The Peedee Formation is a geologic formation in North and South Carolina. A marine deposit representing an inner neritic environment,[2] 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]
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.[3]
The stratigraphy of the formation spans from the early Maastrichtian (in South Carolina)[4] 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.[2] Based on its fauna, it appears to be roughly concurrent with the Navesink Formation from New Jersey.[3]
Vertebrate paleobiota
Cartilaginous fish
Based on Case et al. (2017):[2]
Sharks
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Anomotodon
|
A. cf. toddi
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A goblin shark.
|
|
Archaeolamna
|
A. kopingensis
|
Duplin County, North Carolina
|
|
An archaeolamnid mackerel shark.
|
|
Cantioscyllium
|
C. cf. meyeri
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A nurse shark.
|
|
Carcharias
|
C. cf. samhammeri
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A sand shark, related to the modern sand tiger shark.
|
|
Cretalamna
|
C. maroccana
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A megatooth shark.
|
|
Heterodontus
|
H. granti
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A bullhead shark.
|
|
"Hybodus"
|
"H." sp.
|
Duplin County, North Carolina
|
|
A hybodont shark.
|
|
Notidanodon
|
N. sp.
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A cow shark. Teeth damaged but resemble those of the widespread species N. dentatus.
|
|
Odontaspis
|
O. aculeatus
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A sand shark.
|
|
Palaeogaleus
|
P. sp.
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A houndshark.
|
|
Plicatoscyllium
|
P. antiquum
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
|
A nurse shark.
|
|
P. derameei
|
|
Pseudocorax
|
P. cf. affinis
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A pseudocoracid mackerel shark.
|
|
Scapanorhynchus
|
S. texanus
|
Duplin County, North Carolina
|
|
A goblin shark.
|
|
Serratolamna
|
S. serrata
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A serratolamnid mackerel shark.
|
|
Squalicorax
|
S. kaupi
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A crow shark.
|
|
S. pristodontus
|
Squalus
|
S. huntensis
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A spurdog.
|
|
Rays
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Dasyatis
|
D. commercensis
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A whiptail stingray.
|
|
Ischyrhiza
|
I. avonicola
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A sawskate.
|
|
I. mira
|
Ptychotrygon
|
P. clementsi
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A ptychotrygonid sawskate.
|
|
Raja
|
R. farishi
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A skate.
|
|
Rhinobatos
|
R. sp.
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A guitarfish, tentatively placed in Rhinobatos.
|
|
Rhombodus
|
R. binkhorsti
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A rhombodontid stingray.
|
|
Sclerorhynchus
|
S. cf. pettersi
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Island Creek
|
A ganopristid sawskate.
|
|
Bony fish
Reptiles
Pterosaurs
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
cf. Azhdarchidae indet.
|
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry
|
Rocky Point
|
A potential azhdarchid, known from a femur closely resembling that of Azhdarcho.[3]
|
|
Crocodilians
Turtles
Plesiosaurs
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Cimoliasaurus
|
C. magnus
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
Rocky Point
|
An elasmosaurid.[3]
|
|
Mosasaurs
Invertebrate paleobiota
Echinoderms
Echinoids
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Cardiaster
|
C. leonensis
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
Rocky Point
|
A holasterid.
|
|
Catopygus
|
C. mississippiensis
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
A cassidulid.
|
|
Hardouinia
|
H. aequoria
|
Wadsworth Marl Pit, North Carolina
Niels Eddy Landing, North Carolina
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
|
A cassiduloid.
|
|
H. kellumi
|
H. mortonia
|
Faujasia
|
F. chelonium
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
A sand dollar.
|
|
Lefortia
|
L. trojana
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
A sand dollar.
|
|
Linthia
|
L. variabilis
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
A schizasterid heart urchin.
|
|
Porosoma
|
P. sp.
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
A phymosomatid.
|
|
Sea stars
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Aldebarania
|
A. arenitea
|
Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina
|
Rocky Point
|
An astropectinid.[6]
|
|
Crinoids
The Peedee Formation preserves some of the latest-occurring remains of the Roveacrinida, an extinct order of minute, pelagic crinoids.[7]
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Applinocrinus
|
A. texanus
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
|
|
An applinocrinine saccocomid.
|
|
Birgelocrinus
|
B. degraafi
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
|
|
An hessicrinine saccocomid.
|
|
Lucernacrinus
|
B. degraafi
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
|
|
An hessicrinine saccocomid.
|
|
B. jagti
|
Peedeecrinus
|
P. sadorfi
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
|
|
An applinocrinine saccocomid.
|
|
Molluscs
Cephalopods
Genus
|
Species
|
Location
|
Member
|
Notes
|
Images
|
Belemnitella
|
B. americana
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
Black Rock Landing, North Carolina
|
Rocky Point
|
A belemnite, source of the famous "Pee Dee Belemnite".
|
|
Sphenodiscus
|
S. lobatus
|
East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina
|
Rocky Point
|
A sphenodiscid ammonite.
|
|
See also
References
- ^ a b USGS Peedee Formation South Carolina and USGS Peedee Formation North Carolina
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c d e f 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.
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- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
External links