Ives Head Formation

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Ives Head Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ediacaran 611  Ma [1]
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Ives Head.jpg
Ives Head, which gave its name to the formation, which itself can be found here.
Type Formation
Unit of Blackbrook Group
Sub-unitsSouth Quarry Slump Breccia, Lubcloud Greywackes and Morley Lane Tuffs Members
Underlies [2] Blackbrook Reservoir Formation
Thickness820 m (2,690 ft) [2]
Lithology
Primary Tuff
Other Breccia, Greywacke, Sandstone, Dacite
Location
Region Leicestershire
Country United Kingdom
Type section
Named for Ives Head

The Ives Head Formation is a geologic formation in Leicestershire, and lies within the wider Ives Head area. It preserves fossils dating back to the Lower Ediacaran period.

Contents

Paleobiota

The Ives Head Formation contains the oldest fossils within the Charnian Supergroup, which can be found in the Lubcloud surface. If preliminary zircon dating is correct, then these organisms could be pre-Gaskiers in age, with the base of the formation just below them coming in at around 611 Ma, [1] which would not only be older than current known pre-Gaskiers biota at the 580 Ma Rocky Harbour Formation in Newfoundland and Labrador, but also the 602 Ma biota at the Lantian Formation in China, which would greatly change the way we understand the evolution of the Ediacaran biota, although it has been noted that the dates require further refinement. [3]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Ivesheadiomorph

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Blackbrookia [4] [3] [5]
  • B. oaksi
Poorly preserved organism, possibly of a petalonamid.
Ivesheadia [4] [5]
  • I. lobata
Poorly preserved organism.
Shepshedia [4] [5]
  • S. palmata
Poorly preserved organism.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Noble, Stephen R.; Condon, Daniel J.; Carney, John N.; Wilby, Philip R.; Pharaoh, Timothy C.; Ford, Trevor D. (January 2015). "U-Pb geochronology and global context of the Charnian Supergroup, UK: Constraints on the age of key Ediacaran fossil assemblages". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 127 (1–2): 250–265. doi:10.1130/B31013.1.
  2. 1 2 Moseley, John; Ford, Trevor. "The Sedimentology of the Charnian Supergroup" (PDF). Mercian Geologist.
  3. 1 2 Kenchington, Charlotte G.; Harris, Simon J.; Vixseboxse, Philip B.; Pickup, Chris; Wilby, Philip R. (June 2018). "The Ediacaran fossils of Charnwood Forest: Shining new light on a major biological revolution". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 129 (3): 264–277. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2018.02.006.
  4. 1 2 3 H. E. Boynton, T. D. Ford (1995). "Ediacaran Fossils from the Precambrian (Charnian Supergroup) of Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, England". Mercian Geologist. 13 (4): 165–182.
  5. 1 2 3 Wilby, Philip R.; Carney, John N.; Howe, Michael P.A. (1 July 2011). "A rich Ediacaran assemblage from eastern Avalonia: Evidence of early widespread diversity in the deep ocean". Geology. 39 (7): 655–658. doi:10.1130/G31890.1.
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