Forest Marble Formation | |
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Stratigraphic range: Bathonian | |
![]() Forest Marble Formation exposed in Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire | |
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 |
Lithology | |
Primary | Mudstone, Limestone |
Other | Siltstone, Sandstone |
Location | |
Region | Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset |
Country | ![]() |
Type section | |
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]
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]
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 of the Forest Marble Formation [5] | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Hybodus | Hybodus obtusus | Watton Cliff | A hybodont shark | |||
Egertonodus | Egertonodus duffini | |||||
Secarodus | Secarodus polyprion | |||||
Strophodus | Spp. | A hybodont shark, formerly considered to be Asteracanthus | ||||
Lonchidion | Indeterminate | A hybodont shark | ||||
Parvodus | Parvodus pattersoni | |||||
Lissodus | Lissodus leiopleurus | |||||
Palaeocarcharias ? [6] | Indeterminate | Possibly the oldest lamniform shark |
Color key
| Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Ornithischians of the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
Indeterminate [7] |
| |||||
Indeterminate [9] |
| Dubious | ||||
Indeterminate [11] |
| Dubious, probably indeterminate ornithischian | ||||
Color key
| Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Saurischians reported from the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
B. robustus [10] |
| "Dorsal vertebra." [13] | Reassigned to Marmarospondylus | ![]() | ||
Indeterminate [8] |
| |||||
C. rugulosus [10] |
| |||||
C. oxoniensis |
| |||||
"Cetiosaurus" | C. glymptonensis [8] |
| "Caudal vertebrae." [15] | Actually indeterminate theropod remains. [16] | ||
Dromaeosauridae [17] | Indeterminate [17] |
| "Teeth" [17] | Remains represent three species. Same species also present in the Chipping Norton Limestone. [17] Other authors have questioned the attribution to dromaeosaurs. [18] | ||
Dorsal verebra | Dubious genus of sauropod | |||||
M. bucklandii [16] |
| |||||
Indeterminate [20] | Actually indeterminate theropod remains. [20] | |||||
Amphibians reported from the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Anoualerpeton | A. priscus | Kirtlington | Albanerpetontid | |||
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 reported from the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Paracryptodira [22] | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | Shell fragments, basisphenoid |
Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Cteniogenys | Indeterminate | Kirtlington |
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 | Squamate | ![]() | ||
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 reported from the Forest Marble Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
cf. Goniopholis | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | ![]() | |||
cf. Theriosuchus | Indeterminate | Kirtlington |
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 | ![]() | |||
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 |
The Oxford Clay is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay Formation dates to the Jurassic, specifically, the Callovian and Oxfordian ages, and comprises two main facies. The lower facies comprises the Peterborough Member, a fossiliferous organic-rich mudstone. This facies and its rocks are commonly known as lower Oxford Clay. The upper facies comprises the middle Oxford Clay, the Stewartby Member, and the upper Oxford Clay, the Weymouth Member. The upper facies is a fossil poor assemblage of calcareous mudstones.
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek keteios/κήτειος meaning 'sea monster' and sauros/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period, living about 168 million years ago in what is now Britain.
Proceratosaurus is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of England. It contains a single species. P. bradleyi, known from a mostly complete skull and lower jaws. Proceratosaurus was a small dinosaur, estimated to measure around 3 m (9.8 ft) in length. Its name refers to how it was originally thought to be an ancestor of Ceratosaurus, due to the partially preserved portion of the crest of Proceratosaurus superficially resembling the small crest of Ceratosaurus. Now, however, it is considered a coelurosaur, specifically a member of the family Proceratosauridae, and amongst the earliest known members of the clade Tyrannosauroidea.
The Kimmeridge Clay is a sedimentary deposit of fossiliferous marine clay which is of Late Jurassic to lowermost Cretaceous age and occurs in southern and eastern England and in the North Sea. This rock formation is the major source rock for North Sea oil. The fossil fauna of the Kimmeridge Clay includes turtles, crocodiles, sauropods, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, as well as a number of invertebrate species.
Paracryptodira is an extinct group of reptiles in the clade Testudinata, known from the Jurassic to Paleogene of North America and Europe. Initially treated as a suborder sister to Cryptodira, they were then thought to be a very primitive lineage inside the Cryptodira according to the most common use of the latter taxon. They are now often regarded as late-diverging stem-turtles, lying outside the clade formed by Cryptodira and Pleurodira. The paracryptodires are said to have phylogenic relationships, noted as primary subclades, within the Baenidae and Pleurosternidae. Within each subclade, lies many biodiverse turtles that are continuously being investigated and added to the fossil record. Paracryptodires are divided into three main groups, Compsemydidae, known from the Late Jurassic to Paleocene of North America and Europe, Pleurosternidae, known from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of North America and Europe, and Baenidae, known from the Early Cretaceous to Eocene of North America. The latter two groups are more closely related to each other than to Compsemys, forming the clade Baenoidea.
The Taynton Limestone is a geological formation in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. It dates to the Middle Jurassic, mid-Bathonian stage. It predominantly consists of ooidal grainstone. The term "Stonesfield Slate" refers to slaty limestone horizons within the formation that during the 18th and 19th centuries were extensively quarried for use in roof tiling within the vicinity of Stonesfield, Oxfordshire. Previously these were thought to belong to the Sharp's Hill Formation, but boreholes and shaft sections suggest that at least three horizons within the Taynton Limestone were quarried for the slate. These horizons are well known for producing a diverse set of fossils including those of plants, insects as well as vertebrates, including some of the earliest known mammals, pterosaurs as well as those of first dinosaur ever described, Megalosaurus.
The Inferior Oolite is a sequence of Jurassic age sedimentary rocks in Europe. It was deposited during the Middle Jurassic. The Inferior Oolite Group as more recently defined is a Jurassic lithostratigraphic group in southern and eastern England. It has been variously known in the past as the Under Oolite, the Inferior Oolite, the Inferior Oolite Series and the Redbourne Group.
Anoualerpeton is an extinct genus of lissamphibian in the family Albanerpetontidae. It is the oldest and most primitive albanerpetontid known. Fossils have been found of two different species, Anoualerpeton priscus from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) aged Forest Marble and Kilmaluag formations of England and Scotland, and Anoualerpeton unicus from Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Tithonian-Berriasian) Ksar Metlili Formation of Morocco. A. unicus is the only named albanerpetontid from Gondwana.
The Balabansai Formation is a geological formation in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan whose strata date back to the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. The lithology primarily consists of variegated sandstones, siltstones, claystones, and rare gravels and marls. Many taxa have been found in the formation, including amphibians and mammals
The White Limestone Formation is a Bathonian geologic formation in the United Kingdom, dating to the Middle Jurassic, 168.3 to 166.1 million years ago. Fossil sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation. It is the lateral equivalent of the Blisworth Limestone. It predominantly consists of grey-yellow limestone, typically wackestone and packstone with subordinate ooidal grainstone. The Woodeaton Quarry locality has yielded microvertebrates.
Marmoretta is an extinct genus of small lepidosauromorph reptile known from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Britain, as well as the Late Jurassic of Portugal. It contains a single species, Marmoretta oxoniensis.
The Rutland Formation is a geologic formation in England. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Bajocian to Bathonian stages in the Jurassic period, about 169 million years ago. It is the lateral equivalent of the Sharp's Hill Formation and the Fuller's Earth Formation. The "Rutland Dinosaur" specimen of Cetiosaurus is known from the formation.
The Chipping Norton Limestone is a geological formation in the Cotswolds, England. It preserves fossils dating back to the Bathonian. Including those of dinosaurs Cetiosaurus, Megalosaurus and Cruxicheiros as well as the Tritylodontid Stereognathus. It primarily consists of ooidal limestone.
Borealestes is a genus of docodontan from the Middle Jurassic of Britain, first discovered on the Isle of Skye near the village of Elgol. It was the earliest mammaliaform from the Mesozoic found and named in Scotland. A second species and was later found in other Middle Jurassic sites in England, but is now shown to be a different genus. A new species, B. cuillinensis was named in 2021, also from Skye.
Wareolestes rex is a mammaliaform from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) rocks of England and Scotland. It was originally known from isolated teeth from England, before a more complete jaw with teeth was found in the Kilmaluag Formation of Skye, Scotland.
Palaeoxonodon is an extinct genus of cladotherian mammal from the Middle Jurassic of England and Scotland.
Woodeaton Quarry is a 7.3-hectare (18-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Oxford in Oxfordshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Dobunnodon its an extinct genus of docodont from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Forest Marble Formation of England, first discovered in Oxfordshire near the village of Kirtlington. The type species, D. mussettae, was originally named as a species of Borealestes in 2003.
Kermackodon is an extinct genus of allotherian mammal, known from the Middle Jurassic of England. It combines features of multituberculates with those of euharamyidans. The remains of type species, K. multicuspis were collected from Kirtlington Quarry in Oxford, England, by a team lead from UCL led by Professor Kenneth Kermack after whom the taxon is named, from sediments of the Forest Marble Formation, dating to the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic. The genus and species were named by Percy M. Butler and Jerry Hooker in 2005. The remains comprise a left upper molar (M2), a lower last premolar, initially considered a left but later considered more likely to be right (p4), and an incomplete non-last upper premolar. A second species, K. oxfordensis, from Kirtlington and also sediments of the White Limestone Formation at Woodeaton Quarry was assigned to the genus in 2022, originally placed in the separate genus Eleutherodon. A 2020 study considered it to be more closely related to mutlituberculates than to euharamiyidans, while the 2022 study considered it to be a member of Euharamiyida.
Bellairsia is an extinct genus of stem-squamate known from a single species, Bellairsia gracilis, from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of England and Scotland. It is amongst the oldest squamates known. It was originally described in 1998 by Susan E. Evans from disarticulated individual bones, including the holotype dentary, collected from the Forest Marble Formation in Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire, England. It was named in honor of British herpetologist and vertebrate anatomist Angus Bellairs. In 2022, a partial 70% complete skeleton was described from the equivalently aged Kilmaluag Formation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The partial skeleton had an estimated snout-vent length of around 6–7 centimetres (2.4–2.8 in). While originally considered a member of Scincomorpha, the 2022 study recovered it to be a stem-group squamate, with the phylogeny recovering it as part of a weakly supported clade also containing Huehuecuetzpalli and Oculudentavis.