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Hell Creek Formation Life List #3 (of 5)
PART 3. LOWER VERTEBRATES FROM THE MONTANA PART OF THE
HELL CREEK FORMATION
Cretaceous "Hell Creek Faunal Facies"; Late Maastrichtian
Compiled by, and comments by Phillip Bigelow (1997)
Version 1.0.0
Linnaean name Vernacular name+comments
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Lissodus selachos (Estes) 1964 Hybodontid shark
Squatirhina americana Estes 1964 Orectolobid shark
Brachaelurus estesi (Herman) 1975 Orectolobid shark (rare)
Ischyrhiza avonicola Estes 1964 sawfish (extremely rare)
Myledaphus bipartitus Cope 1876 ray (relatively common)
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"Acipenser" eruciferus (Cope) 1876 sturgeon
"Acipenser" albertensis Lambe 1902 sturgeon
Protoscaphirhynchus squamosus Wilmovsky 1956 sturgeon
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Paleopsephurus wilsoni MacAlpin 1947 Paddlefish (Polydontid)
(see Grande and Bemis, 1991)
Large, undescribed Polyodontidae Paddlefish (Polydontid)
(see Grande and Bemis, 1991)
Melvius thomasi Bryant 1987 a large amiid fish
Kindleia fragosa Jordan 1927 small amiid (ubiquitous)
Lepisosteus occidentalis (Leidy) 1856 garfish (extremely common)
Belonostomus longirostris (Lambe) 1902 A long-snouted slender fish
(affinity= ?Aspidorhynchidae). Rare
Belonostomus sp. see above
**Coriops amnicolus Estes 1969 fish
MAY BE PALEOCENE IN AGE
Phyllodus paulkatoi Estes and Hiatt 1978 fish with columnar teeth
Palaeolabrus montanensis Estes 1969 fish (incertae sedis)
Platacodon nanus Marsh 1889 small teleost fish
Pachyrhizodontoidei indet. fish
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Albanerpeton nexuosus Estes 1981 salamander
Opisthotriton kayi Auffenberg 1961 salamander
Prodesmodon copei Estes 1964 salamander (extremely rare)
**Proamphiuma cretacea Estes 1969 eel-like salamander.
MAY BE PALEOCENE IN AGE
Scapherpeton tectum Cope 1876 salamander (most common sal.)
Lisserpeton bairdi Estes 1965 salamander
cf. Piceoerpeton sp. salamander
Habrosaurus dilatus Gilmore 1928 LARGE salamander (160 cm long)
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Scotiophryne pustulosa Estes 1969 small frog
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Plesiobaena antiqua Lambe 1902 Baenid turtle
Eubaena cephalica (Hay) 1904 Baenid turtle
Stygiochelys estesi Gaffney and Hiatt 1971 Baenid turtle
Palatobaena bairdi Gaffney 1972 Baenid turtle
Neurankylus eximius Lambe 1902 Largest baenid in Hell Cr.
Thescelus insiliens Hay 1908 Baenid turtle
Emarginochelys cretacea Whetstone 1978 Chelydrid-like turtle
Chelydridae indet. Chelydrid-like turtle
"Clemmys" backmani Russell 1934 Thin-shelled macrobaenid
turtle
Adocus sp. Flattened dermatemydid
turtle
Basilems sinuosa Riggs 1906 BIG dermatemydid
land tortoise! 1+ meters long
Dermatemydine indet. Dermatemydid turtle
Kinosternidae? Small kinosternid turtle
Trionyx (Trionyx) Similar to living trionychid
turtle
Trionyx (Aspideretes) Large trionychid turtle
"Plastomenus" A Trionychid turtle
"Plastomenus" C Trionychid turtle
Helopanoplia distincta Hay 1908 Trionychid turtle
Compsemys victa Leidy 1856 ?Baenid? turtle
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Champsosaurus sp. indet. Long-snouted aquatic archosaur
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Haptosphenus placodon Estes 1964 Teiid lizard
Leptochamops denticulatus (Gilmore) 1928 Small teiid lizard
Peneteius aquilonius Estes 1969 Teiid lizard
Chamops segnis Marsh 1892 Largest teiid lizard in
Hell Creek Formation
Contogenys sloani Estes 1969 ?Scincid? lizard
Exostinus lancensis Cope 1873 Xenosaurid lizard
Odaxosaurus piger Gilmore 1928 Anguid lizard
Proxestops jepseni (Gilmore) 1942 Anguid lizard
**Colpodontosaurus crascens Estes 1964 Necrosaurid lizard
MAY BE PALEOCENE!!
Parasaniwa wyomingensis Gilmore 1928 Necrosaurid lizard
Paraderma bogerti Estes 1964 ?Helodermatid? lizard
Palaeosaniwa canadensis Gilmore 1928 LARGE varanid lizard.
Largest in the Hell Cr. Fm.
We're talking MONITOR lizard-
size!
Boidae indet. Snake. Earliest-known boid.
See Bryant (1989:49, 76)
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Leidyosuchus sternbergi Gilmore 1910 Crocodylid
Brachychampsa montana Gilmore 1911 Alligatorinae
"Undescribed alligatorine A" Alligatorinae
"Undescribed alligatorine B" Alligatorinae
**Thoracosaurus neocesariensis Marine crocodilian(1)
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Comments from pkb:
** = Stratigraphic and/or age context unclear. Included for
historical context. It is best to exclude the taxon
from the "Hell Creek Faunal Facies".
(1) = Extant marine crocs are sometimes found in rivers.
I am not sure whether this occurrence is from the
non-marine Hell Creek Formation proper, or whether it
is from marine-equivalent rocks. I seek more
infomation.
All "Bug Creek Faunal Facies" taxa excluded, due to almost
certain mixing of Cretaceous and Paleocene taxa.
Information from:
Bryant, L.J. 1989. Non-dinosaurian lower vertebrates across
the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary in Northeastern
Montana. University of California Publications in
Geological Sciences volume 134. University of
California Press, 107 pages.
Grande, L. and W. E. Bemis. 1991. Osteology and phylogenetic
relationships of fossil and Recent paddlefishes
(Polydontidae) with comments on the interrelationships
of Acipenseriformes. Journal of Vertebrate
Paleontology, vol. 11, suppliment to number 1,
121 pages.
Hutchison, J. H., and J. D. Archibald. 1986. Diversity of
turtles across the Cretaceous/Tertiary Boundary in
Northeastern Montana. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology,
Palaeoecology 55:1-22.
End of Part 3