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 recen ...
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 ...
in
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, and to ...
. 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 ...
s,
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
phosphorites 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 in ...
of
mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s,
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 lightweigh ...
s,
reptiles
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...
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% of li ...
, 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 membe ...
.
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
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...
.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 (unit), Mya to 4.9 Mya. ''Borophagus orc'' existed for approximately .
Overview
''B ...
''
* ''
B. pugnator''
* ''
Cynelos caroniavorus''
* ''
Enhydritherium terraenovae''
* ''
Epicyon haydeni
''Epicyon'' ("more than a dog") is a large, extinct, canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"), native to North America. ''Epicyon'' existed for about from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene, to the Hemphillian of ...
''
* ''
E. saevus''
* ''
Eucyon davisi
''Eucyon'' (Greek: : good, true; : dog) is an extinct genus of medium omnivorous coyote-like canid that first appeared in the Western United States during the late Middle Miocene 10 million years ago. It was the size of a jackal and weighed ar ...
''
* ''
Euoplocyon spissidens''
* ''
Leptarctus ancipidens''
* ''
Metatomarctus canavus''
* ''
Oligobunis floridanus
''Oligobunis'' is an extinct genus of mustelids, which existed during the Miocene epoch.
The genus was first described by E. D. Cope in 1881. Cope assigned the genus to the family Mustelidae, and J. A. Baskin assigned it to the subfamily Oligo ...
''
* ''
Osbornodon iamonensis
''Osbornodon iamonensis'' is an extinct species of hesperocyonine, a predecessor of modern dogs that were endemic to North America and which lived from the Oligocene to Early Miocene epoch 23.6—16.3 Ma and existed for approximately . It was n ...
''
* ''
Phoberocyon johnhenryi''
* ''
Zodiolestes freundi''
* ''
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''
* ''
Calippus hondurensis''
* ''
Calippus maccartyi''
* ''
Cormohipparion emsliei''
* ''
C. ingenuum''
* ''
C. plicatile''
* ''
Floridaceras whitei''
* ''
Menoceras barbouri''
* ''
Nannippus aztecus''
* ''
N. morgani''
* ''
N. westoni''
* ''
Neohipparion trampasense''
* ''
Parahippus leonensis
''Parahippus leonensis'' is an extinct proto-horse of the family Equidae that was endemic to North America during the Miocene from 23.030 to 16.3 Ma living for approximately .
''Parahippus leonensis'' was named for Leon or more specifically Leo ...
''
* ''
Protohippus gidleyi''
* ''
Pseudhipparion skinneri''
* ''
Tapirus webbi
''Tapirus webbi'' is an extinct species of tapir
Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions ...
''
* ''
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''
* ''
Nycticorax fidens''
* ''
Phalacrocorax wetmorei''
* ''
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
The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the gen ...
''
* ''
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 B ...
''
* ''
Calamagras floridanus''
* ''
Ogmophis pauperrimus''
* ''
Paraoxybelis floridanus''
* ''
Pseudocemophora antiqua''
* ''
Pterygoboa sp.''
;Lizards
* ''
Peltosaurus floridanus''
*
Gekkonidae indet.
*
Scolecophidia indet.
Amphibians
;Anurans
* ''
Bufo praevius''
* ''
Hyla goini''
* ''
Proacris mintoni''
* ''
Scaphiopus (Scaphiopus) holbrooki''
* ''
Microhyla sp.''
* ''
Rana sp.''
;Salamanders
* ''
Siren hesterna
''Siren'' is a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae. The genus consists of three living species, along with one extinct species from the Eocene Epoch and three from the Miocene.
The living species have elongated, eel-like bodies ...
''
Fish
;Sharks
*
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 membe ...
* ''
Carcharhinus brevipinna''
* ''
Carcharhinus limbatus''
* ''
Carcharhinus leucas
The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in riv ...
''
* ''
Carcharhinus plumbeus
The sandbar shark (''Carcharhinus plumbeus'') also known as the brown shark or thickskin shark, is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. It is distinguishable by it ...
''
* ''
Carcharias taurus''
* ''
Carcharodon hastalis
''Cosmopolitodus'' is an extinct genus of mackerel shark that lived between thirty to one million years ago during the late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene epochs. Its type species is ''Cosmopolitodus hastalis'', the broad-tooth mako (oth ...
''
* ''
Galeocerdo aduncus
''Galeocerdo'' is a genus of requiem sharks that have lived since the Paleocene epoch. While these sharks were formerly diverse, only ''G. cuvier'' (the modern tiger shark) survives today.
Species
Species in the genus ''Galeocerdo'' include: ...
''
* ''
Negaprion brevirostris''
* ''
Physogaleus contortus''
* ''
Rhizoprionodon terranovae''
* ''
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.''
See also
*
List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Florida
See also
* Paleontology in Florida
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Florida
Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of the United States, Florida
Paleontology in Florida, Stratigraphic units
Stratigraphy of Flo ...
*
Alajuela Formation
The Alajuela Formation, originally Alhajuela Formation (Tau),Geologic Map, 1980 is a Late Miocene (Tortonian, Early Hemphillian or Latest Clarendonian in the NALMA classification) geologic formation in the Panama Canal Zone of central Panama. ...
*
Chagres Formation
The Chagres Formation (Tc)Geologic Map, 1980 is a geologic formation in the Colón Province of central Panama. The sandstones and siltstones were deposited in a shallow marine environment and preserve fossils dating back to the Middle to Late Mio ...
*
Goliad Formation
The Goliad Formation (Tg)Page et al., 2005, p.5 is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Texas. It preserves fossils dating back to the Serravallian to earliest Pliocene stages (Clarendonian, Hemphillian and earliest Blancan in the North Ame ...
*
Shoal River Formation
*
Tuira Formation
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