Choptank Formation
| Choptank Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Miocene | |
 Chesapecten nefrens, Choptank Formation | |
| Type | Formation |
| Unit of | Chesapeake Group |
| Underlies | St. Marys Formation |
| Overlies | Calvert Formation |
| Location | |
| Region | Virginia, Maryland |
| Country | United States |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Choptank River |
The Choptank Formation is a geologic formation in Virginia and Maryland. It preserves fossils dating from the Miocene epoch of the Neogene period.
Fossils
[edit]The Choptank Formation is extremely fossiliferous. Some of the fossil species represented include the following:[1][2]
Sharks
[edit]- Otodus megalodon
- Carcharodon hastalis
- Isurus oxyrhincus
- Carcharomodus escheri
- Physogaleus contortus
- Galeocerdo aduncus
- Carcharhinus
- Hemipristis serra
- Squatina sp.
- Notorhyncus cepedianus
- Carcharias
- Isurus retroflexus
- Parotodus benedeni
- Alopias vulpinus
- Alopias grandis
- Cetorhinus
- Negaprion brevirostris
- Rhizoprionodon
- Sphryna laevissima
Rays and Other Cartilaginous Fish
[edit]- Aetobatus arcuatus
- Pteromyaleus sp.
- Dasyatis rugosa
- Dasyatis probsti
- Pinthicus stenodon
Fish
[edit]- Acipenseridae indet.
- Opsanus sp.
- Serranidae sp.
- Pogonias sp.
- Sciaenops sp.
- Tautoga sp.
- Acanthocybium cf. solandri
- Thunnus sp.
- Istiophorus cf. platypterus
- Mola cf. pileata
- Ariopsis aff. A. felis
- Trisopterus sculptus
- Micromesistius cognatus
- Prionotus
Cetaceans
[edit]- Aglaocetus sp.
- Cetotherium sp.
- Delphinodon sp.
- Eurhinodelphis sp.
- Macrokentriodon morani
- Mesocetus
- Parietobalaena
- Orycterocetus
- Pelocetus
Pinnipeds
[edit]- Callophoca obscura
- Leptophoca proxima
- Prophoca sp.
Crocodilians
[edit]- Thecachampsa antiquus
- Thecachampsa sericodon
Invertebrates
[edit]- Chesapecten nefrens
- Chesacardium
- Euspira heros
- Mariacolpus octonnaria
- Macrocallista marylandica
- Stewartia anodonta
- Marvacrassitella marylandica
- Ecphora
- Panopea
- Albertella aberti
Terrestrial Mammals
[edit]- Cynarctus wangi
- Gomphotherium calvertensis
- Hipparion cf. phosphorum
See also
[edit]
- List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Virginia
- Paleontology in Virginia
- Paleontology in Maryland
- Calvert Cliffs State Park
- List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Maryland
- Chesapeake Group
References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Paleobiology Collections Search". collections.nmnh.si.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- ^ "Collections". The Fossil Forum. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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