Svanbergfjellet Formation

Svanbergfjellet Formation
Stratigraphic range: 791.1±4.9 Ma [1]
Type	Formation
Unit of	Akademikerbreen Group
Underlies	Draken Formation
Overlies	Grudievbreen Formation
Location
Region	Svalbard
Country	Norway

The Svanbergfjellet Formation is a geologic formation in Svalbard. It preserves eukaryotic fossils dating back to the Late Tonian period, around 790 Ma.

Paleobiota

After Butterfield et al, 1994. ^[2]

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

Paleobiota
Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Proterocladus	P. major P. minor P. hermannae	Filamentous green algae, another species is the earliest such fossil found	Fossil of P. antiquus, an earlier species from China
Palaeastrum	P. dyptocranum	Filamentous eukaryote, possibly a green alga.	Palaeastrum fossil
Pseudotawuia	P. birenifera	Enigmatic eukaryote, bears two unusual kidney-shaped structures at its tip.
Tawuia	T. dalensis	Enigmatic eukaryote, possibly an alga.
Valkyria	V. borealis	Filamentous eukaryote, bears several differentiated cells/cell types, possibly placing it at tissue-grade organisation? [2]
Cerebrosphaera	C. buickii	Acritarch
Chuaria	C. sp	Acritarch
Cymatiosphaeroides	C. kullingii	Acritarch
Dictyotidium	D. fullerene	Acritarch
Germinosphaera	G. bispinosa G. fibrilla G. jankauskasii	Acritarch
Goniosphaeridium	G. sp	Acritarch
Gorgonisphaeridium	G. sp	Acritarch
Leiosphaeridia	L. crassa L. jacutica L. tenuissima L. wimanii	Acritarch
Osculosphaera	O. hyalina	Acritarch
Pterospermopsimorpha	P. pileiformis	Acritarch
Trachyhystrichosphaera	T. aimika T. polaris	Acritarch
Gloeodiniopsis	G. lamellosa	Cyanobacteria
Eoentophysalis	E. belcherensis E. croxfordii	Cyanobacteria
Polybessurus	P. bipartitius	Cyanobacteria
Obruchevella	O. blandita	Cyanobacteria
Eosynechococcus	E. moorei	Cyanobacteria
Sphaerophycus	S. parvum	Cyanobacteria
Cephalonyx	C. geminatus	Cyanobacteria
Cyanonema	C. sp	Cyanobacteria
Oscillatoriopsis	O. vermiformis O. obtusa O. amadeus O. longa	Cyanobacteria
Palaeolyngbya	P. catenata P. hebeiensis	Cyanobacteria
Siphonophycus	S. thulenema S. septatum S. robustum S. typicum S. kestron S. solidum	Cyanobacteria
Tortunema	T. wernadskii	Cyanobacteria
Brachypleganon	B. khandanum	Cyanobacteria
Chlorogloeaopsis	C. zairensis	Cyanobacteria
Digitus	D. adumbratus	Cyanobacteria
Myxococcoides	M. minor M. cantabrigiensis	Cyanobacteria
Ostiana	O. microcystis	Cyanobacteria
Palaeosiphonella	P. sp	Cyanobacteria

References

1. Mughal, Sanaa; Millikin, Alexie E. G.; Zhang, Tianran; Gibson, Timothy M.; Rooney, Alan D.; Tosca, Nicholas J.; Bergmann, Kristin D.; Strauss, Justin V.; Anderson, Ross P. (25 February 2025). "The Svanbergfjellet Formation: eukaryotic life in a Tonian Sea". Journal of the Geological Society. 182 (3). doi: 10.1144/jgs2024-083 .
2. Butterfield, Nicholas J.; Knoll, Andrew H.; Swett, Keene (15 July 1994). "Paleobiology of the Neoproterozoic Svanbergfjellet Formation, Spitsbergen". Fossils and Strata. 34. doi:10.18261/8200376494-1994-01.