Taynton Limestone Formation

Taynton Limestone
Taynton Limestone
Stratigraphic range: Bathonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Great Oolite Group
Underlies	Hampen Formation, Rutland Formation
Overlies	Fuller's Earth Formation, Sharp's Hill Formation, Horsehay Sand Formation
Thickness	0-11 m
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Marl, Sandstone
Location
Region	Oxfordshire
Country	England
Type section
Named for	Taynton, Oxfordshire
Location	Lee's Quarry, Taynton Down, Oxfordshire

Last updated April 02, 2025

The Taynton Limestone^[1] is a geological formation in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. It dates to the Middle Jurassic, mid-Bathonian stage.^[2] It predominantly consists of ooidal grainstone.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.

Vertebrate fauna

Reptiles

Reptiles of the Stonesfield Slate^[5]
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
Iliosuchus	I. incognitus	Two ilia		A theropod dinosaur. Not distingusiable from Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus	M. bucklandii	Isolated remains including several dentaries, maxillas and postcranial bones from multiple individuals		A megalosaurid theropod dinosaur, also present in the Chipping Norton and Sharp's Hill Formations
Klobiodon ^[6]	K. rochei	Partial dentary with teeth		A rhamphorhynchid pterosaur
Protochelys	P. blakii	Isolated epidermal scales, coracoid, plastron fragment^[7]		Nomen dubium, Testudinata indet
Teleosaurus	T. geoffroyi			An indeterminate Teleosaurid. Probably the same animal as Teleosaurus cadomensis.
Monofenestrata ^[6]	Indeterminate	Vertebrae
Rhamphorhynchidae ^[6]	Indeterminate	Various isolated remains

Mammaliamorphs

Mammaliamorphs of the Stonesfield Slate^[5]
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
Amphilestes	A. broderipii	Two left mandibles and right mandible	Stonesfield Slate quarries	Amphilestid
Amphitherium	A. prevostii	Partial left mandible and a right mandible		Amphitheriidae
Amphitherium	A. rixoni	Right dentary		Amphitheriidae
Stereognathus	S. ooliticus	Teeth		Tritylodontid
Phascolotherium	P. bucklandii	Right mandible and left ramus		Amphilestid

Fish

Fish of the Stonesfield Slate^[5]
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
Breviacanthus	Breviacanthus brevis		Stonesfield Slate quarries
Ganodus	Spp.			Chimaeriformes
Ischyodus	Ischyodus emarginatus			Chimaeriformes
Aspidorhynchus	Aspidorhynchus crassus
Pholidophorus	Indeterminate
Leptolepis	Leptolepis disjectus
Pycnodus	Indeterminate
Mesodon	Mesodon tenuidens
Microdon	Microdon biserialis
Lepidotus	Lepidotus tuberculatus
Macrosemius	Macrosemius sp.
Undina	Undina ? barroviensis			A coelacanth
Ferganoceratodus	Ferganoceratodus phillipsi^[8]			A lungfish
Egertonodus ^[9]	Egertonodus duffini			A hybodont shark
Palaeocarcharias ?^[10]	Indeterminate			Possibly the oldest lamniform shark

Invertebrate fauna

Invertebrates of the Stonesfield Slate
Taxa	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Blapsium	B. egertoni	Stonesfield Slate	NHM, In. 34379, a ventral compression missing the head	An ommatine beetle
Palaeontina	P. oolitica		Forewing	Type species of Palaeontinidae
Pheugothemis	P. westwoodi			Damsel-dragonfly of uncertain placement, while historically described as a member of Gomphidae, Huang et al. 2019 state that it "can[not] be accurately attributed to the Gomphidae, or even the Gomphida."

Flora

The flora known from the Stonesfield Slate comprises a relatively diverse flora, with 25 morphospecies present. It primarily represents a coastal environment, perhaps seasonally dry with mangrove like environments. It is a noticeably different assemblage than the Yorkshire floras of equivalent age, possibly because the latter is thought to represent a deltaic, wetland environment.^[11]

Flora of the Stonesfield Slate
Taxa	Species	Material	Location	Notes	Images
cf. Dictyophyllum	Indeterminate			Fern, Member of Dipteridaceae
Phlebopteris	P. woodwardii			Fern, Member of Matoniaceae
cf. Coniopteris	Indeterminate			Fern, Member of Dicksoniaceae
Sagenopteris	S. colpodes			Member of Caytoniales
Ctenozamites	cf. leckenbyi			Member of Peltaspermales
Pachypteris	P. macrophylla			A "Pteridosperm", likely either a member of Peltaspermales or Corystospermales
Komlopteris	K. speciosa			Member of Corystospermales
Ctenis	C. cf. sulcicaulis, sp			Cycad
Ptilophyllum	P. pectiniformis, P. cf hirsutum			Member of Bennettitales
Sphenozamites	S. bellii			Member of Bennettitales
? Weltrichia	Indeterminate			Member of Bennettitales
Taeniopteris	T. vittata			Member of Bennettitales
Bucklandia	B. bucklandii			Member of Bennettitales formerly Conites bucklandii^[12]
Ginkgo	G. aff longifolius			Member of Ginkgoales
Brachyphyllum	B. expansum			Member of Pinales
Elatocladus	E. cf. laxus			Member of Pinales
Masculostrobus	Indeterminate			Member of Pinales
Classostrobus	Indeterminate			Cheirolepidiaceae
Araucarites	A. brodei			Araucariaceae
Pelourdea				A conifer of uncertain affinities
Carpolithes	Carpolithes diospyriformis, Carpolithes sp.			Plantae indet
Phyllites	sp.			Morphotaxon for leaves of uncertain affinities

References

↑ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Middle Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 538–541. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
↑ Benson, R.B.J. (2009). "An assessment of variability in theropod dinosaur remains from the Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) of Stonesfield and New Park Quarry, UK and taxonomic implications for Megalosaurus bucklandii and Iliosuchus incognitus." Palaeontology, doi : 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2009.00884.x
↑ "Taynton Limestone Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
↑ Boneham, B.F.W.; Wyatt, R.J. (January 1993). "The stratigraphical position of the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Stonesfield Slate of Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 104 (2): 123–136. Bibcode:1993PrGA..104..123B. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(08)80014-4.
1 2 3 "Stonesfield Slate, near Oxford (BMNH fish)". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
1 2 3 Michael O’Sullivan; David M. Martill (2018). "Pterosauria of the Great Oolite Group (Bathonian, Middle Jurassic) of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, England". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Online edition. doi:10.4202/app.00490.2018.
↑ Anquetin, Jérémy; Claude, Julien (2008). "Reassessment of the oldest British turtle: Protochelys from the Middle Jurassic Stonesfield Slate of Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Geodiversitas. 30 (2): 331–344.
↑ Challands, Tom J.; Cavin, Lionel; Zondo, Michel; Munyikwa, Darlington; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Barrett, Paul M. (2023-11-02). "A new lungfish from the Upper Triassic of the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 43 (6): e2365391. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2365391 . ISSN 0272-4634.
↑ Rees, Jan; Underwood, Charlie J. (January 2008). "Hybodont Sharks of the English Bathonian and Callovian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 51 (1): 117–147. Bibcode:2008Palgy..51..117R. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00737.x . ISSN 0031-0239.
↑ Underwood, Charlie J.; Ward, David J. (May 2004). "Neoselachian sharks and rays from the British Bathonian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 47 (3): 447–501. Bibcode:2004Palgy..47..447U. doi: 10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00386.x . ISSN 0031-0239.
↑ Cleal, C. J.; Rees, P. M. (July 2003). "The Middle Jurassic flora from Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Palaeontology. 46 (4): 739–801. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46..739C. doi: 10.1111/1475-4983.00319 . ISSN 0031-0239.
↑ Doweld, Alexander B. (October 2012). "(2099) Proposal to conserve the name Bucklandia Brongn. against Bucklandia Sternb. and Conites (fossil Gymnospermae , Cycadeoideopsida )". Taxon. 61 (5): 1131–1132. doi: 10.1002/tax.615033 . ISSN 0040-0262.

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[middlejurassicdistribution-1] Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Middle Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 538–541. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

[benson2009-2] Benson, R.B.J. (2009). "An assessment of variability in theropod dinosaur remains from the Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) of Stonesfield and New Park Quarry, UK and taxonomic implications for Megalosaurus bucklandii and Iliosuchus incognitus." Palaeontology, doi : 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2009.00884.x

[3] "Taynton Limestone Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Retrieved 2019-09-21.

[4] Boneham, B.F.W.; Wyatt, R.J. (January 1993). "The stratigraphical position of the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Stonesfield Slate of Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 104 (2): 123–136. Bibcode:1993PrGA..104..123B. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(08)80014-4.

[:0-5] 1 2 3 "Stonesfield Slate, near Oxford (BMNH fish)". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.

[Martill18-6] 1 2 3 Michael O’Sullivan; David M. Martill (2018). "Pterosauria of the Great Oolite Group (Bathonian, Middle Jurassic) of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, England". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Online edition. doi:10.4202/app.00490.2018.

[7] Anquetin, Jérémy; Claude, Julien (2008). "Reassessment of the oldest British turtle: Protochelys from the Middle Jurassic Stonesfield Slate of Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Geodiversitas. 30 (2): 331–344.

[:02-8] Challands, Tom J.; Cavin, Lionel; Zondo, Michel; Munyikwa, Darlington; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Barrett, Paul M. (2023-11-02). "A new lungfish from the Upper Triassic of the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 43 (6): e2365391. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2365391 . ISSN 0272-4634.

[9] Rees, Jan; Underwood, Charlie J. (January 2008). "Hybodont Sharks of the English Bathonian and Callovian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 51 (1): 117–147. Bibcode:2008Palgy..51..117R. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00737.x . ISSN 0031-0239.

[10] Underwood, Charlie J.; Ward, David J. (May 2004). "Neoselachian sharks and rays from the British Bathonian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 47 (3): 447–501. Bibcode:2004Palgy..47..447U. doi: 10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00386.x . ISSN 0031-0239.

[11] Cleal, C. J.; Rees, P. M. (July 2003). "The Middle Jurassic flora from Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Palaeontology. 46 (4): 739–801. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46..739C. doi: 10.1111/1475-4983.00319 . ISSN 0031-0239.

[12] Doweld, Alexander B. (October 2012). "(2099) Proposal to conserve the name Bucklandia Brongn. against Bucklandia Sternb. and Conites (fossil Gymnospermae , Cycadeoideopsida )". Taxon. 61 (5): 1131–1132. doi: 10.1002/tax.615033 . ISSN 0040-0262.

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