Tar Heel/Coachman Formation

Tar Heel/Coachman Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early-Middle Campanian
~83.2–77.5 Ma
TypeFormation
Unit ofBlack Creek Group
UnderliesBladen Formation
Location
Region
Country United States

The Tar Heel Formation, also known as the Coachman Formation in its southern region, is a Late Cretaceous (early to middle Campanian-aged) geologic formation in North Carolina and South Carolina. It preserves fossils, including amber dating back to the Cretaceous period. A locality known as Phoebus Landing, has been dated to 78.5-77.1 Ma.[1]

Likely deposited in estuarine and inshore marine conditions, it contains a high diversity of vertebrate remains. It has one of the most diverse dinosaur faunas known from the former landmass of Appalachia.[2]

  1. ^ Longrich, Nicholas R. (2016). "A ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America, and implications for dinosaur biogeography". Cretaceous Research. 57: 199–207. Bibcode:2016CrRes..57..199L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.08.004.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).