Northumberland Formation

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Northumberland Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous,
?Campanian–Maastrichtian
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofNanaimo Group
UnderliesSpray Formation
Location
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 49°36′N 124°42′W / 49.6°N 124.7°W / 49.6; -124.7
Paleocoordinates [ ⚑ ] 56°06′N 94°24′W / 56.1°N 94.4°W / 56.1; -94.4
CountryCanada

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.

Vertebrate paleofauna

Cartilaginous fish

Source:[4]

Hybodontiformes

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

Hexanchiformes

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Chlamydoselachus C. balli A chlamydoselachid shark, related to the modern frilled shark. frameless
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. frameless
Notidanodon N. pectinatus A cow shark. frameless
Xampylodon X. dentatus A large cow shark. frameless
Protoheptranchias P. lowei A cow shark similar to the modern sharpnose sevengill shark.
Paraorthacodus P. rossi A paraorthacodontid shark. frameless
Komoksodon K. kwutchakuth A komoksodontid shark.

Echinorhiniformes

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

Squaliformes

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. frameless
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. frameless
Centroscymnus C. sp. A sleeper shark related to the modern Portuguese dogfish. frameless
Squaliodalatias S. savoiei A dalatiid shark.
Hessinodon H. wardi A possibly dalatiid shark.

Pristiophoriformes

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

Orectolobiformes

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

Lamniformes

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

Synechodontiformes

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

Carcharhiniformes

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

Bony fish

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

Birds

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Maaqwi[6] M. cascadensis Coracoid and wing bones. A large ornithuran, either a vegaviid or a procellariform.[7]
Enantiornithes indet.[8] An enanthiornithine avialan.

Pterosaurs

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

Squamates

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Mosasauridae indet.[9] Tylosaurus sp A mosasaur.

Invertebrate paleofauna

Molluscs

Cephalopods

Genus[10] Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Baculites B. occidentalis A baculitid ammonite. frameless
Fresvillia F. constricta A baculitid ammonite.
Diplomoceras D. cylindraceum A diplomoceratid ammonite. frameless
D. cf. cylindraceum
Exiteloceras E. densicostatum A diplomoceratid ammonite. frameless
E. bipunctatum
Phylloptychoceras P. horitai A diplomoceratid ammonite.
Solenoceras S. exornatus A diplomoceratid ammonite.
S. cf. reesidei
Nostoceras N. adrotans A nostoceratid ammonite. frameless
N. hornbyensis
N. aff. pauper
Enchoteuthis[2] E. sp. A muensterellid octopodiform.
Eromangateuthis[2] E. soniae? A plesioteuthid octopodiform.
Cyrtobelus[11] C. hornbyense A groenlandibelid spirulid.[2]
Actinosepia[2] A. canadensis An actinosepiid vampyromorphid.[12]
Cirroteuthidae indet.[2] Gladius. A cirroteuthid octopus.

Gastropods

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Tessarolax[9] T. louellae An aporrhaid gastropod.

Crustaceans

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Neocallichirus N. manningi A callianassid decapod.
Longusorbis L. cuniculosus A longusorbiid decapod.
Unnamed raninoid[13] Unnamed A raninoid decapod.

Paleoflora

Gymnosperms

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.[14]
Cycadeoidea[15] C. maccafferyii A bennettitalean.

Angiosperms

Genus Species Location Abundance Notes Images
Atli[16] A. morinii Stem A member of the Ranunculales with a liana-like growth habit.

See also

  • List of pterosaur-bearing stratigraphic units

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 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). doi:10.1098/rsos.160333. PMID 27853614. Bibcode2016RSOS....360333M. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fuchs; Beard; Tanabe; Ross, Dirk; G.; K.; R. (2007-08-17). "Coleoid cephalopods from the Late Cretaceous north eastern Pacific.". Seventh International Symposium 'Cephalopods - Present & Past'.: 131. http://mmtk.ginras.ru/pdf/Cephalopod%20Symposium%202007_ISCPP7AbstractVolume.pdf. 
  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" (in en). Historical Biology 33 (8): 1121–1182. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. ISSN 0891-2963. Bibcode2021HBio...33.1121C. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. 
  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" (in en). Historical Biology 33 (8): 1121–1182. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. ISSN 0891-2963. Bibcode2021HBio...33.1121C. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2019.1681421. 
  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" (in en). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 32 (5): 1198–1201. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.681078. ISSN 0272-4634. Bibcode2012JVPal..32.1198V. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2012.681078. 
  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" (in en). PLOS ONE 12 (12). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189473. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 29220405. Bibcode2017PLoSO..1289473M. 
  7. Mayr, G. (2022). "Basic Terminology and the Broader Phylogenetic and Geological Framework)". Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer Cham. pp. 3–27. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-87645-6_2. 
  8. 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)" (in en). Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 48 (11): 1489–1496. doi:10.1139/e11-050. ISSN 0008-4077. Bibcode2011CaJES..48.1489D. http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/e11-050. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 "PBDB". https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicCollectionSearch?collection_no=84196&is_real_user=. 
  10. 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" (in en). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 16 (15): 1247–1299. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1381651. ISSN 1477-2019. Bibcode2018JSPal..16.1247M. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2017.1381651. 
  11. "PBDB". https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicCollectionSearch?collection_no=212908&is_real_user=. 
  12. "PBDB". https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=358433&is_real_user=1. 
  13. 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)" (in en). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen: 209–217. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2023/1177. https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/310/104788/A_new_fossil_frog_crab_Brachyura_Raninoidea_from_the_late_Campanian_of_Hornby_Island_British_Columbia_Canada. 
  14. 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. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2009.03.005. ISSN 0034-6667. Bibcode2009RPaPa.155...89B. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034666709000372. 
  15. 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. PMID 21665746. 
  16. 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." (in en). International Journal of Plant Sciences 174 (5): 818–831. doi:10.1086/669925. ISSN 1058-5893. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/669925. 

References




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