Dansirit Formation

Last updated
Dansirit Formation
Stratigraphic range: Aalenian-Bajocian
~175–165  Ma
Type Geological formation
Unit of Shemshak Group
Underlies Dalichai Formation
Overlies Fillzamin & Shirindasht Formations
Thicknessover 200 metres (660 ft)
Lithology
Primary Sandstone
Other Shale, siltstone, Coal
Location
Coordinates 36°12′N51°42′E / 36.2°N 51.7°E / 36.2; 51.7
Approximate paleocoordinates 29°06′N59°48′E / 29.1°N 59.8°E / 29.1; 59.8
Region Mazandaran
CountryFlag of Iran.svg  Iran
Extent Alborz Mountains
Iran relief location map.jpg
Blue pog.svg
Dansirit Formation (Iran)

The Dansirit Formation is a geological formation in Iran. It is Middle Jurassic in age, dating from the Aalenian to Bajocian.

Contents

Fossils

The fossils of Dansirit Formation mainly include plant fossils and dinosaur footprints [1] [2] [3]

Plant fossils

Plant fossils of the Dansirit Formation mostly include Filicales, Bennettitales, Cycadales, Corystospermales, Caytoniales, Czekanowskiales, Ginkgoales and Pinales. Filicophyta, Coniferales, Bennetitales and Equisetales dominate the flora, which indicates the deposition of this formation in relatively tropical and rainy environments in islands, deltas and river banks. [1] [4]

Dinosaur footprints

The dinosaur footprints of this formation in Mazandaran province include theropods with an average length of about 2 meters, small two-toed Deinonychosaurs, relatively giant sauropods about 9 meters long, and small two-legged ornithopods. These works are limited to footprints and dinosaur fossils have not been reported in this formation. [3] [2]

Description

It is part of the Shemshak Group, a Late Triassic to Callovian set of coal bearing largely fluvo-lacustrine sediments up to 4000 metres thick located within the Alborz Mountains. [4] The outcrop of sediments is strongly controlled by numerous fault structures in the region. The formation predominantly consists of sandstone, with subordinate siltstone and shale. Dinosaur tracks are known from the formation, including sauropods, and tridactlyl [3] and didactyl theropods. [2] A diverse fossil flora is also known from the formation. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Vulcanodon</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Vulcanodon is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic Uppermost Forest Sandstone of southern Africa. The only known species is V. karibaensis. Discovered in 1969 in Zimbabwe, it was regarded as the earliest-known sauropod for decades, and is still one of the most primitive sauropods that has been discovered. As a quadrupedal, ground-dwelling herbivore, Vulcanodon already showed the typical sauropod body plan with column-like legs and a long neck and tail. It was smaller than most other sauropods, measuring approximately eleven metres (36 ft) in length. Vulcanodon is known from a fragmentary skeleton including much of the pelvic girdle, hindlimbs, forearms, and tail, but lacking the trunk and neck vertebrae as well as the skull.

<i>Guaibasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Guaibasaurus is an extinct genus of basal saurischian dinosaur known from the Late Triassic Caturrita Formation of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Most analyses recover it as a sauropodomorph, although there are some suggestions that it was a theropod instead. In 2016 Gregory S. Paul estimated it at 2 meters and 10 kg, whereas in 2020 Molina-Pérez and Larramendi listed it at 3 meters and 35 kg.

<i>Dromaeosauroides</i> Genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous

Dromaeosauroides is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Denmark and possibly also England. It was discovered in the Jydegaard Formation in the Robbedale valley, on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. This is the only likely place for dinosaur remains to be discovered on Danish territory, since the Mesozoic deposits exposed in the rest of the country are marine. Dromaeosauroides is the first known dinosaur from Denmark, and the only one which has been scientifically named. It is one of the oldest known dromaeosaurs in the world, and the first known uncontested dromaeosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayenta Formation</span> Jurassic sandstone formation of the southwestern United States

The Kayenta Formation is a geological formation in the Glen Canyon Group that is spread across the Colorado Plateau province of the United States, including northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Traditionally has been suggested as Sinemurian-Pliensbachian, but more recent dating of detrital zircons has yielded a depositional age of 183.7 ± 2.7 Ma, thus a Pliensbachian-Toarcian age is more likely. A previous depth work recovered a solid "Carixian" age from measurements done in the Tenney Canyon. More recent works have provided varied datations for the layers, with samples from Colorado and Arizona suggesting 197.0±1.5-195.2±5.5 Ma, while the topmost section is likely Toarcian or close in age, maybe even recovering terrestrial deposits coeval with the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event. This last age asignation also correlated the Toarcian Vulcanism on the west Cordilleran Magmatic Arc, as the number of grains from this event correlate with the silt content in the sandstones of the upper layers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fossil track</span> Fossilized footprint (ichnite)

A fossil track or ichnite is a fossilized footprint. This is a type of trace fossil. A fossil trackway is a sequence of fossil tracks left by a single organism. Over the years, many ichnites have been found, around the world, giving important clues about the behaviour of the animals that made them. For instance, multiple ichnites of a single species, close together, suggest 'herd' or 'pack' behaviour of that species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways</span> Conservation park in Queensland, Australia

Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park in Queensland, Australia is considered to be the site of the world's only known record of a dinosaur stampede, with fossilised footprints are interpreted as a predator stalking and causing a stampede of around 150 two-legged dinosaurs. This interpretation has been challenged in recent years, with evidence suggesting it may have been a natural river crossing.

The Ziliujing Formation is a geological formation in China, It is Early Jurassic in age. It is part of the stratigraphy of the Sichuan Basin. The dinosaur Gongxianosaurus and indeterminate theropod material are known from the Dongyuemiao Member of the formation, as well as dinosaur footprints, Zizhongosaurus and indeterminate prosauropods from the Da'anzhai Member. The basal sauropod Sanpasaurus is known from the Maanshan Member. An unnamed stegosaur and the pliosauroid plesiosaur Sinopliosaurus are also known from this formation but they were found an indeterminate member. An unnamed teleosaurid known from a complete skull has also been found in the formation, pending a formal description. The deposition environment during the Da'anzhai Member in the lower Toarcian is thought to have been that of a giant freshwater lake encompassing the whole of the Sichuan basin, around 3 times larger than Lake Superior, coeval with the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event around 183 Ma.

<i>Glacialisaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Glacialisaurus is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur. It lived during the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic period around 186 to 182 million years ago in what is now the central region of the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. It is known from two specimens; the holotype, a partial tarsus (ankle) and metatarsus, and a partial left femur. The fossils were collected by a team led by paleontologist William R. Hammer during a 1990–91 field expedition to the Hanson Formation of Antarctica. They were described in 2007, and made the basis of the new genus and species Glacialisaurus hammeri. The genus name translates as “icy” or "frozen lizard”, and the species name honors Hammer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Chum, Queensland</span> Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

New Chum is a suburb in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, New Chum had a population of 0 people.

The Tuchengzi Formation is a geological formation in China whose strata span the Tithonian to Berriasian ages. Dinosaur fossils, particularly footprints, have been found from the formation.

The Blackstone Formation is a geologic formation of the Ipswich Coal Measures Group in southeastern Queensland, Australia, dating to the Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic. The shales, siltstones, coal and tuffs were deposited in a lacustrine environment. The Blackstone Formation contains the Denmark Hill Insect Bed.

The Höganäs Formation is a Late Triassic to Early Jurassic geologic formation in Skåne, Sweden. The formation is mostly known for its incredible flora collection from the Bjuv member, composed of over 110 species, and also includes several vertebrate remains, such as fishes, amphibians and dinosaur tracks & remains, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.

The Zhenzhuchong Formation is an Early Jurassic geologic formation in China. Plesiosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from its strata. Remains of the prosauropod Lufengosaurus huenei have been recovered from this formation As well as dinosaur footprints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleontology in Colorado</span> Paleontological research in the U.S. state of Colorado

Paleontology in Colorado refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Colorado. The geologic column of Colorado spans about one third of Earth's history. Fossils can be found almost everywhere in the state but are not evenly distributed among all the ages of the state's rocks. During the early Paleozoic, Colorado was covered by a warm shallow sea that would come to be home to creatures like brachiopods, conodonts, ostracoderms, sharks and trilobites. This sea withdrew from the state between the Silurian and early Devonian leaving a gap in the local rock record. It returned during the Carboniferous. Areas of the state not submerged were richly vegetated and inhabited by amphibians that left behind footprints that would later fossilize. During the Permian, the sea withdrew and alluvial fans and sand dunes spread across the state. Many trace fossils are known from these deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shemshak Group</span> Geologic formation in Iran

The Shemshak Formation is a Mesozoic geologic group in Iran. It dates from the Late Triassic into the Middle Jurassic, is up to 4000m thick and primarily consists of siliciclastic sediments. Fossil theropod tracks have been reported from Dansirit Formation.

This article records new taxa of trace fossils of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2019, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to trace fossil paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2019.

The Xintiangou Formation is a geological formation in China. Part of the stratigraphy of the Sichuan Basin, it is of an uncertain Middle Jurassic age, with preliminary U-Pb estimates giving an age range of 170 ma. It predominantly consists of interbedded mudstone and sandstone, with subordinate shelly limestone. At the Laojun site remains of lungfish, bony fish, freshwater sharks, temnospondyls, plesiosaurs, crocodyliformes, the Xinjiangchelyid turtle Protoxinjiangchelys and tritylodontids are known. The dinosaurs Sanxiasaurus,Yunyangosaurus, and indeterminate sauropods are also known from the formation. Theropod and ornithopod tracks have also been reported from the formation.

The year 2018 in non-avian dinosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of the non-avian variety that have been described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2018.

This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of every kind that are scheduled described during the year 2022, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that are scheduled to occur in the year 2022.

This article records new taxa of every kind of fossil archosaur that were scheduled to be described during 2023, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to the paleontology of archosaurs that were published in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vaez-Javadi, Fatemeh (March 2011). "Middle Jurassic flora from the Dansirit Formation of the Shemshak Group, Alborz, north Iran". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 35 (1): 77–102. Bibcode:2011Alch...35...77V. doi:10.1080/03115518.2010.489424. ISSN   0311-5518.
  2. 1 2 3 Xing, Lida; Abbassi, Nasrollah; Lockley, Martin G. (2018-11-17). "Enigmatic didactyl tracks from the Jurassic of Iran". Historical Biology. 30 (8): 1132–1138. Bibcode:2018HBio...30.1132X. doi:10.1080/08912963.2017.1339700. ISSN   0891-2963.
  3. 1 2 3 Abbassi, Nasrollah; Madanipour, Saeed (2014-04-01). "Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)". Geologica Carpathica. 65 (2): 99–115. Bibcode:2014GCarp..65...99A. doi: 10.2478/geoca-2014-0007 . ISSN   1336-8052.
  4. 1 2 Fürsich, Franz Theodor; Wilmsen, Markus; Seyed-Emami, Kazem; Majidifard, Mahmoud Reza (2009). "Lithostratigraphy of the Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Shemshak Group of Northern Iran". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 312 (1): 129–160. Bibcode:2009GSLSP.312..129F. doi:10.1144/SP312.6. ISSN   0305-8719.