Alachua Formation

Alachua Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early-Late Miocene (Hemingfordian-Hemphillian)
~20–5.3 Ma

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Alachua Formation; Stratigraphic range: Early-Late Miocene (Hemingfordian-Hemphillian); ~20–5.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Lithology
Primary	Claystone, sandstone
Other	Phosphorite
Location
Coordinates	29°42′N 82°36′W / 29.7°N 82.6°WCoordinates: 29°42′N 82°36′W / 29.7°N 82.6°W
Approximate paleocoordinates	29°48′N 80°54′W / 29.8°N 80.9°W
Region	Florida
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Alachua, Florida
	Alachua Formation (the United States)Show map of the United StatesShow map of FloridaShow all

The Alachua Formation is a Miocene geologic formation in Florida. The claystones, sandstones and phosphorites of the formation preserve many fossils of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, among others megalodon.

Fossil content[]

The formation has provided the following fossils.^[1]

Mammals[]

Rodents

Carnivora

Ground sloths

Gomphotheres

Artiodactyls

Soricomorpha

Primonatalus prattae
Chiroptera indet.

Perissodactyls

Sirenians

Metaxytherium cf. floridanum

Lipotyphla

Talpidae indet.

Theriiformes

Vespertilionidae indet.

Birds[]

Rhegminornis calobates
Anatidae indet.
Cuculidae indet.

Reptiles[]

Turtles

Crocodiles

Alligator mississippiensis
A. olseni
Thecachampsa sericodon
Alligator sp.

Snakes

Boa constrictor

Lizards

Amphibians[]

Anurans

Salamanders

Siren hesterna

Fish[]

Sharks

megalodon
Carcharhinus brevipinna
Carcharhinus limbatus
Carcharhinus leucas
Carcharhinus plumbeus
Carcharias taurus
Carcharodon hastalis
Galeocerdo aduncus
Negaprion brevirostris
Physogaleus contortus
Carcharhinus sp.
Negaprion sp.

Rays

Pristis sp.

Others

Hemipristis serra
Lepisosteus sp.

References[]

^ Alachua Formation at Fossilworks.org

Bibliograyhy[]

C. Pimiento. 2014. Carcharocles megalodon unpublished collections from Natural History Museums around the world
R. C. Hulbert, Jr. 1988. Calippus and Protohippus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equidae) from the Miocene (Barstovian-early Hemphillian) of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 32(3):221-340
S. D. Webb, B. J. MacFadden, and J. A. Baskin. 1981. Geology and paleontology of the Love Bone Bed from the Late Miocene of Florida. American Journal of Science 281:513-544
S. E. Hirschfeld and S. D. Webb. 1968. Plio-Pleistocene Megalonychid Sloths of North America. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 12(5)
S. D. Webb. 1966. A Relict Species of the Burrowing Rodent, Mylagaulus, from the Pliocene of Florida. Journal of Mammalogy 47
W. Auffenberg. 1963. Fossil testudinine turtles of Florida: genera Geochelone and Floridemys. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 7(2):53-97
T. E. White. 1942. The Lower Miocene mammal fauna of Florida. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 92(1):1-49
G. G. Simpson. 1930. Tertiary Land Mammals of Florida. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 59(3):1-64

[FW-1] Alachua Formation at Fossilworks.org

[1]