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Forest Marble Formation
Stratigraphic range: Bathonian 168–166 Ma
↓
Forest Marble Formation exposed in Kirtlington Quarry, Oxfordshire
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofGreat Oolite Group
UnderliesCornbrash Formation
OverliesWhite Limestone Formation, Athelstan Oolite Formation, Chalfield Oolite Formation, Corsham Limestone Formation, Frome Clay
ThicknessUp 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
PrimaryMudstone, Limestone
OtherSiltstone, Sandstone
Location
RegionBedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset
Country UK
Type section
Named forWychwood 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]

Lithology

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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]

Paleobiota

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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

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Fish of the Forest Marble Formation[5]
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

Dinosaurs

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Ornithischians

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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.
Ornithischians of the Forest Marble Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Alocodon[7]

Indeterminate[7]

Hylaeosaurus[9]

Indeterminate[9]

Dubious

Iguanodon[11]

Indeterminate[11]

Dubious, probably indeterminate ornithischian

Saurischians

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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.
Saurischians reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Bothriospondylus[12]

B. robustus[10]

"Dorsal vertebra."[13]

Reassigned to Marmarospondylus

Cetiosaurus

Indeterminate[8]

Cardiodon[10]

C. rugulosus[10]

Cetiosaurus[14]

C. oxoniensis

  • Oxfordshire

A cetiosaurid sauropod.

"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]

Marmarospondylus

Dorsal verebra Dubious genus of sauropod

Megalosaurus[19]

M. bucklandii[16]

Indeterminate[20]

Actually indeterminate theropod remains.[20]

Amphibians

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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.
Eodiscoglossus
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

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Turtles reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Paracryptodira[22] Indeterminate Kirtlington Shell fragments, basisphenoid

Choristoderes

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Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Cteniogenys Indeterminate Kirtlington

Lepidosauromorphs

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Lepidosauromorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation
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

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Crocodyliformes reported from the Forest Marble Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
cf. Goniopholis Indeterminate Kirtlington
Goniopholis
cf. Theriosuchus Indeterminate Kirtlington

Mammaliamorphs

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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
Morganucodon
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

See also

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Footnotes

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  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.
  2. ^ British Geological Survey. "Forest Marble Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Kirtlington 3p (Mammal Bed)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Watton Cliff (West Cliff), Dorset". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  5. ^ Rees, Jan; Underwood, Charlie J. (January 2008). "Hybodont Sharks of the English Bathonian and Callovian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 51 (1): 117–147. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00737.x. ISSN 0031-0239.
  6. ^ Underwood, Charlie J.; Ward, David J. (May 2004). "Neoselachian sharks and rays from the British Bathonian (Middle Jurassic)". Palaeontology. 47 (3): 447–501. doi:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00386.x. ISSN 0031-0239.
  7. ^ a b Listed as "cf. Alocodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  9. ^ a b Listed as "?Hylaeosaurus sp." in "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  11. ^ a b Listed as "?Iguanodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  12. ^ "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation" and "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.
  13. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 270.
  14. ^ "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538, 540.
  15. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 265.
  16. ^ a b c "10.3 Gloucestershire, England; 4. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Wills, S.; Underwood, C. J.; Barrett, P. M. (2023). "Machine learning confirms new records of maniraptoran theropods in Middle Jurassic UK microvertebrate faunas". Papers in Palaeontology. 9 (2). e1487. doi:10.1002/spp2.1487.
  18. ^ Yu, Yilun; Yi, Hongyu; Wang, Shiying; Pei, Rui; Zhang, Chi; Xu, Xing (December 1, 2023). "A Jurassic Tibetan theropod tooth reveals dental convergency and its implication for identifying fragmentary fossils". The Innovation Geoscience. 1 (3): 100040–10. doi:10.59717/j.xinn-geo.2023.100040. ISSN 2959-8753.
  19. ^ Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 539-540.
  20. ^ a b "10.7 Dorset, England; 2. Forest Marble Formation" and "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 539-540.
  21. ^ "10.7 Dorset, England; 2. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 539.
  22. ^ Scheyer, Torsten M.; Anquetin, Jérémy (March 2008). "Bone histology of the Middle Jurassic turtle shell remains from Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, England". Lethaia. 41 (1): 85–96. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00044.x. ISSN 0024-1164.

References

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  • Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
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