The Alachua Formation is a

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

geologic formation 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 exp ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

. The

claystone Mudrocks are a class of fine-grained siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. The varying types of mudrocks include siltstone, claystone, mudstone, slate, and shale. Most of the particles of which the stone is composed are less than and are too sm ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

s and

phosphorite Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentoxi ...

s of the formation preserve many

fossils A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

of mammals,

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephali ...

and

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...

, among others

megalodon Megalodon (''Otodus megalodon''), meaning "big tooth", is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. It was formerly thought to be a me ...

Fossil content

The formation has provided the following fossils.Alachua Formation
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database, a large relational database assembled by hundreds of paleontologists from around the world. History Fossilworks was cre ...

.org

Mammals

;Rodents * '' Harrymys magnus'' * '' Nototamias hulberti'' * '' Petauristodon pattersoni'' * '' Proheteromys floridanus'' * '' cf. Miospermophilus sp.'' * '' Mylagaulus kinseyi'' * '' cf. Texomys sp.'' * Lagomorpha indet. * Mylagaulidae indet. ;Carnivora * '' Amphicyon longiramus'' * ''

Borophagus orc ''Borophagus orc'' is an extinct species of the genus '' Borophagus'' of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the 10.3 Mya to 4.9 Mya. ''Borophagus orc'' existed for approximately . Overview ''Borophagus ...

'' * '' B. pugnator'' * '' Cynelos caroniavorus'' * ''

Enhydritherium terraenovae ''Enhydritherium terraenovae'' is an extinct marine otter endemic to North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic O ...

'' * '' Epicyon haydeni'' * '' E. saevus'' * '' Eucyon davisi'' * '' Euoplocyon spissidens'' * '' Leptarctus ancipidens'' * '' Metatomarctus canavus'' * '' Oligobunis floridanus'' * '' Osbornodon iamonensis'' * '' Phoberocyon johnhenryi'' * ''

Zodiolestes freundi ''Zodiolestes'' is a genus of mustelids, now extinct, which existed during the Miocene period. The genus was first described in 1942, by E. S. Riggs, who identified the sister genus ''Promartes'' at the same time, and assigned to the family Pro ...

'' * '' Borophagus sp.'' * '' Phlaocyon sp.'' * '' Sthenictis sp.'' * Felidae indet. * Mustelinae indet. ;Ground sloths * '' Pliometanastes protistus'' * '' Thinobadistes segnis'' ;Gomphotheres * '' Amebelodon (Konobelodon) britti'' * '' Amebelodon sp.'' ;Artiodactyls * '' Aepycamelus major'' * '' Diabolocornis simonsi'' * '' Floridachoerus olseni'' * '' Floridameryx floridanus'' * '' Floridatragulus dolichanthereus'' * '' Hemiauchenia minima'' * '' Machaeromeryx gilchristensis'' * '' Nothokemas floridanus'' * '' Parablastomeryx floridanus'' * '' Pediomeryx hemphillensis'' * '' Prosynthetoceras texanus'' * '' Synthetoceras australis'' * '' S. cf. tricornatus'' * '' Yumaceras hamiltoni'' * '' Aepycamelus sp.'' * '' Hemiauchenia sp.'' * '' Merycoidodon sp.'' * Antilocapridae indet. * Camelidae indet. * Ruminantia indet. * Tayassuidae indet. * Tayassuinae indet. ;Soricomorpha * '' Karstala silva'' * '' Miomyotis floridanus'' * '' Primonatalus prattae'' * '' Suaptenos whitei'' * '' Limnoecus sp.'' * '' Chiroptera indet.'' ;Perissodactyls * '' Anchitherium clarencei'' * '' Aphelops malacorhinus'' * '' A. mutilus'' * '' Archaeohippus blackbergi'' * ''

Calippus elachistus Callippus may refer to: * Callippus of Syracuse (died 352/51 BC), an Athenian student of Plato and tyrant of Syracuse * Callippus (Calippus of Cyzicus, c. 370–300 BC), a Greek astronomer and mathematician * Callippus of Athens (fl. 279 BC), an A ...

'' * '' Calippus hondurensis'' * ''

Calippus maccartyi Callippus may refer to: * Callippus of Syracuse (died 352/51 BC), an Athenian student of Plato and tyrant of Syracuse * Callippus (Calippus of Cyzicus, c. 370–300 BC), a Greek astronomer and mathematician * Callippus of Athens (fl. 279 BC), an A ...

'' * '' Cormohipparion emsliei'' * '' C. ingenuum'' * '' C. plicatile'' * '' Floridaceras whitei'' * '' Menoceras barbouri'' * '' Nannippus aztecus'' * '' N. morgani'' * '' N. westoni'' * '' Neohipparion trampasense'' * '' Parahippus leonensis'' * '' Protohippus gidleyi'' * '' Pseudhipparion skinneri'' * ''

Tapirus webbi ''Tapirus webbi'' is an extinct species of tapir that once lived in North America during the Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. ...

'' * '' Teleoceras proterum'' * '' Hipparion cf. tehonense'' * '' cf. Astrohippus sp.'' * '' Dinohippus sp.'' ;Sirenians * '' Metaxytherium cf. floridanum'' ;Lipotyphla * Talpidae indet. ;Theriiformes * Vespertilionidae indet.

Birds

* '' Anhinga grandis'' * '' A. subvolans'' * '' Boreortalis laesslei'' * '' Ereunetes rayi'' * ''

Jacana farrandi Jacana may refer to: * Jacana, a common name for the tropical bird family Jacanidae ** ''Jacana'' (genus), a genus of Jacanidae found in the Americas * Jácana or ''Pouteria multiflora'', a tree species in the family Sapotaceae of the order Erical ...

'' * '' Nycticorax fidens'' * ''

Phalacrocorax wetmorei ''Phalacrocorax'' is a genus of fish-eating birds in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. Members of this genus are also known as the Old World cormorants. Taxonomy The genus ''Phalacrocorax'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin ...

'' * '' Promilio brodkorbi'' * '' P. epileus'' * '' P. floridanus'' * '' Rhegminornis calobates'' * '' Thomasococcyx philohippus'' * Anatidae indet. * Cuculidae indet.

Reptiles

;Turtles * '' Floridemys nana'' * '' Hesperotestudo turgida'' * '' Macrochelys auffenbergi'' * '' Pseudemys caelata'' * '' P. carri'' * '' P. williamsi'' * '' Testudo tedwhitei'' * '' Apalone sp.'' * '' Deirochelys sp.'' * '' Pseudemys sp.'' * '' Trachemys sp.'' ;Crocodiles * '' Alligator mississippiensis'' * '' A. olseni'' * '' Thecachampsa sericodon'' * '' Alligator sp.'' ;Snakes * '' Anilioides minuatus'' * ''

Boa constrictor The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family ...

'' * '' Calamagras floridanus'' * '' Ogmophis pauperrimus'' * '' Paraoxybelis floridanus'' * '' Pseudocemophora antiqua'' * '' Pterygoboa sp.'' ;Lizards * '' Peltosaurus floridanus'' * Gekkonidae indet. * Scolecophidia indet.

Amphibians

;Anurans * ''

Bufo praevius ''Bufo'' is a genus of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. As traditionally defined, it was a wastebasket genus containing a large number of toads from much of the world, but following taxonomic reviews most of these have been moved ...

'' * '' Hyla goini'' * '' Proacris mintoni'' * '' Scaphiopus (Scaphiopus) holbrooki'' * '' Microhyla sp.'' * '' Rana sp.'' ;Salamanders * '' Siren hesterna''

Fish

;Sharks *

* '' Carcharhinus brevipinna'' * ''

Carcharhinus limbatus The blacktip shark (''Carcharhinus limbatus'') is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. It is common to coastal tropical and subtropical waters around the world, including brackish habitats. Genetic analyses have rev ...

'' * '' Carcharhinus leucas'' * '' Carcharhinus plumbeus'' * ''

Carcharias taurus The sand tiger shark (''Carcharias taurus''), gray nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark or blue-nurse sand tiger, is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf, from sandy sho ...

'' * '' Carcharodon hastalis'' * '' Galeocerdo aduncus'' * '' Negaprion brevirostris'' * '' Physogaleus contortus'' * ''

Rhizoprionodon terranovae ''Rhizoprionodon'' is a genus of requiem sharks, and part of the family Carcharhinidae, commonly known as sharpnose sharks because of their long, pointed snouts. Species * '' Rhizoprionodon acutus'' ( Rüppell, 1837) (milk shark) * '' Rhizoprio ...

'' * '' Carcharhinus sp.'' * '' Negaprion sp.'' ;Rays * '' Pristis sp.'' ;Others * ''

Hemipristis serra ''Hemipristis serra'' is an extinct species of weasel shark which existed during the Miocene epoch. It was described by Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born ...

'' * '' Lepisosteus sp.''

References

{{reflist, 2

Bibliograyhy

* C. Pimiento. 2014. ''Carcharocles megalodon'' unpublished collections from Natural History Museums around the world * R. C. Hulbert, Jr. 1988. ''Calippus'' and ''Protohippus'' (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equidae) from the Miocene (Barstovian-early Hemphillian) of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 32(3):221-340 * S. D. Webb, B. J. MacFadden, and J. A. Baskin. 1981. Geology and paleontology of the Love Bone Bed from the Late Miocene of Florida. American Journal of Science 281:513-544 * S. E. Hirschfeld and S. D. Webb. 1968. Plio-Pleistocene Megalonychid Sloths of North America. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 12(5) * S. D. Webb. 1966. A Relict Species of the Burrowing Rodent, ''Mylagaulus'', from the Pliocene of Florida. Journal of Mammalogy 47 * W. Auffenberg. 1963. Fossil testudinine turtles of Florida: genera ''Geochelone'' and ''Floridemys''. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 7(2):53-97 * T. E. White. 1942. The Lower Miocene mammal fauna of Florida. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 92(1):1-49 * G. G. Simpson. 1930. Tertiary Land Mammals of Florida. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 59(3):1-64 Geologic formations of Florida Miocene Series of North America Neogene Florida Barstovian Clarendonian Hemingfordian Hemphillian Shale formations of the United States Sandstone formations of the United States Phosphorite formations Shallow marine deposits Paleontology in Florida