Earth:Aquia Formation

From HandWiki
Aquia Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Paleocene
~59.0–55.5 Ma
↓
Boulder of Aquia Formation along Chester River. Contains casts of large mollusks. (c. 1917)
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofPamunkey Group
Sub-unitsPaspotansa & Piscataway Members
UnderliesNanjemoy Formation
OverliesBrightseat Formation
Thicknessup to 100 feet (30 m)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
Location
LocationHopewell, Virginia
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 38°18′N 77°18′W / 38.3°N 77.3°W / 38.3; -77.3
Paleocoordinates [ ⚑ ] 39°00′N 58°54′W / 39.0°N 58.9°W / 39.0; -58.9
RegionMaryland, New Jersey, Virginia
CountryUnited States
ExtentUpper Chesapeake Bay-James River
Type section
Named forAquia Creek
Thecachampsa crocodile coprolite from Aquia Formation, King George County, Virginia)

The Aquia Formation is a geologic sandstone formation that extends from the upper Chesapeake Bay to the James River near Hopewell, Virginia.[1] It consists of clayey, silty, very shelly, glauconitic sand.[1] Fossil records indicate that this stratigraphic unit was created during the Paleocene.[1]

The Aquia formation was named for Aquia Creek where it is exposed in cliff faces along the banks.[2]

Geology

Lithology

When uncovered, it appears dark green to gray-green, argillaceous, with well sorted fine- to medium-grained sand and locally indurated shell beds.[3] It is between 0 and 100 feet thick in Maryland.[3] Quartz and phosphatic pebbles and/or very coarse glauconitic quartz sand mark the base of the unit.[4] A few hard streaks of shells or thin "rock" layers are often reported but appear to be more abundant in the sections south of the James River.[4]

Stratigraphy

The Aquia formation is overlain by the Nanjemoy Formation and overlies the Brightseat Formation.[5]

The Aquia formation is broken down into two members: the lower Piscataway member and upper Paspotansa member.[2]

Age

The Aquia Formation is thought to be 59.0-55.5 million years old.[2] The Piscataway member is 59–56.25 million years old, and the Paspotansa member is 56–55.5 million years old.[2] This is the Paleocene period.

Older publications describe the Aquia as being of Eocene age.[6]

Vertebrate paleobiota

Bony fish

Bony fish from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Lepisosteus[2] L.sp. A Gar fish
Ostracion[2] O. meretrix An ostraciid (boxfish)[7]
Phyllodus[2] P.sp. A bonefish
Scomberomorus[2] S.sp. A mackrel fish
Labridae[2] Labridae indet. A wrasse

Chondrichthyes

Sharks

Sharks from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Abdounia [2][8] A.beaugei A reqium shark thumb
Anomotodon [2][9] A.novus A goblin shark thumb
Carcharias [2][9] C.hopei A sand tiger shark
Cretolamna [2][9] C.appendiculata A megatooth shark

thumb

Delpitoscyllium [2] D.africanum
Foumtizia [2] F.abdouni
Galeorhinus[2] G.sp. A houndshark
Ginglymostoma [2] G.subafricanum A nurse shark
Heterodontus [2] H.lerichei A bullhead shark
Hypotodus [2] H.verticalis
Isurolamna [2] I.inflata A mackrel shark
Megasqualus [2] M.orpiensis
Notidanodon [2] N.loozi A cow shark
Odontaspis[2] O.loozi
Orectolobiform[2] O. Indet.
Otodus [2][10][9] O.obliquus A Megatooth shark thumb
Pachygaleus [2] P.lefevrei
Palaeogaleus[2] P.sp.
Paleocarcharodon [2][10][9] P.orientalis A megatooth shark
Paleohypotodus [2][11] P.rutoti
Paraorthacodus [2] P.clarkii A Paraorthacodontid shark
Physogaleus [12] P.secundus A reqium shark
Premontreia [2] P.subulidens
Scyliorhinus[2] S.sp. A Scyliorhinid shark
Squalus S.sp. A dogfish
Squatina [2] S.prima An Angel shark
Striatolamia [2][9] S.macrota A Sand shark
S.striata
Triakis[2] T.sp. A Houndshark

Rays

Rays from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Myliobatis[13] M.sp. A Mylobatiform ray
Burnhamia[2] B.sp. A devil ray
Coupatezia C. soutersi[2] A dasyatid ray
Dasyatis[2] D.sp
Hypolophodon H.sylvestris[2]
Ischyodus I. sylvestris[2]

Birds

Birds from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Presbyornis P. isoni Humerus & alar phalanx A giant presbyornithid waterfowl.[14] frameless
?Prophaeton ?P. sp. Distal end of right humerus A potential prophaetontid phaetontiform.[14]

Reptiles

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Eosuchus E. minor A eusuchian crocodylomorph.[15] frameless
?Hyposaurus H. sp. Teeth A potential dyrosaurid.[16]
Thoracosaurus[9] T. neocesariensis A eusuchian crocodylomorph.[7] frameless

Turtles

Based on Weems (2014):[17]

Turtles from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Aspideretoides A. virginianus A softshell turtle. Type locality of species. frameless
Bothremydinae indet.[18] A marine side-necked turtle of uncertain affinities.
Catapleura C. coatesi A pancheloniid sea turtle. Type locality of species.
Eosphargis E. insularis A dermochelyid sea turtle.
Euclastes E. roundsi A pancheloniid sea turtle. Type locality of species.
Kinosternoidea indet. A kinosternoid turtle of uncertain affinities.
Osteopygis[19] O. kranzi[18] A freshwater macrobaenid turtle. Type locality of species.
Planetochelys P. savoiei A planetochelyid trionychian. Type locality of genus and species.
Tasbacka T. ruhoffi A pancheloniid sea turtle. Type locality of species. frameless

Squamates

Squamates from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Palaeophis P. virginianus A marine palaeophiid snake.[7] frameless

Mammals

Based on Rose (2000):[20]

Mammals from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Arctocyonidae indet. An arctocyonid of uncertain affinities.
Ectoganus E. cf. gliriformis A taeniodont.
?Phenacodus ?P. sp. A phenacodont.

Invertebrate paleobiota

Molluscs

Gastropods

Gastropods from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Turritella [2][9][21] T.sp. very commonly found in the formation
Pleurotoma [22] P.potomacensis

Bivalves

Bivalves from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Crassatelites [22] C.alaeformis
Cucullaea[23][22][24] C.gigantea
Dosiniopsis [22] D.lenticularis
Meretrix (bivalve)[22] M.ovata
Modiolus (bivalve)[22] M.alabamensis
Ostrea[25][22] O.compressirostra
Panopea[22] P.elongata
Venericardia[22] V.planicosta
Vulsella[25] V.alabamensis

Cephalopods

Sharks from the Aquia Formation
Genus Species Material Notes Images
Cimomia[26] C.marylandensis Uncommonly found

Mammal and bird fossils are also uncommonly found in the formation.[2]

See also

  • List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Virginia
  • Paleontology in Virginia
  • Aquia Creek sandstone
  • Public Quarry at Government Island

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Geology of the National Capital Region - Field Trip Guidebook. Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. 2004. p. 270. 
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 Phatfossils Aquia Formation in Maryland and Virginia
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Coastal Plain Rocks and Sediments". Maryland Geological Survey. 1968. http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/geo/lgcp.html. Retrieved 21 January 2015. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Powars, D.S.; Bruce, T.S. (2000). The Effects Of The Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater On The Geological Framework And Correlation Of Hydrogeologic Units Of The Lower York-James Peninsula, Virginia. United States Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1612/powars.html. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  5. ↑ Page, Richard A (1959). "The Questionable Age of the Aquia Formation". Journal of Paleontology 33 (2): 347–350. 
  6. ↑ Tolchester folio, Maryland, Folios of the Geologic Atlas 204, by B. L. Miller, E. B. Mathews, A. B. Bibbins, and H. P. Little, 1917.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Weems, R. E. (1993) (in en). Stratigraphic distribution and bibliography of fossil fish, amphibians, and reptiles from Virginia (Report). U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr93222. 
  8. ↑ Elasmo.com, The Life and Times of Long Dead Sharks, Abdounia, Jim Bourdon, author.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 "Fossil Identification for the Potomac River". http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/potomac/liv_col.htm. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Potomac - Aquia Formation 3/15/18". http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/82854-potomac-aquia-formation-31518/. 
  11. ↑ "Paleohypotodus?". http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/83055-paleohypotodus/. 
  12. ↑ "Physogaleus secundus". http://www.itano.net/fossils/marylan2/galeo1s.htm. 
  13. ↑ "Myliobatis". http://www.itano.net/fossils/marylan2/mylio1s.htm. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Olson, Storrs L.; Olson, Storrs L. (1994). "A Giant Presbyornis (Aves, Anseriformes) And Other Birds From The Paleocene Aquia Formation Of Maryland And Virginia". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107: 429––435. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/49051. 
  15. ↑ Brochu, Christopher A. (2006). "OSTEOLOGY AND PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF EOSUCHUS MINOR (MARSH, 1870) NEW COMBINATION, A LONGIROSTRINE CROCODYLIAN FROM THE LATE PALEOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA" (in en). Journal of Paleontology 80 (1): 162–186. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2006)080[0162:OAPSOE2.0.CO;2]. ISSN 0022-3360. http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1666/0022-3360%282006%29080%5B0162%3AOAPSOE%5D2.0.CO%3B2. 
  16. ↑ "The Marine Crocodilian Hyposaurus in North America" (in en-US), Ancient Marine Reptiles (Academic Press): pp. 375–397, 1997-01-01, doi:10.1016/B978-012155210-7/50020-X, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/edited-volume/abs/pii/B978012155210750020X, retrieved 2026-02-15 
  17. ↑ Weems, Robert E. (2014-05-27). "Paleogene chelonians from Maryland and Virginia" (in en). PaleoBios 31 (1). doi:10.5070/P9311022744. ISSN 0031-0298. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7253p3tf. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Weems, Robert E. (2014-05-27). "Paleogene chelonians from Maryland and Virginia" (in en). PaleoBios 31 (1). doi:10.5070/P9311022744. ISSN 0031-0298. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7253p3tf. 
  19. ↑ Gentry, Andrew D.; Kiernan, Caitlín R.; Parham, James F. (2022-08-19). "A large non‐marine turtle from the Upper Cretaceous of Alabama and a review of North American “Macrobaenids”" (in en). The Anatomical Record 306 (6): 1411–1430. doi:10.1002/ar.25054. ISSN 1932-8486. https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.25054. 
  20. ↑ Rose, K. D. (2000). "Land-mammals from the late Paleocene Aquia formation: The first early Cenozoic mammals from Maryland". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 113 (4): 855–863. ISSN 0006-324X. https://pure.johnshopkins.edu/en/publications/land-mammals-from-the-late-paleocene-aquia-formation-the-first-ea-3/. 
  21. ↑ "Turritella sp". http://www.itano.net/fossils/marylan2/turr1s.htm. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 22.8 Virginia Division of Mineral Resources (1912). Bulletin. p. 200. https://archive.org/details/bulletin04virggoog. "fossils of the aquia formation." 
  23. ↑ "Cucullaea Gigantea". 15 May 2010. https://iapetancaptain.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/cucullaea-gigantea/. 
  24. ↑ "Views of the Mahantango: Cucullaea gigantea pelecypod from the Aquia Formation". 11 August 2014. http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/2014/08/cucullaea-gigantea-pelecypod-from-aquia.html. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Ostrea compressirostra". http://www.itano.net/fossils/marylan2/ostre1s.htm. 
  26. ↑ "Sanity check: It's a Nautilus, right?". http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/84977-sanity-check-its-a-nautilus-right/. 



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Earth:Aquia_Formation&oldid=4301319"