The Tertiary in Massachusetts, US

Paleontology and geology

Tertiary rocks do not occur at the surface in Massachusetts, although some fossilized wood of possible Tertiary age has been recovered from Quaternary glacial deposits on Cape Cod. This wood was scraped up from older (Cretaceous or Tertiary) rock units as the glaciers scoured the area during the Pleistocene (Late Quaternary). Fossil pollen from Miocene (Middle Tertiary) deposits on Martha's Vineyard includes beech, holly, oak, and other representatives of a rich, warm temperate flora. Pliocene (Late Tertiary) pollen samples from the same area come from fewer species, and indicate a cooler temperate climate. Tertiary marine sediments contain whale vertebrae and shark teeth.