Tar Heel/Coachman Formation

Tar Heel/Coachman Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early-Middle Campanian
~83.2–77.5 Ma
TypeFormation
Unit ofBlack Creek Group
UnderliesBladen Formation
Location
Region
Country United States

The Tar Heel Formation, also known as the Coachman Formation in its southern region, is a Late Cretaceous (early to middle Campanian-aged) geologic formation in North Carolina and South Carolina. 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.[1]

Likely deposited in estuarine and inshore marine conditions, it contains a high diversity of vertebrate remains. It has one of the most diverse dinosaur faunas known from the former landmass of Appalachia.[2]

Paleobiota

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Cartilaginous fish[3]

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

Ischyrhiza

I. mira Pitt County, North Carolina
Bladen County, North Carolina 		An extinct genus of sawfish
Squalicorax kaupi
Cretolamna
Modern sand tiger shark.

Squalicorax

  • S. falcatus
  • S. kaupi
  • S. pristodontus
  • S. bassanii
 Wayne County, North Carolina
Bladen County, North Carolina
Lenoir County, North Carolina 		An anacorid shark. Includes a coprolite potentially assignable to S. kaupi, containing the vertebrae of a baby turtle.[4]

Hybodus

H. sp. Bladen County, North Carolina
Robeson County, North Carolina
Wayne County, North Carolina 		A hybodontid shark

Scapanorhynchus

S. texanus Bladen County, North Carolina
Robeson County, North Carolina
Wayne County, North Carolina
Lenoir County, North Carolina 		A type of goblin shark

Asteracanthus

A. sp. Bladen County, North Carolina A hybodontid shark

Brachyrhizodus

  • B. wichitaensis
  • B. mcnultyi
 Bladen County, North Carolina A prehistoric stingray

Cretolamna

C. appendiculata Wayne County, North Carolina
Bladen County, North Carolina 		An otodontid Shark

Cretodus

Cretodus sp. Wayne County, North Carolina A cretoxyrhinid shark

Carcharias

Carcharias sp. Bladen County, North Carolina A genus of sand shark (sand tiger sharks)

Odontaspis

Odontaspis sp. Bladen County, North Carolina 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, which are indicated:[5][6]

Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
Albula ?A. campaniana Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina 263-378 otoliths A bonefish.
?A. cf. A. ripleyensis Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 1 otolith
A. sp. Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina
Anomoeodus A. phaseolus Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A pycnodontid pycnodont.
Ariidae indet. Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 11 otoliths A sea catfish of uncertain affinities.
Aulopidae indet. Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 1 otolith A flagfin of uncertain affinities.
Beryx ?B. maastrichtiensis Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina 55 otoliths A potential relative of alfonsinos.
?B. zideki 41 otoliths
?Congridae indet. Auger Hole Landing, North Carolina 1 otolith An apparent conger eel of uncertain affinities.
Cylindracanthus C. ornatus Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A fish of uncertain affinities.
Enchodus E. petrosus Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina An enchodontid aulopiform.
Gonostomatidae indet. Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina 4 otoliths A bristlemouth of uncertain affinities.
Hadrodus H. priscus Elizabethtown, North Carolina A hadrodontid fish (considered a pycnodont or a semionotiform)
Hoplostethus ?H. coffeesandensis Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina 4 otoliths A slimehead.
Kokenichthys K. ensis Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 2 otoliths An elopiform or osteoglossiform.[7]
Lepisosteus L. sp. Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A gar.
Megalopidae indet. Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 1 otolith A tarpon of uncertain affinities.
Osmeroides O. weileri Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 6 otoliths An osmeroidid elopomorph.
Paralbula P. casei Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A phyllodontid elopomorph.
?Pempheris ?P. huddlestoni Auger Hole Landing, North Carolina 1 otolith An apparent sweeper.
Percoidei indet. Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina 5 otoliths A percoid.
?Polymixia ?P. cf. harderi Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina An apparent beardfish.
Protosphyraena P. sp. Elizabethtown, North Carolina A pachycormid.
Pterothrissus P. carolinensis Blue Banks Landing, North Carolina 67 otoliths A pterothrissine bonefish.
Saurodon S. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A saurodontid ichthyodectiform.
Stephanodus S. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A pycnodont.
Xiphactinus X. audax Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina An ichthyodectid ichthyodectiform.
X. vetus

Reptiles

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Dinosaurs

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Ornithischians
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An indeterminate hadrosauroid is known from Stokes Quarry.[2]

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

Hadrosaurus

H. foulkii Hadrosaurus can be found throughout Late Cretaceous Appalachia.[2]
Hadrosaurus foulkii
"Hadrosaurus" "H." minor Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A small or juvenile hadrosaur.[2]

Hypsibema

H.crassicauda Hypsibema was 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 hadrosaurids.
Hypsibema crassicauda
Leptoceratopsidae[2][8] Indeterminate Sampson County, North Carolina In 2016, a left maxilla was found of a dinosaur from the Leptoceratopsidae, of an unknown genus.

Lophorhothon

L. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina Lophorhothon was discovered in the Mooreville Chalk Formation, Alabama.
Theropods
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Indeterminate theropods, ornithomimosaurs, and maniraptorans are known from Stokes Quarry.[2]

Theropods of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation
Genus Species Location Notes Images
Appalachiosaurus[2] A. montgomeriensis Stokes Quarry, South Carolina A large eutyrannosaur.
cf. Coelosaurus[9] Indeterminate Phoebus Landing, North Carolina An intermediate Ornithomimosaur
Dromaeosaurine[10] Indeterminate Sampson County, North Carolina A large dromaeosaurid, larger than Saurornitholestes but smaller than Dakotaraptor.
Dryptosauridae[2] Indeterminate Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A large eutyrannosaur part of an early lineage related to Dryptosaurus.

Saurornitholestes[2][11]

S. langstoni

The first evidence of dromaeosaurids in Appalachia was uncovered through S. langstoni specimens found at Stokes Quarry and Burches Ferry.[2]

Crocodilians

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Based on the Paleobiology Database:[5]

Genus Species Location Notes Images
Bottosaurus B. sp. Stokes Quarry, South Carolina An early caiman.
Deinosuchus D. rugosus (=Thecachampsa rugosa, Polydectes biturgidus, Polyptychodon rugosus) Phoebus Landing, Clifton Farm & Elizabethtown, North Carolina

Stokes Quarry, South Carolina

An alligatoroid, one of the largest known crocodilians.

Turtles

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Based on the Paleobiology Database:[5]

Genus Species Location Notes Images
Adocus A. beatus Phoebus Landing, North Carolina

Stokes Quarry, South Carolina

An adocid.
Bothremys B. cooki Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A bothremydid side-necked turtle.
Chedighaii C. barberi Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A bothremydid side-necked turtle.
C. hutchinsoni
Corsochelys C. bentlyi Stokes Quarry, South Carolina A sea turtle, likely a dermochelyid.
Euclastes E. wielandi Stokes Quarry, South Carolina A pancheloniid sea turtle.
Osteopygis O. emarginatus Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A macrobaenid.
?Taphrosphys ?T. dares Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A bothremydid side-necked turtle, taxonomic placement disputed.
Toxochelys T. sp. Stokes Quarry, South Carolina A toxochelyid sea turtle.
"Trionyx" "T." halophilus Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A stem-softshell turtle, likely not an actual member of the genus Trionyx.
"T." priscus Stokes Quarry, South Carolina

Plesiosaurs

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Genus Species Location Notes Images
Elasmosauridae indet. Elizabethtown, North Carolina

Stokes Quarry, South Carolina

An elasmosaurid.

Squamates

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Genus Species Location Notes Images
Halisaurus H. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A halisaurine mosasaur.
Platecarpus P. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A plioplatecarpine mosasaur.
Prognathodon P. sp. Phoebus Landing, North Carolina A mosasaurine mosasaur.
Tylosaurus T. sp. Elizabethtown & Phoebus Landing, North Carolina

Stokes Quarry, South Carolina

A tylosaurine mosasaur.

Mammals

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Based on the Paleobiology Database:[5]

Genus Species Location Notes Images
Cimolomys C. sp. Elizabethtown, North Carolina A multituberculate.

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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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.
  3. ^ a b NCSM Paleontology Database
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b c d Czaplewski, John J. "PBDB Navigator". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Baird D., and Horner, J., 1979, "Cretaceous dinosaurs of North Carolina" Brimleyana 2: 1–28
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
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