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.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. .
Lithology 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.
Paleobiota 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. Another important locality is Watton Cliff near Eype in Dorset.
Fish Fish of the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes ImagesHybodusHybodus obtususWatton CliffA hybodont sharkEgertonodusEgertonodus duffiniSecarodus Secarodus polyprionStrophodusSpp.A hybodont shark, formerly considered to be AsteracanthusLonchidionIndeterminateA hybodont sharkParvodus Parvodus pattersoniLissodusLissodus leiopleurusPalaeocarcharias?IndeterminatePossibly the oldest lamniform shark
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians
Ornithischians of the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes ImagesAlocodonListed as "cf. Alocodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.Indeterminate OxfordshireHylaeosaurusListed as "?Hylaeosaurus sp." in "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.Indeterminate Wiltshire"10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.DubiousIguanodonListed as "?Iguanodon sp." in "10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.Indeterminate Oxfordshire"10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.Dubious, probably indeterminate ornithischian
Saurischians
Saurischians reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesBothriospondylus"10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation" and "10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540.B. robustus"10.13 Wiltshire, England; 3. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540. Wiltshire"Dorsal vertebra.""Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 270.Reassigned to MarmarospondylusIndeterminate"10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 540. OxfordshireCardiodonC. rugulosus WiltshireOne tooth drawingCetiosaurus"10.11 Oxfordshire, England; 6. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538, 540.C. oxoniensis OxfordshireA cetiosaurid sauropod."Cetiosaurus"C. glymptonensis Oxfordshire"Caudal vertebrae.""Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 265.Actually indeterminate theropod remains.DromaeosauridaeIndeterminate Oxfordshire Kirtlington Quarry"Teeth"Remains represent three species. Same species also present in the Chipping Norton Limestone. Other authors have questioned the attribution to dromaeosaurs.MarmarospondylusDorsal verebraDubious genus of sauropodMegalosaurusWeishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 539-540.M. bucklandii"10.3 Gloucestershire, England; 4. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 538. GloucestershireIndeterminate"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. Dorset"10.7 Dorset, England; 2. Forest Marble Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 539. OxfordshireActually indeterminate theropod remains.ProceratosaurusP. bradleyi GloucestershireA proceratosaurid theropod. The geological formation that this species comes from is disputed, and other authors have attributed the strata to the White Limestone Formation.
Amphibians Amphibians reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesAnoualerpeton A. priscusKirtlingtonAlbanerpetontid"Eodiscoglossus""E." oxoniensisKirtlingtonFrog, probably not closely related to type species of genus.Marmorerpeton M. kermacki, M. freemaniKirtlington, Watton CliffNeotenic stem-group salamander (Caudata) belonging to KarauridaeCaudata IndeterminateKirtlington2 distinct taxa, one common one small, referred to as Kirtlington Salamander A and B, respectively
Turtles Turtles reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesParacryptodiraIndeterminateKirtlingtonShell fragments, basisphenoid
Choristoderes Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesCteniogenysIndeterminateKirtlingtonA small, lizard like choristoderan. Oldest record of the group
Pterosaurs Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images"Rhamphorhynchoidea"IndeteriminateKirtlington
Lepidosauromorphs Lepidosauromorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesBalnealacerta B. silvestris KirtlingtonScincomorph lizardBellairsia B. gracillisKirtlingtonSquamateEophis E. underwoodiKirtlingtonStem-snakeMarmoretta M. oxoniensis KirtlingtonBasal LepidosauromorphOxiella O. tenuisKirtlingtonSquamateParviraptor cf. estesiKirtlingtonStem-snakeSaurillodonS. marmorensis KirtlingtonParamacellodid lizardRhynchocephaliaIndeterminateKirtlington
Crocodyliformes Crocodyliformes reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Imagescf. GoniopholisIndeterminateKirtlingtoncf. Theriosuchus IndeterminateKirtlington
Mammaliamorphs Mammaliamorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes ImagesAmphitherium Indeterminate?Kirtlington, Watton CliffThe first Mesozoic mammal to be described. Initially believed to be a marsupial. Close relative of Palaeoxonodon and Peramuridae.BorealestesB. serendipitusKirtlington, Watton Cliffmolar fragmentsDocodontaDobunnodonB. mussettiKirtlingtonmolar fragmentsGobiconodonG. bathoniensisKirtlington, Watton CliffGobiconodontidHahnotherium H. antiquum Kirtlington, Watton CliffMultituberculateKermackodonK. multicuspis, K. oxfordensisKirtlington, Watton CliffAllotherian belonging to the family Kermackodontidae, K. oxfordensis previously placed in separate genus Eleutherodon.KirtlingtoniaK. catenataKirtlingtonHaramiyidKrusatodonK. kirtlingtonensisKirtlingtonTegotheriid docodontanMillsodon M. superstes Kirtlington, Watton CliffHaramiyidMorganucodon M. tardus Watton CliffMorganucodontidaePalaeoxonodon P. ooliticus Kirtlington, Watton CliffAmphitheriidParitatodon P. kermackiKirtlingtonDocodontan or ShuotheriidaePeraiocynodon P. majorKirtlingtonDocodontidae Phascolotherium P. simpsoniKirtlington, Watton CliffAmphilestidaeSimpsonodonS. oxfordensisKirtlingtonDocodontaShuotherium IndeterminateKirtingtonShuotheriidaeStereognathus S. ooliticusKirtlington, Watton CliffTritylodontidaeStylidens S. hookeriWatton CliffMorganucodontidaeWareolestes W. rexKirtlingtonMorganucodontaAllotheria IndeterminateKirtlingtonHaramiyida IndeterminateKirtlingtonDryolestidaIndeterminateLower molarsPeramuridae IndeterminateWatton Cliff
See also
List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations Bradford Clay
Footnotes
References Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. .