Kimmeridge Clay

Kimmeridge Clay
Stratigraphic range: Upper Jurassic
Type Geological formation

The Kimmeridge Clay Formation is a sedimentary deposit of fossiliferous marine clay which is of Jurassic age. It occurs in Europe.

Kimmeridge Clay is arguably the most economically important unit of rocks in the whole of Europe, being the major source rock for oil fields in the North Sea hydrocarbon province. It has distinctive physical properties, log responses, and palynological signature.

It is named after the village of Kimmeridge on the Dorset coast of England, where it is well exposed and forms part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It exists across England, in a band stretching from Dorset in the south-west, north-east to East Anglia.

The Humber Bridge's foundations are in the Kimmeridge Clay deposits under the Humber estuary.

The fossil fauna of the Kimmeridge Clay includes a reptile fauna of turtles, crocodiles, sauropods, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, as well as a number of invertebrate species.

Contents

Vertebrate fauna

[1]

Ornithischians

Indeterminate nodosaurid remains have been found in Wiltshire, England.[1] Indeterminate stegosaurid remains have been found in Dorset and Wiltshire, England.[1]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; crossed out data are discredited.
Genus Species Location Member Abundance Notes Images

Bugenasaura[1]

Indeterminate[1]

Kimmeridge clay remains previously identified as belonging to Bugenasaura are now regarded as the remains of an indeterminate euornithopod.[1] However, the genus is also defunct now anyway, as scientists have determined it to be a junior synonym of Thescelosaurus.

Cumnoria[1]

C. prestwichii[1]
  • Oxfordshire[1]

"Fragmentary skull and skeleton."[2]

Dacentrurus[1]

D. armatus[1]

Wiltshire remains include specimens previously referred to Omosaurus armatus and O. hastiger.[1]

Omosaurus[1]

O.armatus[1]

Reclassifed as Dacentrurus armatus because the generic name Omosaurus was preoccupied.[1]

O. hastiger[1]

Saurischians

Indeterminate ornithomimmid remains have been found in Dorset, England.[1] An undescribed theropod genus was found in Dorset.[1]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; crossed out data are discredited.
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Bothriospondylus[1]

B. suffosus[1]

"[Seven] dorsal and sacral centra."[3]

Cetiosaurus[1]

C. humerocristatus[1]

Now Duriatitan.[4]

Indeterminate[1]
  • Oxfordshire[1]

Remains previously referred to an indeterminate species of Cetiosaurus are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.[1]

Duriatitan

D. humerocristatus

Humerus[5]

A titanosauriform[4]

Gigantosaurus[1]

G. megalonyx[1]
  • Cambridgeshire[1]

Remains previously referred to Gigantosaurus megalonyx are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.[1]

Ischyrosaurus[1]

I. manseli[1]
  • Oxfordshire[1]

"Humerus."[6]

Remains previously referred to Ischyrosaurus manseli are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.[1]

Megalosaurus[1]

M. insignis[1]

Remains previously referred tentatively to Megalosaurus insignis are now regarded as indeterminate theropod material.[1]

Indeterminate[1]

Remains previously referred to an indeterminate species of Megalosaurus are now regarded as indeterminate theropod material.[1]

Ornithopsis[1]

O. leedsi[1]
  • Oxfordshire[1]

"Caudal vertebrae, pelvis."[6]

Remains previously referred to Ornithopsis leedsi are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.[1]

Indeterminate
  • Cambridgeshire[1]
  • Norfolk[1]

Remains previously attributed to one or more indeterminate species of Ornithopsis are now regarded as possible indeterminate sauropod material.[1]

Invertebrates

The invertebrate fauna of the Kimmeridge Clay includes[7][8]:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 545–549. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  2. ^ "Table 19.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 415.
  3. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 270.
  4. ^ a b Paul M. Barrett, Roger B.J. Benson and Paul Upchurch (2010). "Dinosaurs of Dorset: Part II, the sauropod dinosaurs (Saurischia, Sauropoda) with additional comments on the theropods". Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 131: 113–126. 
  5. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 267.
  6. ^ a b "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 271.
  7. ^ http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Student-s-Elements-of-Geology7.html The Student's Elements of Geology by Sir Charles Lyell Part 7 out of 14 accessed 13 February 2009.
  8. ^ Wignall, Paul B. (1990). "Benthic palaeoecology of the late Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay of England". Special Papers in Palaeontology (The Palaeontological Association, London) 43. ISBN 9780901702425. http://rogov.zwz.ru/Wignall,%201990_Bentic%20palaeoecology_Kimmeridge%20clay.pdf. Retrieved February 8, 2011.