, ▁found ▁in ▁cores ▁d ril led ▁off sh ore ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers . ▁ ▁E oc ene ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁E oc ene , ▁between ▁ 3 8 ▁and ▁ 5 4 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁marine ▁life . ▁Some ▁of ▁their ▁remains ▁are ▁preserved ▁in ▁what ▁are ▁now ▁the ▁mar l ▁p its ▁in ▁P ender ▁County . ▁Among ▁the ▁in verte br ates ▁were ▁na util oid s , ▁sand ▁dollars , ▁and ▁sea ▁ur ch ins . ▁The ▁verte br ates ▁included ▁b ony ▁fish , ▁sh arks , ▁and ▁wh ales . ▁These ▁depos its ▁are ▁relatively ▁well ▁known . ▁Sh arks ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁include ▁early ▁T iger ▁and ▁M ako ▁sh arks . ▁ ▁Despite ▁their ▁ren own , ▁North ▁Carolina ' s ▁E oc ene ▁foss ils ▁are ▁generally ▁poor ly ▁preserved . ▁Other ▁in verte br ates ▁of ▁this ▁epo ch ▁included ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁species ▁of ▁g ast rop od , ▁eleven ▁pe le cy pod s , ▁two ▁bra chi op ods , ▁four ▁e chin od erm s , ▁and ▁a ▁great ▁divers ity ▁of ▁b ry oz o ans . ▁Rem ains ▁from ▁this ▁fa una ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁Pitt , ▁Cra ven , ▁Len oir , ▁Wayne , ▁Jones , ▁On slow , ▁Du pl in , ▁and ▁New ▁Han over ▁count ies . ▁ ▁Ne ogene ▁Author ▁R uf us ▁Johnson ▁has ▁described