Forest Marble Formation
Jurassic geological formation in England
Forest Marble Formation Type Geological formation Unit of Great Oolite Group 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 Primary Mudstone , Limestone Other Siltstone , Sandstone Region Bedfordshire , Buckinghamshire , Oxfordshire , Dorset Country UK Named for Wychwood Forest
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 .[ 1]
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.[ 2]
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 .[ 3] Another important locality is Watton Cliff near Eype in Dorset .[ 4]
Fish
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians
Color key
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text ; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Saurischians
Color key
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text ; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Amphibians
Turtles
Turtles reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Images
Paracryptodira [ 22]
Indeterminate
Kirtlington
Shell fragments, basisphenoid
Choristoderes
Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Images
Cteniogenys
Indeterminate
Kirtlington
Lepidosauromorphs
Mammaliamorphs
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
Docodonta
Dobunnodon
B. mussetti
Kirtlington
molar fragments
Gobiconodon
G. bathoniensis
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Gobiconodontid
Hahnotherium
H. antiquum
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Multituberculate
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
Haramiyid
Krusatodon
K. kirtlingtonensis
Kirtlington
Tegotheriid docodontan
Millsodon
M. superstes
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Haramiyid
Morganucodon
M. tardus
Watton Cliff
Morganucodontidae
Morganucodon
Palaeoxonodon
P. ooliticus
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Amphitheriid
Paritatodon
P. kermacki
Kirtlington
Docodontan or Shuotheriidae
Peraiocynodon
P. major
Kirtlington
Docodontidae
Phascolotherium
P. simpsoni
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Amphilestidae
Simpsonodon
S. oxfordensis
Kirtlington
Docodonta
Shuotherium
Indeterminate
Kirtington
Shuotheriidae
Stereognathus
S. ooliticus
Kirtlington, Watton Cliff
Tritylodontidae
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
^ 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 .
^ British Geological Survey . "Forest Marble Formation" . BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units . Retrieved 1 November 2018 .
^ "Kirtlington 3p (Mammal Bed)" . Paleobiology Database . Retrieved 28 August 2018 .
^ "Watton Cliff (West Cliff), Dorset" . Paleobiology Database . Retrieved 28 August 2018 .
^ Rees, Jan; Underwood, Charlie J. (January 2008). "Hybodont Sharks of the English Bathonian and Callovian (Middle Jurassic)" . Palaeontology . 51 (1): 117–147. doi :10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00737.x . ISSN 0031-0239 .
^ Underwood, Charlie J.; Ward, David J. (May 2004). "Neoselachian sharks and rays from the British Bathonian (Middle Jurassic)" . Palaeontology . 47 (3): 447–501. doi :10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00386.x . ISSN 0031-0239 .
^ a b Listed as "cf. Alocodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ a b c d e f g "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ a b Listed as "?Hylaeosaurus sp." in "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ a b c d e f "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ a b Listed as "?Iguanodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation" and "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 270.
^ "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538, 540.
^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 265.
^ a b c "10.3 Gloucestershire, England; 4. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538.
^ a b c d e f Wills, S.; Underwood, C. J.; Barrett, P. M. (2023). "Machine learning confirms new records of maniraptoran theropods in Middle Jurassic UK microvertebrate faunas" . Papers in Palaeontology . 9 (2). e1487. doi :10.1002/spp2.1487 .
^ Yu, Yilun; Yi, Hongyu; Wang, Shiying; Pei, Rui; Zhang, Chi; Xu, Xing (December 1, 2023). "A Jurassic Tibetan theropod tooth reveals dental convergency and its implication for identifying fragmentary fossils" . The Innovation Geoscience . 1 (3): 100040–10. doi :10.59717/j.xinn-geo.2023.100040 . ISSN 2959-8753 .
^ Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 539-540.
^ a b "10.7 Dorset, England; 2. Forest Marble Formation" and "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 539-540.
^ "10.7 Dorset, England; 2. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 539.
^ Scheyer, Torsten M.; Anquetin, Jérémy (March 2008). "Bone histology of the Middle Jurassic turtle shell remains from Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, England" . Lethaia . 41 (1): 85–96. doi :10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00044.x . ISSN 0024-1164 .
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 .