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Northumberland Formation

Summary

The Northumberland Formation is a Late Cretaceous (?Campanian-?Maastrichtian)-aged geologic formation in Canada. It belongs to the larger Nanaimo Group. Indeterminate bird and pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation,[1] as well as a potential gladius of Eromangateuthis.[2] An extensive diversity of shark teeth is known from the formation; many appear to be closely allied with modern deep-water shark taxa, suggesting a deep-water environment for the formation.[3] The most well-known exposures of the formation are on Hornby Island.

Northumberland Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous,
?Campanian–Maastrichtian
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofNanaimo Group
UnderliesSpray Formation
Location
Country Canada

Vertebrate paleofauna edit

Cartilaginous fish[4] edit

Hybodontiformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Meristodonoides M. sp. A hybodontid shark.

Hexanchiformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Chlamydoselachus C. balli A chlamydoselachid shark, related to the modern frilled shark.  
Rolfodon R. ludvigseni A chlamydoselachid shark.
R. cf. thompsoni
Dykeius D. garethi A very large chlamydoselachid shark.
Hexanchus H. microdon A cow shark related to the modern bluntnose sixgill shark.  
Notidanodon N. pectinatus A cow shark.  
Xampylodon X. dentatus A large cow shark.  
Protoheptranchias P. lowei A cow shark similar to the modern sharpnose sevengill shark.
Paraorthacodus P. rossi A paraorthacodontid shark.  
Komoksodon K. kwutchakuth A komoksodontid shark.

Echinorhiniformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Echinorhinus E. lapaoi A echinorhinid shark, related to the modern bramble shark.  

Squaliformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Eoetmopterus E. supercretaceus An etmopterid shark similar to modern lantern sharks.
Squalus S. vondermarcki A dogfish shark, related to modern spurdogs.  
S. nicholsae
S. sp.
Centrosqualus C. mustardi A dogfish shark.
Protocentrophorus P. steviae A dogfish shark.
Rhinoscymnus R. clarki A sleeper shark, possibly included within Somniosus.  
Centroscymnus C. sp. A sleeper shark related to the modern Portuguese dogfish.  
Squaliodalatias S. savoiei A dalatiid shark.
Hessinodon H. wardi A possibly dalatiid shark.

Pristiophoriformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Pristiophorus P. smithi A sawshark.  
P. pricei

Orectolobiformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Plicatoscyllium P. cf. globidens A ginglymostomatid shark.
Hemiscyllium H. hermani A bamboo shark.  

Lamniformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Carcharias C. dominguei A sand shark, related to the modern sand tiger shark.  

Synechodontiformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Synechodus S. dereki A palaeospinacid shark.

Carcharhiniformes edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Scyliorhinidae indent. A catshark of uncertain affinities.
Florenceodon F. johnyi A florenceodontid shark.

Bony fish edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Gwawinapterus G. beardi Jaw. A saurodontid ichthyodectiform, initially identified as an istiodactylid pterosaur.[5]

Birds edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Maaqwi[6] M. cascadensis Coracoid and wing bones. A large vegaviid ornithuran.  
Enantiornithes indet.[7] An enanthiornithine avialan.

Pterosaurs edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Azhdarchoidea indet.[1] A possibly azhdarchid pterosaur.

Squamates edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Mosasauridae indet.[8] A mosasaur.

Invertebrate paleofauna edit

Molluscs edit

Cephalopods[9] edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Baculites B. occidentalis A baculitid ammonite.  
Fresvillia F. constricta A baculitid ammonite.
Diplomoceras D. cylindraceum A diplomoceratid ammonite.  
D. cf. cylindraceum
Exiteloceras E. densicostatum A diplomoceratid ammonite.  
E. bipunctatum
Phylloptychoceras P. horitai A diplomoceratid ammonite.
Solenoceras S. exornatus A diplomoceratid ammonite.
S. cf. reesidei
Nostoceras N. adrotans A nostoceratid ammonite.  
N. hornbyensis
N. aff. pauper
Enchoteuthis[2] E. sp. A muensterellid octopodiform.  
Eromangateuthis[2] E. soniae? A plesioteuthid octopodiform.
Cyrtobelus[10] C. hornbyense A groenlandibelid spirulid.[2]
Actinosepia[2] A. canadensis An actinosepiid vampyromorphid.[11]
Cirroteuthidae indet.[2] Gladius. A cirroteuthid octopus.

Gastropods edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Tessarolax[8] T. louellae An aporrhaid gastropod.

Crustaceans edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Neocallichirus N. manningi A callianassid decapod.
Longusorbis L. cuniculosus A longusorbiid decapod.
Unnamed raninoid[12] Unnamed A raninoid decapod.

Paleoflora edit

Gymnosperms edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Cunninghamia C. hornbyensis Permineralized wigs and leaves. A member of the extant Cupressaceae genus Cunninghamia. Closely resembles extant species.[13]  
Cycadeoidea[14] C. maccafferyii A bennettitalean.  

Angiosperms edit

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Atli[15] A. morinii Stem A member of the Ranunculales with a liana-like growth habit.

See also edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ a b Martin-Silverstone, Elizabeth; Witton, Mark P.; Arbour, Victoria Megan; Currie, Philip J. (2016). "A small azhdarchoid pterosaur from the latest Cretaceous, the age of flying giants". Royal Society Open Science. 3 (8): 160333. Bibcode:2016RSOS....360333M. doi:10.1098/rsos.160333. PMC 5108964. PMID 27853614.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fuchs; Beard; Tanabe; Ross, Dirk; G.; K.; R. (2007-08-17). "Coleoid cephalopods from the Late Cretaceous north eastern Pacific" (PDF). Seventh International Symposium 'Cephalopods - Present & Past'.: 131.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Cappetta, Henri; Morrison, Kurt; Adnet, Sylvain (2021-08-03). "A shark fauna from the Campanian of Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada: an insight into the diversity of Cretaceous deep-water assemblages". Historical Biology. 33 (8): 1121–1182. Bibcode:2021HBio...33.1121C. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 212878837.
  4. ^ Cappetta, Henri; Morrison, Kurt; Adnet, Sylvain (2021-08-03). "A shark fauna from the Campanian of Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada: an insight into the diversity of Cretaceous deep-water assemblages". Historical Biology. 33 (8): 1121–1182. Bibcode:2021HBio...33.1121C. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 212878837.
  5. ^ Vullo, Romain; Buffetaut, Eric; Everhart, Michael J. (2012). "Reappraisal of Gwawinapterus beardi from the Late Cretaceous of Canada: a saurodontid fish, not a pterosaur". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (5): 1198–1201. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32.1198V. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.681078. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 129180570.
  6. ^ McLachlan, Sandy M. S.; Kaiser, Gary W.; Longrich, Nicholas R. (2017-12-08). "Maaqwi cascadensis: A large, marine diving bird (Avialae: Ornithurae) from the Upper Cretaceous of British Columbia, Canada". PLOS ONE. 12 (12): e0189473. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1289473M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189473. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5722380. PMID 29220405.
  7. ^ Dyke, Gareth; Wang, Xia; Kaiser, Gary (2011). Sues, Hans-Dieter (ed.). "Large fossil birds from a Late Cretaceous marine turbidite sequence on Hornby Island (British Columbia)". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 48 (11): 1489–1496. Bibcode:2011CaJES..48.1489D. doi:10.1139/e11-050. ISSN 0008-4077.
  8. ^ a b "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  9. ^ McLachlan, Sandy M. S.; Haggart, James W. (2018-12-08). "Reassessment of the late Campanian (Late Cretaceous) heteromorph ammonite fauna from Hornby Island, British Columbia, with implications for the taxonomy of the Diplomoceratidae and Nostoceratidae". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16 (15): 1247–1299. Bibcode:2018JSPal..16.1247M. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1381651. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 134663270.
  10. ^ "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  11. ^ "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  12. ^ Nyborg, Torrey; Garassino, Alessandro; Vega, Francisco J.; Ross, Richard L. M. (2024-03-13). "A new fossil frog crab (Brachyura, Raninoidea) from the late Campanian of Hornby Island (British Columbia, Canada)". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen: 209–217. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2023/1177.
  13. ^ Brink, Kirstin S.; Stockey, Ruth A.; Beard, Graham; Wehr, Wesley C. (2009-05-01). "Cunninghamia hornbyensis sp. nov.: Permineralized twigs and leaves from the Upper Cretaceous of Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 155 (1): 89–98. Bibcode:2009RPaPa.155...89B. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.03.005. ISSN 0034-6667.
  14. ^ Rothwell, Gar W.; Stockey, Ruth A. (2002). "Anatomically Preserved Cycadeoidea (Cycadeoidaceae), with a Reevaluation of Systematic Characters for the Seed Cones of Bennettitales". American Journal of Botany. 89 (9): 1447–1458. doi:10.3732/ajb.89.9.1447. ISSN 0002-9122. JSTOR 4124062. PMID 21665746.
  15. ^ Smith, Selena Y.; Little, Stefan A.; Cooper, Ranessa L.; Burnham, Robyn J.; Stockey, Ruth A. (2013). "A Ranunculalean Liana Stem from the Cretaceous of British Columbia, Canada: Atli morinii gen. et sp. nov". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 174 (5): 818–831. doi:10.1086/669925. ISSN 1058-5893. S2CID 84787422.

References edit