Prince Creek Formation facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Prince Creek Formation Stratigraphic range: Early Maastrichtian 70.6–69.1Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
General location of the Prince Creek Formation, in red
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Colville Group
Sub-units	Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry, Kogosukruk Tongue, Ocean Point, Coleville River Bluff
Underlies	Sagavanirktok Formation
Overlies	Schrader Bluff Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, mudstone
Other	siltstone, carbonaceous shale, ash-fall
Location
Coordinates	70°00′N 151°30′W / 70.0°N 151.5°W / 70.0; -151.5
Approximate paleocoordinates	83°12′N 115°54′W / 83.2°N 115.9°W / 83.2; -115.9
Region	Alaska
Country	USA

The Prince Creek Formation is a geological formation in Alaska with strata dating to the Early Maastrichtian. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Age
Habitat
Vertebrate paleofauna
- Dinosaurs
  - Theropods
  - Ornithischians
- Mammals
Plants

Age

The Prince Creek Formation aged from 80 to 61.7 million years ago. The Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry, where almost all of the dinosaur fossil are from, is located near the middle of the formation, and is about 70.6 to 69.1 million years ago. A lower section, the Kogosukruk Tongue, ages from 72 to 71 million years ago, in the latest Campanian. The youngest part of the formation is Ocean Point, which extends into the Paleogene, at the end of the Danian, based on the age of ostracods and mollusks. In the middle of the formation is the Coleville River Bluff, which extends from the Late Campanian to the Middle/Late Maastrichtian, in which pollen spores are common. However, a recent study dated all of the Prince Creek to the Early Maastrichtian.

Habitat

Hadrosaurids of the Liscomb Bonebed in their habitat

During the time when the Prince Creek Formation was deposited, Earth was going through a greenhouse phase. The rocks in it are alluvial, and were, at the time of burial, on a muddy coastal plain. Leafy plants, roots and pollen are known from the formation, and they show that trampling by dinosaurs was common. It can be proven that during the Maastrichtian the Prince Creek Formation bordered a large body of water by the presence of gypsum and pyrite in nearby rock. Large amounts of plants material are represented by peridonoid dinocysts, algae, fungal hyphae, fern and moss spores, projectates, Wodehouseia edmontonicola, hinterland bisaccate pollen, and pollen from trees, shrubs, and herbs. Concluded on the large amounts of dinosaurs and flora, the Prince Creek Formation was likely a polar woodland lacking ground ice with dinosaurs dominating and angiosperms towering above them. The mean temperature was 5 to 6 °C (41 to 43 °F), with the mean temperature during the cold months being 2 to 4 °C (36 to 39 °F) and the mean temperature during the warm months being 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F). Mean annual precipitation was 500 to 1,500 millimetres (20 to 59 in)/year.

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaurs

Theropods

Indeterminate tyrannosaurid remains are present, mostly in the form of teeth. The teeth are from the Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry, Liscomb Quarry, and Byers Bed, totaling 8 teeth.

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.

Theropods
Genus	Species	Location	Abundance	Notes	Images
Dromaeosaurus	D. cf albertensis	Liscomb Quarry Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry Byers Bed	Fossilized teeth	A dromaeosaur.
Gruipeda	G. vegrandiunis	Denali Park		Footprints from a small bird.
Ornithomimosauria indet.	Indeterminate	Old Bone Beach	Distal metatarsal IV	Possibly an ornithomimid.
Saurornitholestinae indet.	Indeterminate	Pediomys Point - Liscomb Quarry	Small dentary tip from a juvenile.	A new species of dromaeosaurid closely related to Saurornitholestes.
Nanuqsaurus	N. hoglundi	Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry	One partial skull including a bone near the front of the maxilla and the front of the lower jaw.	Nanuqsaurus is a dwarf tyrannosaurid closely related to Lythronax, Tyrannosaurus, and Tarbosaurus.
Saurornitholestes	S. cf. langstoni	Old Bone Beach	Teeth	A dromaeosaur.
Troodon	T. sp	Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry Liscomb Quarry Byers Bed Magical Mystery Bar	Dental remains, including teeth. Braincases have also been found.	Remains of T. sp. are approximately 50% larger than specimens from Alberta and Montana. Remains were previously assigned to T. formosus. The most abundant theropod. As of 2011, a dubious genus.

Ornithischians

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.

Ornithischians of the Prince Creek Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Abundance	Notes	Images
Alaskacephale	A. gangloffi	Kogosukruk Tongue	A squamosal, and the back of the dome.	The first pachycephalosaurine from Alaska discovered.
Pachyrhinosaurus	P. perotorum	Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry	An abundance of skeletal remains, including an immature juvenile.	The youngest of the Pachyrhinosaurus species, found in one of the highest latitudes of centrosaurine discoveries. A discovery in the Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry was identified in 2013 as a juvenile of Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum. This discovery shows that the crest started to develop in the front of the snout, then extending farther back until it reaches the eye.
Thescelosaurinae indet.	Indeterminate		Teeth	Remains previously attributed to Thescelosaurus.
Edmontosaurus	E. sp	Liscomb Bonebed Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry	Juvenile specimens	Originally identified under the genus Ugrunaaluk, recent studies have shown that disarticulated juvenile specimens, originally assigned to this genus has been found ontogenetically indistinguishable from Edmontosaurus.
Lambeosaurinae indet.	Indeterminate	Liscomb Bonebed	A supraoccipital	The first confirmed lambeosaurine in the Prince Creek Formation.
Ornithopoda indet.	Indeterminate		One tooth	A single "hypsilophodontid" cheek tooth not attributable to Parksosaurus or Thescelosaurus.

Mammals

Mammals of the Prince Creek Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Unnuakomys	U. hutchisoni	Pediomys Point	Lower Maastrichtian	Over 60 specimens	A small metatherian.

Plants

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.

Plants of the Prince Creek Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Abundance	Notes	Images
Parataxodium	P. wigginsii	Kogosukruk Tongue		A conifer, one of two from the region. It dominated the forest community of the Kogosukruk Tongue.
Hollickia	H. quercifolia	Kogosukruk Tongue	Leaves	An angiosperm, known from leaves.
Quereuxia	Q. angulata	Kogosukruk Tongue		An aquatic angiosperm.
Equisetites	E. sp.	Kogosukruk Tongue		A sphenophyte.
Pulcheripollenites	P. krempii	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
cf. Proteacidites	cf. P. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
cf. Polycingulatisporites	cf. P. reduncus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Podocarpidites	P. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Ovoidites	O.? sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	O. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	O. parvus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	O. arcticus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Osmundacidites	O. wellmanii	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Common in the Early Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Mantonisporites	M. sp. indet	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Mancicorpus	M. pseudosenonicus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Lycopodiacidites	L. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Lunatadinium	L. dissolutum	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Indeterminate	Indeterminate	Coleville River Bluff	Septate fungal hypha.	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Leosphaeridia	L. "stellata"	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Common in the Early Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Lairidordites	L. magnus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Laegivatosporites	L. spp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Indeterminate remains abundant in the Early Maastrichtian, and still numerous in the Late Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Laegivatosporites	L. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Kurtzipites	K. trispissatus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Integricorpus	I. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Ischyosporites	I. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Ischyosporites	I. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Inundatisporis	I. tappaniae	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Impardecispora	I. marylandensis	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Hannisporis	H. scollardensis	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Hannisporis	H. amplus	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Gleicheniidites	G. senonicus	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Foveosporites	F sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Foraminisporis	F. undulosus	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Fibulapollis	F. scabratus	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Expressipollis	cf. E. accuratus	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Erdtmannipollis	E. procumbentformis	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Dictyophyllidites	D. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Deltoidospora	D. spp.	Coleville River Bluff	Preserved pollen samples	Very abundant in the early Maastrichtian and Indeterminate level of the formation, becoming rarer until the Middle/Late Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Cycadopites	C. fragilis	Coleville River Bluff	Samples of distinct pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Crassispora?	cf. C. apisulacea	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen samples	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
cf. Converrucosisporites	cf. C. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Specimens of preserved pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Clavatisporites	C. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Preserved pollen samples	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Circulodinium	C. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen samples	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Cingutriletes	cf. C. congruens	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Cingulizonates	C. bialatus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen samples	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Cicatricosisporites	C. sp. 1	Coleville River Bluff	Distinct pollen remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	C. spp.	Coleville River Bluff	Preserved pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	cf. C. dorogensis	Coleville River Bluff	Fossilized pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Cibotiumspora	C. sp.	Coleville Bluff Formation	Pollen spores	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Camarozonosporites	C. ambigens	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen specimens	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Botryococcus	B. braunii	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Indeterminate	Indeterminate	Coleville River Bluff	Bissacate gymnosperm pollen	Common and abundant in the Early Maastrichtian, becoming rarer towards the Late Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Balmeisporites	B. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen spore remains	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Azonia	cf. A. cribrata	Coleville River Bluff	Carbonized pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Aquilapollenites	A. trialatus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	A. spp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	A. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	cf. A. dentatus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
	A. amygdaloides	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Numerous in the Late Campanian, becoming abundant in the Maastrichtian. Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Annulispora	A. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Anacololsidites	A. sp. 1	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Anacololsidites	A. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Alete	A. clavate	Coleville River Formation	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Aequitriradites	cf. A. spinulosus	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.
Aequitriradite	A. sp.	Coleville River Bluff	Pollen	Also found in the Schrader Bluff Formation.

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Prince Creek Formation Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

Prince Creek Formation facts for kids

Contents

Age

Habitat

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaurs

Theropods

Ornithischians

Mammals

Plants