Choptank Formation

The Choptank Formation is a geologic formation in Virginia and Maryland. It preserves fossils dating from the mid-late Miocene of the Neogene period, from the latest Langhian to the early Tortonian (13.9 to 11 million years ago).

Fossils

The Choptank Formation is extremely fossiliferous. Some of the fossil species represented include the following:

Sharks

• Otodus megalodon
• Carcharodon hastalis
• Isurus oxyrhincus
• Carcharomodus escheri
• Physogaleus contortus
• Galeocerdo aduncus
• Carcharhinus
• Hemipristis serra
• Squatinasp.
• Notorhyncus cepedianus
• Carcharias
• Isurus retroflexus
• Parotodus benedeni
• Alopias vulpinus
• Alopias grandis
• Cetorhinus
• Negaprion brevirostris
• Rhizoprionodon
• Sphryna laevissima

Rays and Other Cartilaginous Fish

• Aetobatus arcuatus
• Pteromyaleus sp.
• Dasyatis rugosa
• Dasyatis probsti
• Pinthicus stenodon

Fish

• Acipenseridae indet.
• Opsanus sp.
• Serranidae indet
• Pogonias sp.
• Sciaenops sp.
• Tautoga sp.
• Acanthocybium cf. solandri
• Thunnus sp.
• Istiophorus cf. platypterus
• Mola cf. pileata
• Ariopsis aff. A. felis
• Trisopterus sculptus
• Micromesistius cognatus
• Prionotus

Cetaceans

• Aglaocetus sp.
• Cetotherium sp.
• Delphinodon sp.
• Eurhinodelphis sp.
• Macrokentriodon morani
• Mesocetus
• Parietobalaena
• Orycterocetus
• Pelocetus

Pinnipeds

• Callophoca obscura
• Leptophoca proxima
• Prophoca sp.

Crocodilians

• Thecachampsa antiquus
• Thecachampsa sericodon

Invertebrates

• Chesapecten nefrens
• Chesacardium
• Euspira heros
• Mariacolpus octonnaria
• Macrocallista marylandica
• Stewartia anodonta
• Marvacrassitella marylandica
• Ecphora
• Panopea
• Albertella aberti

Terrestrial Mammals

• Cynarctus wangi
• Gomphotherium calvertensis
• Hipparion cf. phosphorum

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Virginia
• Paleontology in Virginia
• Paleontology in Maryland
• Calvert Cliffs State Park
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Maryland
• Chesapeake Group

References