Erfurt Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Ladinian ~ | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Lower Keuper |
Sub-units | Bairdienkalk, Grenzdolomit, Lettenkeuper, Sandige Pflanzenschiefer, Untere Graue Mergel & Werksandstein Members |
Underlies | Grabfeld Formation |
Overlies | Upper Muschelkalk |
Thickness | 20–700 m (66–2,297 ft) [1] |
Lithology | |
Primary | Marl |
Other | Claystone, dolomite, limestone, sandstone |
Location | |
Coordinates | 50°56′57″N11°04′12″E / 50.949036°N 11.070136°E |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 15°06′N16°36′E / 15.1°N 16.6°E |
Region | Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia |
Country | Germany |
Extent | Mittelgebirge, North German Plain |
Type section | |
Named for | Erfurt |
Named by | Hoffmann |
Year defined | 1830 |
The Erfurt Formation, also known as the Lower Keuper (German: Untere Keuper, Lettenkeuper, Lettenkohle or Lettenkohlenkeuper), is a stratigraphic formation of the Keuper group and the Germanic Trias supergroup. It was deposited during the Ladinian stage of the Triassic period. [2] It lies above the Upper Muschelkalk and below the Middle Keuper. [1]
The formation was defined in Erfurt-Melchendorf in 1830 by Franz Xaver Hofmann and named for the nearby town of Erfurt. [1]
The Erfurt Formation is underlain by the Upper Muschelkalk. The lower boundary to the Erfurt Formation is the "Lettenkohlensandstein" in northern Germany and the "Grenz-bone-beds" in southern Germany.
The formation is a sequence of dolomite, lacustrine limestones, claystone, evaporites, and fluviatile sandstones. The color is usually grey but can also be brown or reddish brown. The average thickness is 60 to 80 meter, with a maximum thickness of 700 meter in the Glückstadt-Graben. [1]
The upper boundary is marked by dolomites, or claystones of the Grabfeld Formation. [1]
Color key
| Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
The Erfurt Formation is known for its vertebrate fossils. Different kinds of fish, amphibians and archosauriforms have been found. Usually they are found as bone beds, but in 1977 the first complete skeletons were found near Kupferzell. They include Mastodonsaurus , Gerrothorax , Plagiosuchus , Callistomordax , Nanogomphodon , Batrachotomus , Kupferzellia and Palaeoxyris friessi . [3]
Reptiles reported from the Erfurt Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Batrachotomus | B. kupferzellensis | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | An archosaur. | ||
cf. Diphydontosaurus | cf. D. sp. | Vellberg. [5] | Untere Graue Mergel. [5] | 2 partial dentaries (SMNS 91060 & SMNS 91061). [5] | A rhynchocephalian. | |
Doswelliidae | Gen. et. sp. indet. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | An osteoderm (MHI 2078). [4] | An archosauriform. | |
Fraxinisaura | F. rozynekae | Vellberg, Baden-Württemberg. [6] | Untere Graue Mergel Layer. [6] | A basal lepidosauromorph. | ||
Jaxtasuchus | J. salomoni | Baden-Württemberg. [7] | Estherienschichten to Anoplophora Dolomite. [7] | Multiple skeletal remains. [7] | A doswelliid. | |
Nothosaurus | N. cristatus | Eschenau Quarry, Baden-Württemberg. [8] | Lettenkeuper. [8] | Almost complete skull lacking mandible (GPIT/RE/09800). [8] | A nothosaur | |
N. mirabilis | Hoheneck & Molsdorf. [9] | Upper Lettenkeuper. [9] | Multiple specimens. [9] | A nothosaur. | ||
N. sp. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | 2 dorsal vertebrae & a thoracic rib. [4] | A nothosaur. | ||
Owenettidae, aff. Barasaurus | Kupferzell locality & Schumann quarry. [10] | Left humerus (SMNS 92101) & right humerus (SMNS 92100). [10] | An owenettid. | |||
Pappochelys | P. rosinae | Schumann Quarry, Eschenau, Vellberg. [11] | Top of Untere Graue Mergel. [11] | 20 specimens. [11] | A stem-turtle. | |
Polymorphodon | P. adorfi | Schumann Quarry, Vellberg. [12] | Untere Graue Mergel. [12] | Disarticulated partial skeletons. [12] | An archosauriform. | |
Procolophonidae | Gen. indet. sp. indet. | Schumann Quarry. [10] | Left humerus (SMNS 91753). [10] | A procolophonid. | ||
Psephosaurus | P. suevicus | Quarry "Hohenloher Steinwerk" & Hoheneck near Ludwigsburg. [13] | Isolated plates (MHI 1426/1-3 & SMNS 91007). [13] | A placodont. | ||
P. sp. | Hoheneck near Ludwigsburg. [13] | Isolated plates (SMNS 91008 & 91009). [13] | A placodont. | |||
Rutiotomodon | R. tytthos | Schumann limestone quarry. [14] | Top of the Untere Graue Mergel. [14] | A nearly complete right maxilla with teeth (SMNS 97028) & a crushed dentary fragment (SMNS 97029). [14] | A trilophosaurid. | |
Simosaurus | S. gaillardoti | Hoheneck near Ludwigsburg. [15] | Lettenkeuper. [15] | Skull. [15] | A nothosaur. | |
S. guilelmi | Hoheneck near Ludwigsburg. [15] | Lettenkeuper. [15] | Skull. [15] | Junior synonym of S. gaillardoti. | ||
Smilodon | S. laevis | Gaildorf Alumn Mine. [16] | Jaw fragment with teeth. [16] | Preoccupied generic name, renamed Zanclodon laevis. | ||
?Suchia | Indeterminate | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | A tooth (MHI 2035). [4] | An archosaur. | |
Tanystropheus | T. conspicuus | Vertebrae. [17] | Nomen dubium . | |||
T. sp. | Steinbach near Crailsheim. [17] | Lower Lettenkeuper. [17] | Teeth & vertebrae. [17] | A tanystropheid. | ||
Vellbergia | V. bartholomaei | Schumann Quarry, Vellberg. [18] | Untere Graue Mergel. [18] | Partial skull (SMNS 91590). [18] | A stem-lepidosauromorph. | |
Zanclodon | Z. laevis | Gaildorf Alumn Mine. [16] | Jaw fragment with teeth. [16] | An indeterminate archosaur. |
Synapsids reported from the Erfurt Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Aff. Dinodontosaurus | Neidenfels, Baden-Württemberg. [19] | Isolated complete left humerus (SMNS 56891). [19] | Specimen now thought to represent a temnospondyl. [19] | |||
Nanogomphodon | N. wildi | Michelbach an der Bilz. [20] | Sandige Pflanzenschiefer Member, lower Lettenkeuper. [20] | Teeth. [20] | A cynodont. | |
Amphibians reported from the Erfurt Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Bystrowiella | B. schumanni | Kupferzell & Vellberg, Hohenlohe. [21] | Untere Graue Mergel. [21] | Osteoderms & vertebrae. [21] | A chroniosuchian. | |
Callistomordax | C. kugleri | Vellberg (Schumann quarry), Ummenhofen quarry & Kupferzell locality. [22] | Albertibank through Untere Graue Mergel. [22] | Numerous specimens. [22] | A metoposauroid. | |
Gerrothorax | G. pulcherrimus | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | Two skull fragments and some osteoderms. [4] | A plagiosaurid. | |
Mastodonsaurus | M. giganteus | Many localities in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern & in Thuringia. [4] [23] | From the Grenzbonebed through the Hohenecker Kalk, covering nearly the whole Lettenkeuper sequence. [4] [23] | Numerous specimens. [4] [23] | A capitosaur. | |
Megalophthalma | M. ockerti | Schumann limestone quarry, Vellberg, Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. [24] | Hauptsandstein (main sandstone unit). [24] | A partial skull with anterior portion of the left mandibular ramus (MHI 2047). [24] | A plagiosaurid. | |
Plagiosuchus | P. pustuliferus | Multiple localities in Baden-Württemberg & Thuringia. [25] | Vitriolschiefer, Sandige Pflanzenschiefer & Untere Graue Mergel. [25] | Multiple specimens. [25] | A plagiosaurid. | |
?Temnospondyli | Gen. et. sp. indet. | Neidenfels & Schumann Quarry. [19] | Untere Graue Mergel. [19] | Isolated complete left humerus (SMNS 56891) & isolated almost complete right humerus (SMNS 90571). [19] | Originally thought to represent a dicynodont similar to Dinodontosaurus . [19] | |
Trematolestes | T. hagdorni | Present in a range of localities in southern Germany. [26] | Estherienschichten through Untere Graue Mergel, upper Lettenkeuper. [26] | Numerous specimens including a nearly-complete skeleton. [26] | A trematosaurid. | |
Bony fish reported from the Erfurt Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
"Ceratodus" | "C." concinnus | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | Tooth plates, pterygoids & scales. [4] | A lungfish. | |
?Coelacanthidae | Gen. et. sp. indet. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | Numerous remains. [4] | A coelacanth. | |
Parundichna | P. schoelli | Rot am See, Baden-Württemberg. [27] | Hauptsandstein. [27] | Clusters of sigmoidal scratches (MHI 1704). [27] | Swimming trace of a large coelacanth. | |
Ptychoceratodus | P. serratus | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | A mould of a juvenile left praearticular tooth (MHI 410) & a fragment of a juvenile tooth plate (MHI 1748/42). [4] | A lungfish. | |
?Redfieldiiformes | Fam., gen. et. sp. indet. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | 2 fragmentary and dissociated skeletons. [4] | A redfieldiiform. | |
Saurichthys | S. gypsophilus | Franconia. [28] | Skull fragment. [28] | A saurichthyiform. | ||
S. sp. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] [28] | Albertischichten Member (Serreolepisbank). [4] | 1 fragmentary rostrum (MHI 1748/27). [4] [28] | A saurichthyiform. | ||
Serrolepis | S. suevicus | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | Numerous specimens. [4] | A perleidiform. | |
Cartilaginous fish reported from the Erfurt Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Lonchidion | L. sp. | Schwäbisch Hall. [4] | Albertischichten Member (Serrolepisbank). [4] | Teeth. [4] | A hybodontiform. | |
Palaeoxyris | P. friessi | Muschelkalk quarry, Baden-Württemberg. [3] | Top of Hauptsandstein. [3] | SMNS 95447 (egg capsule). [3] | Likely an egg capsule of Polyacrodus . | |
Zanclodon is an extinct genus of archosauriform from the Erfurt Formation in southern Germany. It was once a wastebasket taxon until a taxonomic revision by Schoch (2011) left only the paratype within Zanclodon laevis proper. The type species is Z. laevis.
Gerrothorax is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Triassic period of Greenland, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and possibly Thailand. It is known from a single species, G. pulcherrimus, although several other species such as G. pustuloglomeratus have been named in the past.
The Fremouw Formation is a Triassic-age rock formation in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. It contains the oldest known fossils of tetrapods from Antarctica, including synapsids, reptiles and amphibians. Fossilized trees have also been found. The formation's beds were deposited along the banks of rivers and on floodplains. During the Triassic, the area would have been a riparian forest at 70–75°S latitude.
Thalattosauria is an extinct order of prehistoric marine reptiles that lived in the Middle to Late Triassic. Thalattosaurs were diverse in size and shape, and are divided into two superfamilies: Askeptosauroidea and Thalattosauroidea. Askeptosauroids were endemic to the Tethys Ocean, their fossils have been found in Europe and China, and they were likely semiaquatic fish eaters with straight snouts and decent terrestrial abilities. Thalattosauroids were more specialized for aquatic life and most had unusual downturned snouts and crushing dentition. Thalattosauroids lived along the coasts of both Panthalassa and the Tethys Ocean, and were most diverse in China and western North America. The largest species of thalattosaurs grew to over 4 meters (13 feet) in length, including a long, flattened tail utilized in underwater propulsion. Although thalattosaurs bore a superficial resemblance to lizards, their exact relationships are unresolved. They are widely accepted as diapsids, but experts have variously placed them on the reptile family tree among Lepidosauromorpha, Archosauromorpha, ichthyosaurs, and/or other marine reptiles.
Eryosuchus is an extinct genus of capitosauroid temnospondyl amphibian from the Middle Triassic of northern Russia. It was a very large predator: the largest specimen known could reach up to 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in length, with a skull over 1 m long.
Trematolestes is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Lower Keuper of southern Germany. It was first named by Rainer R. Schoch in 2006 and the type species is Trematolestes hagdorni. It is the first trematosaurid represented by a nearly complete skeleton.
Plagiosauridae is a clade of temnospondyl amphibians of the Middle to Late Triassic. Deposits of the group are most commonly found in non-marine aquatic depositional environments from central Europe and Greenland, but other remains have been found in Russia, Scandinavia, and possibly Thailand.
Trematosauridae is a family of large marine temnospondyl amphibians with several included genera.
Bukobaja is an extinct genus of mastodonsaurid temnospondyl from the middle Triassic of Russia. It contains a single species, Bukobaja enigmatica. Bukobaja mainly occurs in the Bukobay Svita as part of the Ladinian?-age "Mastodonsaurus fauna", a section of Russian Triassic biostratigraphy characterized by "Mastodonsaurus" torvus. It was also present in the underlying Donguz Svita. Bukobaja appears to be a valid genus similar to, yet distinct from, Mastodonsaurus. Despite appearing to possess several unique features, Bukobaja is still known from very few remains. This has led to difficulties in determining its relations more precisely than "Mastodonsauridae incertae sedis". It has also been compared to trematosaurids.
Plagiosuchus is an extinct genus of plagiosaurid temnospondyl. It is known from several collections from the Middle Triassic of Germany.
Ptychoceratodus is an extinct genus of lungfish living from Early Triassic to Middle Jurassic. It was established by Otto Jaekel for one species, transferred from Ceratodus genus. Type species is P. serratus from the Middle Triassic of Switzerland and Germany. Ptychoceratodus had two pairs of massive dental plates, bearing 4-6 acute ridges. Its skull roof was composed from massive, plate-like bones. In the central part of skull roof was localized an unossified fenestra. Most of the Ptychoceratodus findings are isolated dental plates, some associated with jaws. Other parts of skull or postcranial skeleton are relatively rarely found as fossils. The anatomy of skull is the best recognized in P. serratus, whereas less complete cranial material is available also for P. concinuus, P. phillipsi, and P. rectangulus. Although Ptychoceratodus is known exclusively from the Triassic and Jurassic, there were also Cretaceous specimens referred to this genus. However, they are more often regarded as representants of Metaceratodus. Ptychoceratodus is the only member of the family Ptychoceratodontidae. The first named species is P. phillipsi by Louis Agassiz in 1837 as a species of Ceratodus and later moved to Ptychoceratodus genus. Occurrences of Ptychoceratodus come mainly from Europe. However, occurrences from other continents suggest it was dispersed globally during the Triassic. After 2010, the new fossil material behind the Europe was reported from South America, India, and Greenland
Serrolepis is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Ladinian age of the Middle Triassic epoch in what is now Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Colognathus is a genus of extinct reptile from Late Triassic rocks of the southwestern United States. It was described in 1928 from a jaw fragment by Case, who interpreted the new taxon as a fish. The type species is C. obscurus.
Doswelliidae is an extinct family of carnivorous archosauriform reptiles that lived in North America and Europe during the Middle to Late Triassic period. Long represented solely by the heavily-armored reptile Doswellia, the family's composition has expanded since 2011, although two supposed South American doswelliids were later redescribed as erpetosuchids. Doswelliids were not true archosaurs, but they were close relatives and some studies have considered them among the most derived non-archosaurian archosauriforms. They may have also been related to the Proterochampsidae, a South American family of crocodile-like archosauriforms.
Fraxinisaura is an extinct genus of basal lepidosauromorph reptile known from the Middle Triassic of Germany. The only known species is Fraxinisaura rozynekae. It possessed an elongated snout, unique features of the teeth, and an ilium which was intermediate in orientation between sphenodontians and squamates. Based on characteristics of the maxilla, it is considered a close relative of Marmoretta from the Middle Jurassic of the United Kingdom, resolving a ghost lineage between that genus and other Triassic basal lepidosauromorphs.
Polymorphodon is an extinct genus of archosauriform reptile from the Middle Triassic of Germany. The only known species is Polymorphodon adorfi, discovered in Lower Keuper deposits at a quarry in Eschenau, Germany. Polymorphodon is notable for its heterodont dentition, with long and conical premaxillary teeth followed by thin maxillary teeth with large serrations. Maxillary teeth near the back of the mouth are short and leaf-shaped, similar to some living and extinct reptiles with a herbivorous or omnivorous diet. This may suggest that Polymorphodon had some reliance on plants in its diet, a rarity among basal archosauriforms, most of which are carnivores.
The Zhuganpo Formation is a Triassic geologic unit found in southern China. It has historically been known as the Zhuganpo Member of the Falang Formation. A diverse fossil assemblage known as the Xingyi biota or Xingyi Fauna can be found in the upper part of the Zhuganpo Formation. Fossils of the Xingyi biota include articulated skeletons of marine reptiles, abundant fish, and a plentiful assortment of invertebrates indicating a Ladinian to Carnian age for the sediments of the formation.
Vinitasaura is an extinct genus of lepidosauromorph from the Late Triassic of Virginia. It contains a single species, Vinitasaura lizae, which is based on a complete jaw and jaw fragment from the Carnian-age Vinita Formation of the Richmond Basin. Vinitasaura lived alongside several other lepidosauromorphs, including the sphenodontian Micromenodon and an undescribed pleurodont taxon. The Vinita Formation has the oldest lepidosauromorph assemblage found in North America, shedding light on the early diversification and dispersal of this reptile group.
Stauromatodon is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile, possibly related to Saurosphargidae, from the Middle Triassic Erfurt Formation of Germany. It contains a single species, Stauromatodon mohli.
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