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Old Church Formation
The Old Church Formation is a geologic formation in Virginia and possibly Maryland. It preserves fossils dating back to the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene period. It rarely exposes on land and is under-studied. However, deposits from this period are rare and the Old Church Formation likely contains many scientifically significant taxa. Ward (1985) recommended placing this formation in the Chesapeake Group. Species Some of the species known from the Old Church Formation are included below. Further study will likely reveal a more diverse fauna. Chondrichthyans *''Otodus angustidens'' *''Hemipristis serra'' *''Alopias vulpinus'' *'' Squatina prima?'' Cetaceans *''Xenorophidae'' sp''.'' *'' Micromysticetus'' sp. *cf. ''Ankylorhiza'' sp. *cf. '' Xenorophus sloani'' *aff. ''Coronodon'' sp. *aff. ''Cotylocara'' sp. and ''Echovenator'' sp. *aff. ''Eosqualodon'' sp. Chelonians *'' Procolpochelys charlestonensis'' *''Carolinochelys wilsoni'' *'' Ashleychelys palmeri'' Invertebrates * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formation (stratigraphy)
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exposed in a geographical region (the stratigraphic column). It is the fundamental unit of lithostratigraphy, the study of strata or rock layers. A formation must be large enough that it can be mapped at the surface or traced in the subsurface. Formations are otherwise not defined by the thickness of their rock strata, which can vary widely. They are usually, but not universally, tabular in form. They may consist of a single lithology (rock type), or of alternating beds of two or more lithologies, or even a heterogeneous mixture of lithologies, so long as this distinguishes them from adjacent bodies of rock. The concept of a geologic formation goes back to the beginnings of modern scientific geology. The term was used by Abraham Gottlob W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alopias Vulpinus
The common thresher (''Alopias vulpinus''), also known as Atlantic thresher, is the largest species of thresher shark, family Alopiidae, reaching some in length. About half of its length consists of the elongated upper lobe of its caudal fin. With a streamlined body, short pointed snout, and modestly sized eyes, the common thresher resembles (and has often been confused with) the pelagic thresher (''A. pelagicus''). It can be distinguished from the latter species by the white of its belly extending in a band over the bases of its pectoral fins. The common thresher is distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate waters, though it prefers cooler temperatures. It can be found both close to shore and in the open ocean, from the surface to a depth of . It is seasonally migratory and spends summers at lower latitudes. The long tail of the common thresher, the source of many fanciful tales through history, is used in a whip-like fashion to deliver incapacitating blows to its prey. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anomia (bivalve)
''Anomia'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Anomiidae. They are commonly known as jingle shells because when a handful of them are shaken they make a jingling sound, though some are also known as saddle oysters. This genus first appeared in the Permian period of China, Italy, and Pakistan. ''Anomia'' species are common in both tropical and temperate oceans and live primarily attached to rock or other shells via a calcified byssus that extends through the lower valve.Ludvigsen, Rolf & Beard, Graham. 1997. West Coast Fossils: A Guide to the Ancient Life of Vancouver Island. pg. 109 ''Anomia'' shells tend to take on the surface shape of what they are attached to; thus if an ''Anomia'' is attached to a scallop shell, the shell of the ''Anomia'' will also show ribbing. The species ''A. colombiana'' has been found in the La Frontera Formation of Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Huila of Colombia. Species Species: *'' Anomia achaeus'' *'' Anomia alt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercenaria
''Mercenaria'' is a genus of edible saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. The genus ''Mercenaria'' includes the quahogs, consisting of ''Mercenaria mercenaria'', the northern quahog or hard clam, and ''M. campechiensis'', the southern quahog. These two species commonly hybridise where their ranges overlap. Mercenaria mercenaria is further subdivided in the marketplace and thence in the kitchen by size: the largest being the quahog or chowder clam, then smaller cherrystones, and smallest littlenecks; some markets also differentiate top necks which are intermediate in size between cherrystones and littlenecks. The smaller clams are eaten raw throughout New England, New York, and New Jersey; the larger clams are more suited for cooking. Other species within the genus include the venus clam ''M. stimpsoni'' found in north Pacific waters. All these species were formerly placed in the related genus ''Venus''. Species The World Registe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carolinochelys Wilsoni
''Carolinochelys'' is an extinct genus of sea turtle from Oligocene of United States. It contains one species: ''C. wilsoni'', and was first named by O.P. Hay in 1923. References Life History: Geologic History of Sea Turtles at the Paleobiology Database
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals, plants, and microorganisms.
History
The Paleobiology Database (PBDB) or ...
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Procolpochelys
''Procolpochelys'' is an extinct genus of sea turtle from the Miocene of what is now Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. Its fossils have been found in the Calvert Formation. It was first named by Hay in 1908. References External links ''Procolpochelys''at the Paleobiology Database www.scistp.org Cryptodira Fossils of the United States Miocene turtles Prehistoric turtle genera Taxa named by Oliver Perry Hay Extinct turtles {{paleo-turtle-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echovenator
''Echovenator'' ("echolocation hunter") is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae. Description and paleobiology ''Echovenator'' is distinguishable from other xenorophids in having a paranaris fossa Fossa may refer to: Animals * Fossa (animal), the common name of a carnivoran mammal of genus ''Cryptoprocta'' endemic to Madagascar * ''Fossa'', the Latin genus name of the Malagasy civet, a related but smaller mammal endemic to Madagascar Pla ... and fused fronto-nasal and maxillo-premaxillary sutures. The earbone structure shows that this odontocete was clearly capable of echolocation.. References Oligocene cetaceans Fossil taxa described in 2016 {{paleo-whale-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cotylocara
''Cotylocara'' is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits of the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae Xenorophidae is an extinct family of odontocetes currently known from the Oligocene of the southeastern US. Known genera of xenorophids include ''Albertocetus'', '' Archaeodelphis'', '' Xenorophus'', '' Cotylocara'', ''Echovenator'', and ''Inerm .... Paleobiology ''Cotylocara'' was capable of echolocation like modern dolphins, as evidenced by its dense, thick and downturned rostrum, air sac fossae, cranial asymmetry, and exceptionally broad maxillae.Jonathan H. Geisler, Matthew W. Colbert, James L. Carew., 2014: ''A new fossil species supports an early origin for toothed whale echolocation.'' ''Nature''. doi:10.1038/nature13086 References Oligocene cetaceans Fossil taxa described in 2014 {{paleo-whale-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coronodon
''Coronodon'' is a genus of toothed mysticetes from the Early Oligocene Ashley Formation of South Carolina. Description It was about the same size as ''Dorudon'', measuring long and weighing . The rostrum of ''Coronodon'' is wide, judging by its straight sides and short mandibular symphysis. Despite being similar to some archaeocetes in having a rostrum that is twisted counterclockwise in anterior view, it differs in having posterior teeth with subequal cusps and an upturned anterior process of the maxilla. ''Coronodon'' differs from other toothed mysticetes in having anterior lower molars labially overlapping posterior lower molars. * Phylogeny ''Coronodon'' falls basally within Mysticeti, being closely related to the unnamed taxon ChM PV 5720 and more primitive than ''" Metasqualodon" symmetricus'', Aetiocetidae, Mammalodontidae, and ''Llanocetus ''Llanocetus'' ( "Llano's whale" ) is a genus of extinct toothed baleen whales from the Late Eocene of Antarctica. The type sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenorophus
''Xenorophus'' is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae. Classification ''Xenorophus'' was originally described on the basis of a skull from the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina in the collections of the USNM. Later authors, but also Remington Kellogg who described the genus, classified it in the family Agorophiidae, which eventually became a repository for primitive odontocetes. Whitmore and Sanders (1977) and Fordyce (1981), however, preferred to treat ''Xenorophus'' as Odontoceti ''incertae sedis''. A cladistic analysis by Mark Uhen published in 2008 recognized ''Xenorophus'' as belonging with '' Archaeodelphis'' and '' Albertodelphis'' in an odontocete clade more primitive than ''Agorophius'' or ''Simocetus'', and named it Xenorophidae. Paleobiology ''Xenorophus'' was capable of echolocation like modern dolphins, judging from the cranial features of two other xenorophids, ''Ec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ankylorhiza
''Ankylorhiza'' (meaning "fused roots"; in reference to the type of dentition seen in early toothed whales) is an extinct genus of toothed whale that lived in what is now the United States during the Oligocene epoch, between 29 and 23.5 million years ago. The type and only known species is ''A. tiedemani'', though two fossil skeletons may represent an additional, second species within the genus. ''Ankylorhiza'' was about long, with a long, robust skull bearing conical teeth that were angled forwards at the tip of the snout. ''Ankylorhiza'' is the largest known Oligocene toothed whale and is one of the most completely known early members of this group, with characteristics intermediate between basal and derived cetaceans. The taxon would have had powerful jaw musculature and probably fed on large prey by seizing it and puncturing it with its robust teeth. The animal likely occupied a fast-swimming predator niche similar to that of living orcas. Discovery and naming The holot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
