The Bladen Formation is a geologic formation from the Late Cretaceous (middle Campanian) of North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. It is known for a plethora of terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate fossils, including dinosaurs and mosasaurs.Various Contributors to the NCSM, et al. 2020. "NCSM Collection: Paleontology Database." It appears to be roughly concurrent with the Tuscaloosa Formation of Alabama.
Unlike many other Cretaceous geologic formations from eastern North America, which were deposited in entirely marine environments, the Bladen Formation appears to have been deposited in a former river delta in an estuarine habitat, allowing for a mixture of freshwater, terrestrial, and marine fauna. An important locality is the former Bladen County landfill annex in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, which contains the richest known fauna from the formation. Another notable locality is near Quinby in Florence County, South Carolina, which also appears to have been deposited in a nonmarine environment with minor marine influence.
It is deposited as a thin layer over the Tar Heel/Coachman Formation, which is often confused with. In North Carolina, it underlies the Maastrichtian-aged Peedee Formation, while in South Carolina it underlies the slightly younger Campanian-aged Donoho Creek Formation.
Vertebrate paleobiota Based on Crane (2011), Schwimmer et al (2015) and the Paleobiology Database:
Cartilaginous fish Based on Crane (2011) and Case et al (2019):
The chondrichthyan biota closely resembles that of the Aguja Formation from Texas.
Hybodonts Hybodonts of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesLonchidionL. babulskiiElizabethtown, NCA lonchidiid.MeristodonoidesM. novojerseyensisElizabethtown, NCA hybodontid.M. sp.
Sharks Sharks of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesArchaeolamnaA. kopingensisElizabethtown, NCAn archaeolamnid mackerel shark.CantioscylliumC. clementsiElizabethtown, NCA nurse shark. Type locality of this species.CretalamnaC. appendiculataElizabethtown, NCA megatooth shark.C. sp.CretorectolobusC. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA wobbegong.GaleorhinusG. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA relative of the school shark.PlicatoscylliumP. globidensElizabethtown, NCA nurse shark.ProtolamnaP. borodiniElizabethtown, NCAn eoptolamnid mackerel shark.ScapanorhynchusS. texanusElizabethtown, NCA goblin shark.SqualicoraxS. kaupiElizabethtown, NCA crow shark.S. cf. S. pristodontusSquatinaS. sp.Elizabethtown, NCAn angelshark. Sometimes assigned to the dubious species S. hassei.
Rays Rays of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesAnoxypristisA. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA sawfish.BorodinopristisB. schwimmeriElizabethtown, NCA sclerorhynchid sawskate. Type locality of B. shannoni.B. shannoniBrachyrhizodusB. wichitaensisElizabethtown, NCAn eagle ray.DasyatisD. cf. commercensisElizabethtown, NCA whiptail stingray.IschyrhizaI. avonicolaElizabethtown, NCA sclerorhynchid sawskate.I. miraOnchopristisO. sp.Elizabethtown, NCAn onchopristid sawskate.PtychotrygonP. triangularisElizabethtown, NCA ptychotrygonid sawskate.P. vermiculataProtoplatyrhinaP. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA hypsobatid ray.PseudohypolophusP. ellipsisElizabethtown, NCA guitarfish.RhinobatosR. casieriElizabethtown, NCA guitarfish.RhombodusR. binkhorstiElizabethtown, NCA rhombodontid ray.R. laevisSchizorhizaS. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA schizorhizid sawskate.
Bony fish Bony fish of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesAlbulaA. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA bonefish.AnomoeodusA. phaseolusElizabethtown, NCA pycnodontid pycnodont.CylindracanthusC. spElizabethtown, NCA fish of uncertain affinities.EnchodusE. cf. petrosusElizabethtown, NCAn enchodontid aulopiform.HadrodusH. priscusElizabethtown, NCA hadrodontid fish (considered a pycnodont or a semionotiform)LepisosteusL. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA gar.ParalbulaP. caseiElizabethtown, NCA phyllodontid elopomorph.ProtosphyraenaP. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA pachycormid.XiphactinusX. vetusElizabethtown, NCAn ichthyodectid ichthyodectiform.
Amphibians Amphibians of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesAlbanerpetontidae indet.Elizabethtown, NCAn albanerpetontid.
Reptiles
Dinosaurs Based on Brownstein (2018): Dinosaurs of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImages"Coelosaurus" (="Ornithomimus")"C." sp.Elizabethtown, NCAn ornithomimosaur.Hadrosauridae indet.Elizabethtown, NCA hadrosaur.Tyrannosauroidea indet.Elizabethtown, NCA tyrannosauroid.
Crocodylomorphs Crocodylomorphs of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesBorealosuchusB. sp.Elizabethtown, NC Quinby, SCA eusuchian.DeinosuchusD. rugosusElizabethtown, NC Quinby, SCAn alligatoroid, one of the largest known crocodilians.Gavialoidea indet.Quinby, SCA gavialoid.
Turtles Turtles of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesBothremysB. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA bothremydid side-necked turtle.ChedighaiiC. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA bothremydid side-necked turtle.EuclastesE. wielandiQuinby, SCA pancheloniid sea turtle."Trionyx""T." halophilusQuinby, SCA stem-softshell turtle, likely not an actual member of the genus Trionyx. Species names are nomina dubia."T." priscusQuinby, SC"T." sp.Elizabethtown, NC
Plesiosaurs Plesiosaurs of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesElasmosauridae indet.Elizabethtown, NC Quinby, SCAn elasmosaurid.
Squamates Squamates of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesConiophisC. sp.Elizabethtown, NCAn aquatic snake.TylosaurusT. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA tylosaurine mosasaur.
Mammals Mammals of the Bladen FormationGenusSpeciesLocationNotesImagesCimolomysC. sp.Elizabethtown, NCA multituberculate.
See also
List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
References