| Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | |
| Type: | Formation |
| Age: | Early-Middle Campanian ~ |
| Prilithology: | Siltstone, sandstone |
| Namedfor: | Tar Heel, North Carolina |
| Region: | |
| Coordinates: | 34.6°N -78.5°W |
| Unitof: | Black Creek Group |
| Underlies: | Bladen Formation |
| Overlies: | Middendorf Formation |
| Period: | Campanian |
| Paleocoordinates: | 35°N -50.2°W |
The Tar Heel Formation, also known as the Coachman Formation in South Carolina, is a Late Cretaceous (early to middle Campanian-aged) geologic formation in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. 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, and the formation has been overall dated to the early Campanian based on fossil pollen.[1] [2]
Likely deposited in a nearshore coastal environment representing a lower shoreface, it contains a high diversity of vertebrate remains. It has one of the most diverse dinosaur faunas known from the former landmass of Appalachia, the majority of which are known from two sites: Phoebus Landing along the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, North Carolina, as well as Stokes Quarry in Darlington County, South Carolina.[3] [4] [5]
Fossil pollen grains suggest a subtropical to warm, moist temperate climate for the region, with an ecosystem largely dominated by flowering plants.[6] The Tar Heel/Coachman Formation appears to be roughly concurrent with the Marshalltown Formation of New Jersey, which preserves a similar fauna.
| Cartilaginous fish of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | ||
| Ischyrhiza | I. mira | An extinct genus of sawfish | ||||
| Squalicorax |
| An anacorid shark. Includes a coprolite potentially assignable to S. kaupi, containing the vertebrae of a baby turtle.[7] | ||||
| Hybodus | H. sp. | A hybodontid shark | ||||
| Scapanorhynchus | S. texanus | A type of goblin shark | ||||
| Asteracanthus | A. sp. | A hybodontid shark | ||||
| Brachyrhizodus |
| A prehistoric stingray | ||||
| Cretolamna | C. appendiculata | An otodontid Shark | ||||
| Cretodus | Cretodus sp. | A cretoxyrhinid shark | ||||
| Carcharias | Carcharias sp. | A genus of sand shark (sand tiger sharks) | ||||
| Odontaspis | Odontaspis sp. | A type of sand shark | ||||
Based on the Paleobiology Database & Stringer et al (2018). Some species are known only from otolith remains from Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, North Carolina, which are indicated:[8] [9]
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albula | ?A. campaniana | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 263-378 otoliths | A bonefish. | |
| ?A. cf. A. ripleyensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | |||
| A. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | ||||
| Anomoeodus | A. phaseolus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A pycnodontid pycnodont. | ||
| Ariidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 11 otoliths | A sea catfish of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Aulopidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | A flagfin of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Beryx | ?B. maastrichtiensis | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 55 otoliths | A potential relative of alfonsinos. | |
| ?B. zideki | 41 otoliths | ||||
| ?Congridae indet. | Auger Hole Landing, NC | 1 otolith | An apparent conger eel of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Cylindracanthus | C. ornatus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A fish of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Enchodus | E. cf. petrosus | Phoebus Landing, NC | An enchodontid aulopiform. | ||
| Gonostomatidae indet. | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 4 otoliths | A bristlemouth of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Hoplostethus | ?H. coffeesandensis | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 4 otoliths | A slimehead. | |
| Kokenichthys | K. ensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 2 otoliths | An elopiform or osteoglossiform.[10] | |
| Lepisosteidae indet. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A gar. | |||
| Megalopidae indet. | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 1 otolith | A tarpon of uncertain affinities. | ||
| Osmeroides | O. weileri | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 6 otoliths | An osmeroidid elopomorph. | |
| Paralbula | P. casei | Phoebus Landing, NC | A phyllodontid elopomorph. | ||
| ?Pempheris | ?P. huddlestoni | Auger Hole Landing, NC | 1 otolith | An apparent sweeper. | |
| Percoidei indet. | Blue Banks & Auger Hole Landings, NC | 5 otoliths | A percoid. | ||
| ?Polymixia | ?P. cf. harderi | Blue Banks Landing, NC | An apparent beardfish. | ||
| Pterothrissus | P. carolinensis | Blue Banks Landing, NC | 67 otoliths | A pterothrissine bonefish. | |
| Saurodon | S. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A saurodontid ichthyodectiform. | ||
| Stephanodus | S. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A pycnodont. | ||
| Xiphactinus | X. audax | Phoebus Landing, North Carolina, NC | An ichthyodectid ichthyodectiform. | ||
| X. vetus |
Records from SC based on Schwimmer et al (2015):
Based mainly on Brownstein (2018):
| Ornithischians of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | ||
| cf. Hadrosaurus | ?H. foulkii | Phoebus Landing & Sampson County, NC[11] | A hadrosaurid, tentatively assigned to the well-known H. foulkii. | |||
| "Hadrosaurus" | "H." minor | Phoebus Landing, NC | A small or juvenile hadrosaur, nomen dubium. | |||
| Hypsibema | H. crassicauda | Phoebus Landing & Sampson County, NC | A gigantic hadrosauroid. 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 hadrosauroids. Type locality for genus and species. | |||
| Leptoceratopsidae indet. | Sampson County, NC | A leptoceratopsid ceratopsian. Known from an indeterminate left maxilla found in 2016.[12] | ||||
| Lophorhothon | L. atopus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A hadrosauromorph. Originally described from the Mooreville Chalk Formation, Alabama. | |||
| Theropods of the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | |
| Appalachiosaurus | A. montgomeriensis | Stokes Quarry, SC | A large eutyrannosaur. | ||
| cf. Coelosaurus (="Ornithomimus") | C. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | An intermediate ornithomimosaur.[13] | ||
| Dromaeosauridae indet. | Sampson County, NC | A large dromaeosaurid, larger than Saurornitholestes but smaller than Dakotaraptor.[14] | |||
| Dryptosaurus | D. aquilunguis | Phoebus Landing, NC | A large dryptosaurid eutyrannosaur. Originally known from the Maastrichtian of New Jersey, but similar remains referable to this species have been recovered from the Tar Heel. | ||
| Saurornitholestes | S. langstoni | Burches Ferry & Stokes Quarry, SC | A widespread dromaeosaurid ("raptor"). Specimens from this formation provided the first evidence of this species from Appalachia.[15] [16] | ||
Based on the Paleobiology Database:
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borealosuchus | B. formidabilis | Phoebus Landing, NC | A eusuchian. | ||
| Bottosaurus | B. sp. | Stokes Quarry, SC | An early caiman. | ||
| Deinosuchus | D. rugosus (=Thecachampsa rugosa, Polydectes biturgidus, Polyptychodon rugosus) | Phoebus Landing & Clifton Farm, NCStokes Quarry, SC | An alligatoroid, one of the largest known crocodilians. Type locality for genus and species. | ||
| Gavialoidea indet. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A gavialoid. |
Based on the Paleobiology Database:
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adocus | A. beatus | Phoebus Landing, NCStokes Quarry, SC | An adocid. | |
| Bothremys | B. cooki | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle. | |
| Chedighaii | C. barberi | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle. | |
| C. hutchinsoni | ||||
| Corsochelys | C. bentlyi | Stokes Quarry, SC | A sea turtle, likely a dermochelyid. Type locality for species. | |
| Euclastes | E. wielandi | Stokes Quarry, SC | A pancheloniid sea turtle. | |
| Osteopygis | O. emarginatus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A macrobaenid. | |
| ?Taphrosphys | ?T. dares | Phoebus Landing, NC | A bothremydid side-necked turtle, taxonomic placement disputed. | |
| Toxochelys | T. sp. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A toxochelyid sea turtle. | |
| "Trionyx" | "T." halophilus | Phoebus Landing, NC | A stem-softshell turtle, likely not an actual member of the genus Trionyx. Species names are nomina dubia. | |
| "T." priscus | Stokes Quarry, SC |
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halisaurus | H. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A halisaurine mosasaur. | ||
| Platecarpus | P. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A plioplatecarpine mosasaur. | ||
| Prognathodon | P. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NC | A mosasaurine mosasaur. | ||
| Teiidae indet. | Stokes Quarry, SC | A teiid lizard. | |||
| Tylosaurus | T. sp. | Phoebus Landing, NCStokes Quarry, SC | A tylosaurine mosasaur. |
Based on the Paleobiology Database:[17]
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsupialia indet. | Darlington County, SC | A presumed marsupial relative. | |||
| Multituberculata indet. | Darlington County, SC | A multituberculate. |