Belgrade Formation
Geologic formation in North Carolina, United States
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The Belgrade Formation is a limestone geologic formation in North Carolina characterized by limestone coquina mixed with sand, and thinly laminated clays.[2] It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.
Sub-unitsPollocksville Member, Haywood Landing Member
UnderliesDuplin Formation
OverliesRiver Bend Formation[1]
| Belgrade Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Sub-units | Pollocksville Member, Haywood Landing Member |
| Underlies | Duplin Formation |
| Overlies | River Bend Formation[1] |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Limestone sand |
| Other | Clay |
| Location | |
| Region | North Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Belgrade, North Carolina |
Description
The Belgrade Formation is composed of two subunits: the Pollocksville member and the Haywood Landing member. The Pollocksville member is composed of unconsolidated oyster shells and sand. It was deposited in the Oligocene and early Miocene. The Haywood Landing member is composed of shelly sands and thinly laminated clays. The Belgrade Formation was originally considered part of an Eocene formation called the Trent Marl before it was identified as being deposited in the Miocene and split off.[2]
Strontium isotope dating suggests that the marine invertebrates in the formation primarily originate from an older Late Oligocene-aged facies, while the vertebrates (including the land mammals and sharks) date to a younger, earliest Miocene-aged facies.[3]
Fossil content
Mammals
A small but diverse land mammal fauna is known from the formation.[3]
Rodents
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cf. Palaeocastor | cf. P. sp. | Jones County[3] | A castorid. |  |
Lagomorphs
Carnivorans
Perissodactyls
| Perissodactyls | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| cf. Anchitherium | cf. A. sp. | An equid. | _Anchitherium_aurelianense_-_Mandibule_complète_(Cuvier,_1825).jpg) | ||
| Archaeohippus | A. blackbergi | An equid. |  | ||
| cf. Menoceras | cf. M. barbouri | A rhinoceros. |  | ||
| Nexuotapirus | N. marslandensis | A tapir. |  | ||
Artiodactyls
| Artiodactyls | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Arretotherium | A. cf. fricki | An anthracotheriid. | |||
| Daeodon | D. shoshonensis | An entelodont. |  | ||
| Hesperhyinae indet. | A peccary of uncertain affinities. | ||||
| Paratoceras | P. wardi | A protoceratid. |  | ||
Cetaceans
| Cetaceans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Albertocetus | A. meffordorum | Isolated right petrosal (USNM 559392).[5][6] | A xenorophid. |  | |
| Ankylorhiza | A. tiedemani | CCNHM 6045 (a well preserved 10th lower postcanine).[6] | An odontocete. |  | |
| A. sp. | CCNHM 5554 (an isolated postcanine) and CCNHM 5465 (a partial bulla).[6] | An odontocete. |  | ||
| Cotylocara | cf. C. sp. | CCNHM 4277 (a partial left bulla)".[6] | A xenorophid. |  | |
| Echovenator | E. sp. | A fragmentary petrosal.[5] | A xenorophid. | ||
| cf. E. | Partial tympanic bullae.[6] | A xenorophid, possibly the same taxon as Echovenator sp.[6] | |||
| Eomysticetidae | Eomysticetidae indet. | CCNHM 1831 and CCNHM 1821, both are right tympanic bullae.[6] | An indeterminate species most similar to (but sti differing from) Eomysticetus whitmorei. | ||
| cf. Eoplatanista | cf. E. sp. | "CCNHM 4276 (a partial right tympanic bulla)".[6] | |||
| Eurhinodelphinidae | Eurhinodelphinidae indet. | CCNHM 1828 (a partial right periotic) and CCNHM 4274 (a partial left tympanic bulla).[6] | "Compares favorably with Xiphiacetus cristatus and Eurhinodelphis cocheteuxi".[6] | ||
| ?Kentriodontidae | ?Kentriodontidae indet. | "CCNHM 4275 (a partial bulla)".[6] | |||
| Odontocete | Indeterminate | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | CCNHM 1903 (an isolated tooth).[6] | Indeterminate toothed whale remains, may represent a squalodelphinid or kentriodontid. | |
| cf. Physeteroidea | cf. Physeteroidea indet. | "CCNHM 1904 (a partial tooth)".[6] | May represent a juvenile physeteroid tooth. | ||
| Squalodelphinidae | Squalodelphinidae indet. | 3 right periotics and 3 right tympanic bullae.[6] | |||
| cf. Squalodon | cf. S. sp. | A periotic and multiple teeth.[6] | A squalodontid. |  | |
| Waipatiidae | Waipatiidae indet. | "CCNHM 1354 (a posterior lower molar)".[6] | |||
| Xenorophidae | Xenorophidae indet. | "CCNHM 1833 (a partial right squamosal)".[6] | "Falls within the size range of Albertocetus, Echovenator, and Inermorostrum."[6] | ||
| Xenorophus | X. sp. | CCNHM 1826 (a partial postcanine) and CCNHM 1187 (a partial tympanic bulla).[6] | A xenorophid, may represent X. sloanii. | ||
Sirenians
| Sirenians | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Crenatosiren | C. olseni | Onslow Beach.[6] | Skull caps.[6] | An early dugongid. | |
| Sirenia | Sirenia indet. | "CCNHM 1906 (a partial rib fragment)".[6] | "Approximately twice the diameter of ribs of Crenatosiren olseni, potentially representing a larger dugongid like Dioplotherium,
Stegosiren, or Priscosiren".[6] |
||
Reptiles
| Reptiles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Chelonioidea | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | Indeterminate sea turtle remains. | |||
| Crocodilia | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | Indeterminate crocodilian remains. | |||
Fish
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
| Chondrichthyes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Anoxypristis | A. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A sawfish. |  | |
| Carcharhinus | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | ||||
| Carcharias | C. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A sand shark. | ||
| Carcharocles | C. angustidens | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A megatooth shark, now reassigned to the genus Otodus. | ||
| Galeocerdo | G. casei or mayumbensis | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A tiger shark. | ||
| Ginglymostoma | G. delfortriei | [7] | A nurse shark. | ||
| Hemipristis | H. serra | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A snaggletooth shark. |  | |
| Myliobatis | M. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | An eagle ray. |  | |
| Nebrius or Ginglymostoma | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A nurse shark. | |||
| Negaprion | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A lemon shark. | .jpg) | ||
| Notorynchus | N. primigenius | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A cow shark. | ||
| Odontaspis | O. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A sand shark. | ||
| Otodus | O. angustidens | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A megatooth shark. |  | |
| Plinthicus | P. stenodon | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | An extinct ray. | ||
| Physogaleus | P. aduncas | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A ground shark. | ||
| Rhinoptera | R. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A cownose ray. |  | |
| Squatina | S. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | An angelshark. |  | |
| Osteichthyes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Lagodon | L. sp. | Belgrade Quarry.[5] | A pinfish. |  | |
Invertebrates
| Molluscs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Crassostrea | C. gigantissima | Upper finer grained unit, Pollocksville Member.[2][5] | An oyster. | ||
