Peedee Formation

Peedee Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early to Late Maastrichtian, 71.0–66.9 Ma
↓
Cucullaea, a fossil bivalve from the Peedee Formation (South Carolina)
TypeFormation
Sub-unitsRocky Point Member, Island Creek Member
UnderliesCastle Hayne Limestone
OverliesBlack Creek Group
ThicknessUp to 886 ft (270 m)
Lithology
PrimaryGlauconitic to argillic sandstone
OtherClaystone, limestone
Location
RegionNorth Carolina, South Carolina
CountryUnited States
Type section
Named forPee Dee River, type locality: Burches Ferry, South Carolina[1]

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

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Cartilaginous fish

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Based on Case et al. (2017):[2]

Sharks

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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

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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

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Genus Species Location Member Notes Images
Enchodus E. sp. East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina Rocky Point An enchodontid aulopiform.[3]

Reptiles

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Pterosaurs

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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

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Genus Species Location Notes Images
Borealosuchus B. sp. Diamondhead Loop Road, South Carolina A eusuchian.[4]

Turtles

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Genus Species Location Member Notes Images
Peritresius P. ornatus East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina

Allison Ferry, South Carolina

Rocky Point A pancheloniid sea turtle.[3]
"Trionyx" "T." halophilus Lynchburg, South Carolina A stem-trionychian.[4]

Plesiosaurs

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Genus Species Location Member Notes Images
Cimoliasaurus C. magnus East Coast Limestone Quarry, North Carolina Rocky Point An elasmosaurid.[3]

Mosasaurs

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Genus Species Location Notes Images
Halisaurus H. sp. Holden Beach, North Carolina A halisaurine.[5]
Mosasaurus M. cf. beaugei Holden Beach, North Carolina A mosasaurine.[5]
M. cf. hoffmannii
Prognathodon P. cf. solvayi Holden Beach, North Carolina

?Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

A mosasaurine.[5]
Prognathodontini indet. Holden Beach, North Carolina An indeterminate mosasaurine with large teeth, reminiscent of Thalassotitan.[5]
Tylosaurus T. sp. Diamondhead Loop Road, South Carolina A tylosaurine.[4]

Invertebrate paleobiota

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Echinoderms

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Echinoids

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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

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Genus Species Location Member Notes Images
Aldebarania A. arenitea Martin-Marietta Castle Hayne Quarry, North Carolina Rocky Point An astropectinid.[6]

Crinoids

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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

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Cephalopods

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b USGS Peedee Formation South Carolina and USGS Peedee Formation North Carolina
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
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