The Geology and vertebrate paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland

Stephen J. Godfrey, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

The last comprehensive review of the fossil vertebrates from the Miocene of Calvert Cliffs was published more than 100 years ago. This volume is a collection of papers that updates some of the geological features of Calvert Cliffs and provides reviews of the fossil biota that includes representatives from the following taxonomic groups: chondrichthyans (chimaeras, shark, skates, and rays), actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes), crocodilians (crocodiles), pinnipeds (seals), and sirenians (sea cows). Peter Vogt, Ralph R. Eshelman, and Stephen J. Godfrey document how the 20-40 m (65-130 feet) high Calvert Cliffs along the Western Shore of Chesapeake Bay continue to yield insights into 18-8 Ma (middle Miocene) geology, marine and terrestrial vertebrate fauna, and origin and evolution of Chesapeake Bay and Calvert Cliffs up to the present. These exposures rank high among the best-known...