Ashley Formation
Geologic formation in South Carolina, U.S.
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The Ashley Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.
Sub-unitsGettysville Member, Runnymeade Marl Member and Givhans Ferry Member.[1]
RegionSouth Carolina
CountryUnited States
| Ashley Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Lower Oligocene (Rupelian) | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Sub-units | Gettysville Member, Runnymeade Marl Member and Givhans Ferry Member.[1] |
| Location | |
| Region | South Carolina |
| Country | United States |
Vertebrate fauna
Mammals
| Carnivorans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Phocidae | Gen. et. sp. indeterminate | Proximal portion of a right femur (ChM PV5713).[2] | "A taxon closely comparable to the most specialized phocid, the modern genus Cystophora". | ||
| Cetaceans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Agorophius | A. pygmaeus | Underwater cliff face from the base of the formation.[3] | A skull.[3] |  | |
| Albertocetus | A. meffordorum | Givhans Ferry Member and Runnymede Marl Member.[4] | A partial skeleton and an isolated braincase.[4] | A xenorophid. |  |
| Ankylorhiza | A. tiedemani | AMNH 10445 (partial rostrum) and CCNHM 220 (partial skull and associated vertebrae).[5] | An odontocete. |  | |
| Ashleycetus | A. planicapitis | Near Charleston, South Carolina.[6] | A partial skull.[6] | ||
| Coronodon | C. havensteini | "Wando River near Highway 41 Bridge, Berkeley County, South Carolina".[7] | A basal mysticete. |  | |
| Ediscetus | E. osbornei | "Slightly outside the odontocete crown group".[8] | |||
| Micromysticetus | M. rothauseni | 2 braincases without rostra.[9] | |||
| Saurocetus | S. gibbesi | [10] | A cheek tooth (MCZ 8760).[11] | ||
| Xenorophus | X. sloanii | Incomplete skull.[12] | A xenorophid. | ||
| Sirenians | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Crenatosiren | C. olseni | [13] | A dugongid also found in the Chandler Bridge and Parachucla formations. | ||
| Stegosiren | S. macei | [14] | A dugongid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. |  | |
Reptiles
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
| Crocodilians | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Gavialosuchus | G. carolinensis | Dorchester County, South Carolina.[15] | ChM PV 4282 (mandible).[15] | Now moved to the genus Thecachampsa. | |
| Thecachampsa | T. carolinensis | Dorchester County, South Carolina.[15] | ChM PV 4282 (mandible).[15] | A gavialoid. |  |
| Turtles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Ashleychelys | A. palmeri | East bank of Limehouse Branch, Berkeley County, South Carolina.[16] | A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. | ||
| Carolinochelys | C. wilsoni | MCZ 1005-A (a nearly complete skull) and ChM PV8309.[16] | A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. |  | |
| Natemys | N. sp. 1 | Givhan's Ferry Member.[17] | CCNHM 4288 (a non-ridged carapacial ossicle).[17] | A dermochelyid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. | |
| N. sp. 2 | ?Givhan's Ferry Member and ?Runnymede Marl Member.[17] | CCNHM 4287.1 and 4287.2 (a pair of associated non-ridged carapacial ossicles) and CCNHM
4910 (a non-ridged ossicle).[17] |
A dermochelyid. | ||
| Procolpochelys | P. charlestonensis | A humerus (MCZ 1005-B).[16] | A cheloniid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. |  | |
| cf. Psephophorus | cf. P. sp. | Givhan's Ferry Member.[17] | CCNHM 5460 (an isolated non-ridged carapacial ossicle).[17] | A dermochelyid also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. |  |
Fish
Cartilaginous fish
| Rays | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Dasyatis | "D." sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A stingray. |  |
| Mobula | "M." sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A devil ray. |  | |
| Plinthicus | P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A tooth (SC2007.36.48).[1] | ||
| Raja | R. mccollumi | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Abundant teeth.[1] | A skate also found in the Chandler Bridge Formation. | |
| "R." sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A skate, appears to be conspecific with R. sp. from the Chandler Bridge Formation. | ||
| Rhinoptera | "R." sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A broken symphyseal tooth (SC2015.29.30).[1] | A cownose ray. |  |
| Rhynchobatus | R. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth (SC2007.36.39, SC2015.29.13, SC2015.29.32).[1] | A wedgefish. |  |
| Taeniurops | "T." cavernosus | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A stingray. | |
| Sharks | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Araloselachus | A. sp. | May be derived from the Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | ||
| Carcharhinus | C. gibbesi | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A large number of teeth.[1] | The most common shark in the Ashley Formation sample. |  |
| Galeocerdo | G. aduncus | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | A ground shark. |  |
| Ginglymostomatidae | Gen. et. sp. indeterminate | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A partial tooth (SC2007.36.208).[1] | A nurse shark. | |
| Hemipristis | H. cf. H. serra | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | 4 teeth (SC2007.36.7, SC2007.36.8, SC2007.36.9).[1] | A weasel shark. |  |
| Otodus | O. angustidens | Ashley River, in the Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Ablated specimens.[1] | A megatoothed shark. |  |
| Pachyscyllium | P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A tooth (SC2007.36.5).[1] | A catshark. | |
| Physogaleus | P. cf. P. contortus | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | SC2007.36.19, SC2007.36.20 (four teeth), SC2015.29.27.[1] | A ground shark. | |
| P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | SC2007.36.21 and SC2007.36.22.[1] | A ground shark. | ||
| Pristiophorus | P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | An incomplete tooth crown (SC2015.29.20).[1] | A sawshark. |  |
| Scyliorhinus | S. weemsi | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A catshark. | |
| Sphyrnidae | Gen. et. sp. indeterminate | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | SC2007.36.23, SC2007.36.24, SC2007.36.25 (11 teeth), SC2007.36.26, SC2007.36.27, SC2007.36.28 (five teeth).[1] | A hammerhead shark. | |
| Squalus | S. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | A spurdog. |  |
| Squatina | S. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth (SC2007.36.4, SC2007.36.126, SC2007.36.149, SC2007.36.227, SC2015.29.18, SC2015.29.19, SC2015.33.2).[1] | An angelshark. |  |
| Trigonotodus | T. alteri | Teeth.[1] | A thresher shark. | .jpg) | |
Bony fish
| Bony fish | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Albula | A. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | SC2007.36.165, SC2007.36.228 (five teeth), SC2015.29.200 (66 teeth), SC2015.29.201, SC2015.29.204.[1] | A bonefish. |  |
| Archosargus | A. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A sea bream. |  |
| ?Calamus | ?C. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | A sea bream. |  |
| Diplodus | D. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | SC2015.29.195 (13 teeth), SC2015.29.222, SC2015.29.223, SC2015.29.224.[1] | A sea bream. | ,_franja_marina_Teno-Rasca,_Tenerife,_España,_2022-01-09,_DD_49.jpg) |
| ?Labridae | Gen. et. sp. indet. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Multiple teeth.[1] | A wrasse. | |
| Osteoglossidae | Gen. et. sp. indeterminate | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | ||
| Palaeocybium | P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A tooth (SC2007.36.122), a neurocranium and a left dentary.[1] | A scombrid. | |
| Paralichthyidae | Gen. et. sp. indeterminate | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | A tooth (SC2015.36.259).[1] | A flatfish. | |
| ?Pogonias | ?P. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | A croaker. | _(12639311174).jpg) |
| Scomberomorus | S. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Teeth.[1] | A scombrid. |  |
| ?Sciaenops | ?S. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Many teeth.[1] | A croaker. | _(12527956414).jpg) |
| Sphyraena | S. sp. | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | Many cheek and laniary teeth.[1] | A barracuda. |  |
| Trichiurides | T. cf. T. sagittidens | Givhans Ferry Member.[1] | 2 ablated laniary teeth.[1] | A cutlassfish. | |
