Forest Marble Formation
{{Short description|Jurassic geological formation in England}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name = Forest Marble Formation
| image = East_face_of_Kirtlington_quarry_geograph_org_uk.jpg
| caption = Forest Marble Formation exposed in Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire
| type = Geological formation
| age = Bathonian {{fossilrange|168|164.7}}
| period = Bathonian
| prilithology = Mudstone, Limestone
| otherlithology = Siltstone, Sandstone
| namedfor = Wychwood Forest
| namedby =
| region = Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset
| country = United Kingdom
| coordinates =
| unitof = Great Oolite Group
| subunits =
| underlies = Cornbrash Formation
| overlies = White Limestone Formation, Athelstan Oolite Formation, Chalfield Oolite Formation, Corsham Limestone Formation, Frome Clay
| thickness = Up to 5m thick in Buckinghamshire, 10 to 30m in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, 30 to about 50m in north Dorset, 30 to 75m in south Dorset
| extent =
| area =
| map =
| map_caption =
}}
The Forest Marble is a geological formation in England. Part of the Great Oolite Group, it dates to the late Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Middle Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 538–541. {{ISBN|0-520-24209-2}}.
Lithology
The primary lithology of the formation typically consists of greenish grey variably calcareous silicate mudstone, with lenticular cross bedded limestone units deposited in a marine setting.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bgs.ac.uk/Lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=FMB |title=Forest Marble Formation |last=British Geological Survey |website=BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units |access-date=1 November 2018}}
Paleobiota
Despite the formation being nearly entirely marine, at several localities abundant remains of terrestrial microvertebrates are found, the primary locality being the Kirtlington Mammal Bed (designated 3p) in Kirtlington Quarry near Kirtlington, Oxfordshire.{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Kirtlington 3p (Mammal Bed) |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic?a=basicCollectionSearch&collection_no=39075 |access-date=28 August 2018 |work=Paleobiology Database |publisher= |quote=}} Another important locality is Watton Cliff near Eype in Dorset.{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Watton Cliff (West Cliff), Dorset |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic?a=basicCollectionSearch&collection_no=57124 |access-date=28 August 2018 |work=Paleobiology Database |publisher= |quote=}}
= Fish =
= Dinosaurs =
== Ornithischians ==
{{paleobiota-key-compact}}
== Saurischians ==
{{paleobiota-key-compact}}
= Amphibians =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Amphibians reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
Anoualerpeton
|A. priscus |Kirtlington | | | |
Eodiscoglossus
|E. oxoniensis |Kirtlington | | |Frog, probably not closely related to type species of genus. |
Marmorerpeton
|M. kermacki, M. freemani |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | |Neotenic stem-group salamander (Caudata) belonging to Karauridae | |
Caudata
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | |2 distinct taxa, one common one small, referred to as Kirtlington Salamander A and B, respectively | |
= Turtles =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Turtles reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
Paracryptodira{{Cite journal|last=Scheyer|first=Torsten M.|last2=Anquetin|first2=Jérémy|date=March 2008|title=Bone histology of the Middle Jurassic turtle shell remains from Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, England|journal=Lethaia|volume=41|issue=1|pages=85–96|doi=10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00044.x|issn=0024-1164|url=http://osf.io/kejz5/}}
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | |Shell fragments, basisphenoid | | |
= Choristoderes =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
Cteniogenys
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | |A small, lizard like choristoderan. Oldest record of the group | |
= Pterosaurs =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
"Rhamphorhynchoidea"
|Indeteriminate |Kirtlington | | | | |
= Lepidosauromorphs =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Lepidosauromorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
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Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
Balnealacerta
|B. silvestris |Kirtlington | | |Scincomorph lizard | |
Bellairsia
|B. gracillis |Kirtlington | | |
Eophis
|E. underwoodi |Kirtlington | | |Stem-snake | |
Marmoretta
|M. oxoniensis |Kirtlington | | |Basal Lepidosauromorph |
Oxiella
|O. tenuis |Kirtlington | | |Squamate | |
Parviraptor
|cf. estesi |Kirtlington | | |Stem-snake | |
Saurillodon
|S. marmorensis |Kirtlington | | |Paramacellodid lizard | |
Rhynchocephalia
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | | | |
= Crocodyliformes =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Crocodyliformes reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
cf. Goniopholis
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | | |
cf. Theriosuchus
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | | | |
= Mammaliamorphs =
class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |
colspan="7" align="center" |Mammaliamorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation |
---|
Genus
! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |
Amphitherium
|Indeterminate |?Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | |The first Mesozoic mammal to be described. Initially believed to be a marsupial. Close relative of Palaeoxonodon and Peramuridae. | | |
Borealestes
|B. serendipitus |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | |molar fragments | rowspan="2" |Docodonta | |
Dobunnodon
|B. mussetti |Kirtlington | |molar fragments | |
Gobiconodon
|G. bathoniensis |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | | |
Hahnotherium
|H. antiquum |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | | |
Kermackodon
|K. multicuspis, K. oxfordensis |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | |Allotherian belonging to the family Kermackodontidae, K. oxfordensis previously placed in separate genus Eleutherodon. |
Kirtlingtonia
|K. catenata |Kirtlington | | | |
Krusatodon
|K. kirtlingtonensis |Kirtlington | | |Tegotheriid docodontan | |
Millsodon
|M. superstes |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | |Haramiyid | |
Morganucodon
|M. tardus |Watton Cliff | | |
Palaeoxonodon
|P. ooliticus |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | |
Paritatodon
|P. kermacki |Kirtlington | | |Docodontan or Shuotheriidae | |
Peraiocynodon
|P. major |Kirtlington | | | |
Phascolotherium
|P. simpsoni |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | | |
Simpsonodon
|S. oxfordensis |Kirtlington | | |Docodonta | |
Shuotherium
|Indeterminate |Kirtington | | |Shuotheriidae | |
Stereognathus
|S. ooliticus |Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | | |
Stylidens
|S. hookeri |Watton Cliff | | |Morganucodontidae | |
Wareolestes
|W. rex |Kirtlington | | |Morganucodonta | |
Allotheria
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | | | |
Haramiyida
|Indeterminate |Kirtlington | | | | |
Dryolestida
|Indeterminate | | |Lower molars | | |
Peramuridae
|Indeterminate |Watton Cliff | | | | |
See also
{{Portal|Earth sciences|Paleontology|Dinosaurs||}}
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
References
- Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. {{ISBN|0-520-24209-2}}.
Category:Geologic formations of England