Acacus Sandstone

Acacus Sandstone
Stratigraphic range: Llandovery ~443–423  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Shale
Location
Coordinates	25°00′N10°12′E / 25.0°N 10.2°E / 25.0; 10.2
Approximate paleocoordinates	77°30′S116°54′E / 77.5°S 116.9°E / -77.5; 116.9
Region	Ghat District
Country	Libya
Extent	Libyan Desert
Acacus Sandstone (Libya)

The Acacus Sandstone is a geologic formation in the Ghat District, southwestern Libya. The unit preserves fossils dating back to the Llandovery epoch of the early Silurian period. ^[1]

Fossil content

Paleogeography of the Early Silurian, 435 Ma

The formation has provided the following fossils: ^{[1] [2]}

Trilobites

• Trilobita indet.

Eurypterids

• Carcinosoma sp.
• Pterygotus sp.

Invertebrates

• Mollusca indet.

Ichnofossils

• Arthrophycus sp.
• Cruziana sp.
• Cubichnia sp.
• Dimorphichnus sp.
• Paleophycus sp.
• Pelecypodichnus sp.
• Rusophycus sp.

See also

• Fish Bed Formation, Silurian fossiliferous formations of Scotland
• Lipeón Formation, Silurian fossiliferous unit of Bolivia
• Soom Shale, Late Ordovician Lagerstätte of South Africa
• Bertie Formation, Silurian Lagerstätte of Ontario and New York
• Andean-Saharan glaciation

References

1. Acacus Sandstone at Fossilworks.org
2. Plotnick, 1999

Bibliography

• Plotnick, R. E (1999), Habitat of Llandoverian-Lochkovian eurypterids, in A. J. Boucot, J. D. Lawson (eds.), Paleocommunities - a case study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian, pp. 106–136