Hastings Beds

Hastings Beds
Stratigraphic range: Valanginian, 140–136Ma
↓
Type Group
Unit of Wealden Supergroup
Sub-units
Underlies Weald Clay Group
Location
Region Europe
Country  UK

The Hastings Beds is a geological unit that includes interbedded clays, silts, siltstones, sands and sandstones in the High Weald of southeast England. These strata make up the component geological formations of the Ashdown Formation, the Wadhurst Clay Formation and the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation. The term 'Hastings Beds' has been superseded and the component formations are included in the Wealden Group.[1]

The sediments of the Weald, including the Hastings Beds, were deposited during the Early Cretaceous Period, which lasted for approximately 40 million years from 140 to 100 million years ago. The Hastings Beds are of Early Berriasian to Late Valanginian age.[1] The Group takes its name from the fishing town of Hastings in East Sussex.

Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the included formations.[2]

Vertebrate palaeofauna

Ornithischians

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 reported from the Hastings Beds
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Barilium

B. dawsoni[3]
  • East Sussex[3]

Wadhurst Clay

"[Two] partial skeletons."[4]

An iguanodontian
Hylaeosaurus armatus
Thecospondylus horneri

Hylaeosaurus[5]

H. armatus[5]
  • East Sussex[3]
  • West Sussex[6]

"Partial skull, skeleton, isolated postcrania."[7]

Hypselospinus

H. fittoni[3]
  • East Sussex[3]

Wadhurst Clay

An iguanodontian

Iguanodon[8]

I. anglicus[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

"Teeth and postcranial fragments."[9]

Nomen dubium

I. bernissartensis[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

Remains once tentatively referred to I. bernissartensis are now regarded as being I. anglicus remains.[6]

I. dawsoni[3]

Reclassified as Barilium dawsoni

I. fittoni[3]

Reclassified as Hypselospinus fittoni

I. hollingtoniensis[3]

Junior synonym of I. fittoni.[3]

Regnosaurus[6]

R. northamptoni[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

Nomen dubium.[6]

Streptospondylus[6]

S. major[6]

Junior synonym of Iguanodon anglicus.[6]

Thecospondylus[10]

T. horneri[10]

"Internal mold of sacrum."[11]

Dubious genus that has been variously classified as either a saurischian or ornithischian.[12] It is currently only tentatively regarded as dinosaurian.[10]

Valdosaurus[6]

V. canaliculatus[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

Saurischians

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 Hastings Beds
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Becklespinax[3]

B. altispinax[3]
  • East Sussex[3]

"Dorsal vertebrae."[13]
Pleurocoelus
Thecospondylus
Valdoraptor

Cetiosaurus[5]

C. brevis[5]
  • East Sussex[3]
  • West Sussex[6]

Synonymous with Pelorosaurus conybeari

Megalosaurus

M. oweni[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

Reclassified as Valdoraptor oweni.[6]

Pelorosaurus[5]

P. conybeari[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

"Humerus [and four] caudal vertebrae."[14]

A basal titanosauriform

"P." becklesi[3]
  • East Sussex[3]

Forelimb

A titanosaur

Pleurocoelus[5]

P. valdensis[5]
  • East Sussex[3]
  • West Sussex[6]

A dubious basal titanosauriform[5]

Suchosaurus

S. cultridens

A spinosaurid

Thecospondylus[10]

T. horneri[10]

Dubious genus that has been variously classified as either a saurischian or ornithischian.[15] It is currently only tentatively regarded as dinosaurian.[10]

Valdoraptor[6]

V. oweni[6]
  • West Sussex

"Metatarsals."[16]

Wyleyia[6]

W. valdensis[6]
  • West Sussex[6]

Theropoda

Indeterminate
  • West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent[8]

Formerly referred to Altispinax dunkeri and Megalosaurus sp.

Unnamed maniraptoran

Specimen BEXHM: 2008.14.1[17]

Ashdown formation

Possibly an oviraptorosaur[17]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hopson, P.M., Wilkinson, I.P. and Woods, M.A. (2010) A stratigraphical framework for the Lower Cretaceous of England. Research Report RR/08/03. British Geological Survey, Keyworth.
  2. ↑ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 556-563. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 "10.19 East Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 559.
  4. ↑ "Table 19.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 416.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 "10.19 East Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" and "10.18 West Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 559.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 "10.18 West Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 559.
  7. ↑ "Table 17.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 366.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "10.19 East Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" and "10.18 West Sussex, England; 1. Hastings Beds" and "10.21 Kent, England; 1. Hastings Beds"in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 559.
  9. ↑ "Table 19.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 415.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 "10.21 Kent, England; 1. Hastings Beds"in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 559.
  11. ↑ "Table 2.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 26.
  12. ↑ Huene, 1909. Skizze zu einer Systematik und Stammesgeschichte der Dinosaurier [Sketch of the systematics and origins of the dinosaurs]. Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie. 1909, 12-22.
  13. ↑ "Table 4.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 73.
  14. ↑ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 266.
  15. ↑ Huene, 1909. Skizze zu einer Systematik und Stammesgeschichte der Dinosaurier [Sketch of the systematics and origins of the dinosaurs]. Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie. 1909, 12-22.
  16. ↑ "Table 4.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 77.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Naish, D. and Sweetman, S.C. (2011). "A tiny maniraptoran dinosaur in the Lower Cretaceous Hastings Group: evidence from a new vertebrate-bearing locality in south-east England." Cretaceous Research, 32: 464-471. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.03.001

References