Sharps Formation
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The Sharps Formation is a geologic formation in South Dakota. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene.
The Sharps Formation is the namesake of the community of Sharps Corner, South Dakota.
Fossil content
| Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon | Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited. | |||||
| Taxon | Reclassified taxon | Taxon falsely reported as present | Dubious taxon or junior synonym | Ichnotaxon | Ootaxon | Morphotaxon |
Mammals
Carnivorans
| Carnivorans reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Archaeocyon | A. leptodus | Shannon & Jackson counties, South Dakota. | Middle & upper part of the formation. | Skull elements. | A borophagine dog. | |
| A. pavidus | Southeast corner of Sheep Mountain, Shannon County, South Dakota. | Lower part of the formation. | 2 partial skeletons. | A borophagine dog. | ||
| Cormocyon | C. haydeni | Wounded Knee area, Shannon County, South Dakota. | Upper part of the formation. | Left maxillary (F:AM 49436). | A borophagine dog. | |
| Cynarctoides | C. lemur | Shannon County, South Dakota. | Lower & upper parts of the formation. | Jaw elements. | A borophagine dog also known from the John Day, Brule & Browns Park formations. | |
| C. roii | Wounded Knee Area, Shannon County, South Dakota. | Upper part of the formation. | Skull elements. | A borophagine dog also known from the lower Arikaree Group | ||
| Cynodesmus | C. cooki | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandibles. | Reassigned to the genus Otarocyon. | ||
| Ekgmoiteptecela | E. olsontau | Wounded Knee Area. | Rockyford Member. | Right ramus (SDSM 54247). | Junior synonym of Hoplophoneus cerebralis. | |
| Enhydrocyon | E. crassidens | Wounded Knee Area. | Crania. | A hesperocyonine dog also known from the Harrison Formation. | ||
| E. pahinsintewakpa | Wounded Knee Area. | Near the top of the formation. | Right mandible. | A hesperocyonine dog. | ||
| Hesperocyon | H. leptodus | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | Reassigned to the genus Archaeocyon. | ||
| Hoplophoneus | H. cerebralis | Wounded Knee Area, South Dakota. | Rockyford Member. | Right ramus (SDSM 54247). | A nimravid. | |
| Leptocyon | L. douglassi | Wounded Knee Area. | Maxillary fragments. | A canine dog also known from the Toston & John Day formations. | ||
| Mesocyon | M. robustus | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandibles. | A hesperocyonine dog. | ||
| "M." temnodon | Shannon County, South Dakota. | Basal part and near the top of the formation. | Rami. | A hesperocyonine dog. | ||
| Nothocyon | N. geismarianus | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | An arctoid formerly thought to be a canid, also known from the Monroe Creek Formation. | ||
| N. lemur | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | Reassigned to Cynarctoides. | |||
| N. roii | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | Reassigned to Cynarctoides. | |||
| Otarocyon | O. cooki | Wounded Knee Area, Shannon County, South Dakota. | Upper part of the formation. | Partial rami. | A small borophagine dog also known from the lower Arikaree Group. | |
| Palaeogale | P. dorothiae | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of right mandible (SDSM 53326). | A palaeogalid. | ||
| Paradaphoenus | P. tooheyi | South Dakota. | Maxilla (LACM 21649). | A bear-dog. | ||
| Philotrox | P. condoni | Wounded Knee area, Shannon County & Quiver Hill localities, Washabaugh County. | Middle member. | Skull and jaw remains. | A hesperocyonine dog also found in the John Day Formation. | |
| Sunkahetanka | S. geringensis | Wounded Knee Area, Shannon & Jackson counties. | Middle member. | Jaw elements. | A hesperocyonine dog also known from the topmost part of the Brule Formation. | |
| S. pahinsintewakpa | Wounded Knee Area. | Right mandible. | Reassigned to Enhydrocyon. |
Eulipotyphlans
| Eulipotyphlans reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Arctoryctes | A. terrenus | Wounded Knee Area. | Humeri. | A proscalopid also found in the Rosebud Formation. | ||
| Domnina | D. dakotensis | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandible. | A shrew. | ||
| D. greeni | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of left mandible (SDSM 5895). | A shrew. | |||
| Domninoides | D. evelynae | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandibles. | Species reassigned to Proscalops. | ||
| Ocajila | O. makpiyahe | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of left mandible (SDSM 56105) & LACM 9491. | A gymnure. | ||
| Palaeoscalopus | P. pineridgensis | Wounded Knee Area. | 2 dentaries. | Junior synonym of Quadrodens wilsoni. | ||
| Proscalops | P. evelynae | Wounded Knee Area. | A proscalopid. | |||
| Quadrodens | Q. wilsoni | Wounded Knee Area. | Dentaries. | A talpid mole. | ||
| Talpidae | Genus indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragments of 2 upper molars (SDSM 5898). | A talpid mole. | ||
| Trimylus | T. sp. | Wounded Knee Area. | A dentary fragment (LACM 9380) formerly assigned to Ocajila. | A shrew. |
Lagomorphs
| Lagomorphs reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Megalagus | M. primitivus | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandibles. | A leporid. | ||
| ?Palaeolaginae | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of left mandible (SDSM 5542). | A leporid. | |||
| Palaeolagus | P. hypsodus | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull & jaw elements. | A leporid. | ||
| P. philoi | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | A leporid. |
Metatherians
| Metatherians reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Herpetotherium | H. youngi | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements & teeth. | A herpetotheriid originally reported as Peratherium spindleri. | ||
| Peratherium | P. spindleri | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements & teeth. | Junior synonym of Herpetotherium youngi. |
Primates
| Primates reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Ekgmowechashala | E. philotau | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | An adapiform. |
Rodents
| Rodents reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Capacikala | C. gradatus | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | A castorid also known from the John Day Formation. | ||
| Capatanka | C. cankpeopi | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | A castorid. | ||
| Eumys | E. blacki | Wounded Knee Area. | Right ramus (SDSM 5574). | A cricetid. | ||
| E. woodi | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | A cricetid. | |||
| Florentiamys | F. agnewi | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of left ramus (SDSM 55120). | A florentiamyid. | ||
| Grangerimus | G. dakotensis | Wounded Knee Area. | Crania. | A geomyid. | ||
| Heliscomys | H. species indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 4 isolated molars (SDSM 54365). | A heliscomyid. | ||
| Hitonkala | H. andersontau | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | A heteromyid. | ||
| Meniscomys | M. hippodus | Wounded Knee Area. | Left ramus (SDSM 56113). | An aplodontid. | ||
| Palaeocastor | P. nebrascensis | Wounded Knee Area. | Numerous skull elements. | A castorid. | ||
| Pleurolicus | P. clasoni | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of right ramus (SDSM 54388). | A geomyid. | ||
| P. leptophrys | Wounded Knee Area. | Right ramus (SDSM 53380). | A geomyid also known from the Rosebud Formation. | |||
| Proheteromys | P. bumpi | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements & teeth. | A heteromyid. | ||
| P. fedti | Wounded Knee Area. | Right ramus (SDSM 56121). | A heteromyid. | |||
| P. gremmelsi | Wounded Knee Area. | Left ramus (SDSM 5574). | A heteromyid. | |||
| Prosciurus | P. dawsonae | Wounded Knee Area. | Rami. | An ischyromyid. | ||
| ?P. dawsonae | Wounded Knee Area. | Maxillary fragment (SDSM 5598). | An ischyromyid. | |||
| Scottimus | S. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 2 isolated upper molars (SDSM 58101). | A cricetid. | ||
| Tamias | Species indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 9 isolated cheek teeth (SDSM 58100). | A chipmunk. |
Ungulates
| Ungulates reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Agriochoerus | A. sp. indet. | Wounded Knee Area. | Maxillary fragments & lower jaws (SDSM 54161). | A tylopod. | ||
| Arretotherium | A. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Isolated molars. | An anthracothere. | ||
| Cyclopidius | C. schucherti | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | |||
| C. simus | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | ||||
| Daeodon | D. sp. | Cedar Pass, Badlands National Monument, South Dakota. | Anterior portion of a skull (SDSM 675). | An entelodont, originally reported as Dinohyus. | ||
| Desmatochoerus | D. hatcheri geringensis | Wounded Knee Area. | 2 specimens. | An oreodont. | ||
| D. (Paradesmatochoerus) wyomingensis | Wounded Knee Area. | Partial cranium. | An oreodont. | |||
| Diceratherium | D. armatum | Wounded Knee Area. | Middle & very top of the formation. | Skull & tooth. | A rhinoceros. | |
| D. gregorii | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | A rhinoceros. | |||
| D. cf. gregorii | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | A rhinoceros. | |||
| Dinohyus | D. sp. | Cedar Pass, Badlands National Monument, South Dakota. | Anterior portion of a skull (SDSM 675). | Junior synonym of Daeodon. | ||
| Hyracodon | H. apertus | Wounded Knee Area. | Lower part of the formation. | Partial skull (SDSM 54141). | A hyracodontid. | |
| ? H. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Rockyford Member. | Partial mandible (SDSM 54183). | A hyracodontid. | ||
| Leptochoerus | L. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Fragment of ramus (SDSM 56101). | A leptochoerid. | ||
| Leptomeryx | L. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Ramus fragments. | A leptomerycine. | ||
| Mesoreodon | M. megalodon cf. sweeti | Wounded Knee Area. | Partial cranium (SDSM 54220). | An oreodont. | ||
| Miohippus | M. equiceps | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | An equid. | ||
| M. near equinanus | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw elements. | An equid. | |||
| Nanotragulus | N. intermedius | Wounded Knee Area. | Spread throughout the greater portion of the formation. | Numerous jaw elements. | A hypertragulid. | |
| N. cf. loomisi | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandibular & maxillary fragments. | A hypertragulid. | |||
| Oxydactylus | O. cf. wyomingensis | Wounded Knee Area. | Skull elements. | A camelid. | ||
| ?O. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Mandible fragments of adults. | A camelid. |
Reptiles
Squamates
| Squamates reported from the Sharps Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Amphisbaenidae | Genus indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 2 jaw fragments (SDSM 5897). | A worm lizard. | ||
| Anguidae | Genus indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 30 jaw fragments (SDSM 5896). | An anguid lizard. | ||
| Iguanidae | Genus indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | 11 jaw fragments (SDSM 5829). | An iguanid lizard. | ||
| Macrorhineura | M. skinneri | Wounded Knee, Shannon County, South Dakota. | Anterior portion of skull (LACM 9249). | A worm lizard. | ||
| Peltosaurus | P. granulosus | Sharps Corner, South Dakota. | Upper part of the formation. | Multiple specimens. | A glyptosaurine lizard also known from the Monroe Creek Formation. | |
| ?P. sp. indeterminate | Wounded Knee Area. | Jaw fragment (SDSM 5578). | A glyptosaurine lizard. |
See also
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. . Archived from on 19 August 2022.