texanus A type of goblin shark

Asteracanthus

A. sp. A hybodontid shark

Brachyrhizodus

  • B. wichitaensis
  • B. mcnultyi
 A prehistoric stingray

Cretolamna

C. appendiculata An otodontid Shark

Cretodus

Cretodus sp. A cretoxyrhinid shark

Carcharias

Carcharias sp. A genus of sand shark (sand tiger sharks)

Odontaspis

Odontaspis sp. A type of sand shark

Ray-finned fish

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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

Reptiles

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Records from SC based on Schwimmer et al (2015):[6]

Dinosaurs

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Ornithischians
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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.

Hypsibema

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]

Lophorhothon

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
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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]  

Saurornitholestes

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]

Crocodylomorphs

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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.

Turtles

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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

Plesiosaurs

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Genus Species Location Notes Images
Elasmosauridae indet. Stokes Quarry, South Carolina An elasmosaurid.

Squamates

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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.  

Mammals

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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]

References

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  1. ^ Longrich, Nicholas R. (2016). "A ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America, and implications for dinosaur biogeography". Cretaceous Research. 57: 199–207. Bibcode:2016CrRes..57..199L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.08.004.
  2. ^ "Geolex — TarHeel publications". ngmdb.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  3. ^ a b Mitra, Madhumi (2002-07-29). Paleopalynology of the Tar Heel Formation of Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina, United States (Thesis).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brownstein, Chase D. (2018-02-08). "The biogeography and ecology of the Cretaceous non-avian dinosaurs of Appalachia". Palaeontologia Electronica. 21 (1): 1–56. doi:10.26879/801. ISSN 1094-8074.
  5. ^ "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  6. ^ a b 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.
  7. ^ Schwimmer, David R.; Weems, Robert E.; Sanders, Albert E. (2015). "A Late Cretaceous Shark Coprolite with Baby Freshwater Turtle Vertebrae Inclusions". PALAIOS. 30 (9/10): 707–713. ISSN 0883-1351.
  8. ^ a b c Czaplewski, John J. "PBDB Navigator". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  9. ^ Stringer, Gary L.; Clements, Don; Sadorf, Eric; Shannon, Kevin (2019). "First Description and Significance of Cretaceous Teleostean Otoliths (Tar Heel Formation, Campanian) from North Carolina". Eastern Paleontologist. 4: 1–22. ISSN 2475-5117.
  10. ^ Stringer, Gary L.; Sloan, James Carson (2023-05-25). "First Cretaceous teleostean otolith assemblage (Arkadelphia Formation, upper Maastrichtian) from Arkansas, USA, early Gadiformes, and the Western Interior Seaway". PaleoBios. 40 (3). doi:10.5070/P940361192. ISSN 2373-8189.
  11. ^ NCSM Paleontology Database
  12. ^ Longrich, Nicholas R. (2016-01-01). "A ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America, and implications for dinosaur biogeography". Cretaceous Research. 57: 199–207. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.08.004. ISSN 0195-6671.
  13. ^ Baird D., and Horner, J., 1979, "Cretaceous dinosaurs of North Carolina" Brimleyana 2: 1–28
  14. ^ Brownstein, Chase D. (2018-12-01). "A large dromaeosaurid from North Carolina". Cretaceous Research. 92: 1–7. Bibcode:2018CrRes..92....1B. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.07.006. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 135459468.
  15. ^ Brownstein, Chase D. (2018-04-05). "Diversity of raptor dinosaurs in southeastern North America revealed by the first definite record from North Carolina". PeerJ Preprints. doi:10.7287/peerj.preprints.26829v1.
  16. ^ Brownstein, Chase D. (2018). "The distinctive theropod assemblage of the Ellisdale site of New Jersey and its implications for North American dinosaur ecology and evolution during the Cretaceous". Journal of Paleontology. 92 (6): 1115–1129. Bibcode:2018JPal...92.1115B. doi:10.1017/jpa.2018.42. ISSN 0022-3360.
  17. ^ a b c "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
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