Peedee Formation

Peedee Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early to Late Maastrichtian, 71.0–66.9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Cucullaea, a fossil bivalve from the Peedee Formation (South Carolina)
Type	Formation
Sub-units	Rocky Point Member, Island Creek Member
Underlies	Castle Hayne Limestone
Overlies	Black Creek Group
Thickness	Up to 886 ft (270 m)
Lithology
Primary	Glauconitic to argillic sandstone
Other	Claystone, limestone
Location
Region	North Carolina, South Carolina
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Pee 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

Cartilaginous fish

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

Sharks

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

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

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

Reptiles

Pterosaurs

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

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

Turtles

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

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

Mosasaurs

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

Echinoderms

Echinoids

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

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

Crinoids

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

Cephalopods

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

• Paleontology portal

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Carolina
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in North Carolina

References

1. USGS Peedee Formation South Carolina and USGS Peedee Formation North Carolina
2. 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. 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.
4. 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. 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.

External links

• Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2021.