St. Marys Formation

St. Marys Formation
Stratigraphic range: Neogene
TypeFormation
Unit ofChesapeake Group
UnderliesEastover Formation
OverliesChoptank Formation
Location
RegionMaryland, Virginia
CountryUnited States

The St. Marys Formation is a geologic formation in Maryland and Virginia, United States. It preserves fossils dating back to the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene period. It is the youngest Miocene formation present in the Calvert Cliffs and is part of the Chesapeake Group.

Vertebrate paleofauna

A diverse vertebrate paleofauna is known from the St. Marys Formation:

Cartilaginous fish
Genus Species Notes Tooth example Ref.
Notorynchus N. primigenius This species is possibly synonymous with the broadnose sevengill shark. [1]
Hexanchus H. gigas A species of cow shark. This species is extremely rare in this formation. [1]
Squalus Commonly known as the spurdog. [1]
Squatina Commonly known as the angel shark. [1]
Rhincodon R. typus Commonly known as the whale shark. This species is extremely rare in this formation. [1]
Carcharodon C. hastalis Putative ancestor to the extant great white shark [1]
Carcharomodus C. escheri Commonly known as Escher's mako. It is also known as Carcharodon subserratus and is sometimes placed in Isurus. It is extremely rare in this formation. [1]
Otodus O. megalodon This is the largest shark known to have existed. [1]
Alopias A. latidens This species may be synonymous with the extant common thresher shark. [1]
Mustelus Commonly known as smooth-hounds [1]
Hemipristis H. serra Commonly known as the snaggletooth shark. It is related to the extant snaggletooth shark. [1]
Carcharhinus C. falciformus Commonly known as the silky shark. [1]
C. leucas Commonly known as the bull shark [1]
C. perezii Commonly known as the Caribbean reef shark [1]
C. priscus An extinct requiem shark [1]
C. plumbeus Commonly known as the sandbar shark [1]
Negaprion N. brevrostris Commonly known as the lemon shark [1]
Rhizoprionodon Commonly known as the sharpnose shark [1]
Pteromylaeus Commonly known as the bull ray [1]
Aetobatus Commonly known as the eagle ray [1]
Bony fish
Genus Notes Image Ref.
Acipenseridae gen. indet. [1]
Lepisosteus [1]
Amia cf. A. calva [1]
Alosa [1]
Ictalurus [1]
Merluccius [1]
Belone B. countermani [1][2]
Prionotus [1]
Agonidae gen. indet. [1]
"Paralbula" "P." dorisiae [1]
Lagodon [1]
Stenotomus [1]
Pogonias [1]
Sciaenops [1]
Tautoga [1]
Astroscopus A. countermani [3][1]
Sphyraena [1]
Istiophoridae gen. indet. [1]
Reptiles
Genus Species Notes Image Ref.
Thecachampsa T. antiquus A Tomistominae [1]
Sea mammals
Type Genus Species Notes Image Ref.
Sirenians (sea cows) Metaxytherium M. floridanum [1]
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) Aulophyseter A. mediatlanticus A sperm whale [4]
Lophocetus L. calvertensis [5]
Messapicetus [6]
Stenasodelphis S. russellae [7]
Terrestrial mammals
Name Notes Images Ref.
Procamelus cf. P. minor [8]
Desmathyus [8]
Tapirus [8]
Neohipparion lenticulare [8]
Equidae indet. Larger than Parahippus [8]
Rhinoceratidae [8]
Cormohipparion [8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an Godfrey, Stephen J., ed. (2018-09-25). "The Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, USA". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology (100): 2–274. doi:10.5479/si.1943-6688.100. ISSN 1943-6688.
  2. ^ de Sant'Anna, V. B., Collette, B. B., & Godfrey, S. J. (2013). † Belone countermani, a new Miocene needlefish (Belonidae) from the St. Marys Formation of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 126 (2), 137-150.
  3. ^ Carnevale, Giorgio; Godfrey, Stephen J.; Pietsch, Theodore W. (2011-11-01). "Stargazer (Teleostei, Uranoscopidae) cranial remains from the Miocene Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, U.S.A. (St. Marys Formation, Chesapeake Group)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (6): 1200–1209. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.606856. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 196608143.
  4. ^ Aulophyseter at Fossilworks.org
  5. ^ Fuller, Anna J.; Godfrey, Stephen J. (2007-06-12). "A late Miocene ziphiid (Messapicetus sp.: Odontoceti: Cetacea) from the St. Marys Formation of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 535–540. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[535:ALMZMS]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85606021.
  6. ^ Fuller, Anna J.; Godfrey, Stephen J. (2007-06-12). "A late Miocene ziphiid (Messapicetus sp.: Odontoceti: Cetacea) from the St. Marys Formation of Calvert cliffs, Maryland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 535–540. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[535:almzms]2.0.co;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85606021.
  7. ^ Godfrey, Stephen J.; Barnes, Lawrence G. (2008-06-12). "A new genus and species of late Miocene pontoporiid dolphin (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the St. Marys Formation in Maryland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (2): 520–528. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[520:ANGASO]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 86216551.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Eshelman, R. Terrestrial Mammal Remains from the Miocene Chesapeake Group of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, and Comparisons With Miocene.


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