Earth:Lilstock Formation
| Lilstock Formation Stratigraphic range: Rhaetian ~205–202 Ma | |
|---|---|
| Type | Formation |
| Unit of | Penarth Group |
| Sub-units | Cotham Member, Langport Member |
| Underlies | Blue Lias Formation, Scunthorpe Mudstone Redcar Mudstone Formation |
| Overlies | Westbury Formation |
| Thickness | 1–10 m (3.3–32.8 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Shale, siltstone, limestone, mudstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] : 51°12′N 3°18′W / 51.2°N 3.3°W |
| Paleocoordinates | [ ⚑ ] 35°30′N 0°30′E / 35.5°N 0.5°E |
| Region | England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Lilstock |
  Lilstock Formation (the United Kingdom)  Lilstock Formation (England) | |
The Lilstock Formation is a geologic formation in England. It preserves bivalve, insect and other invertebrate fossils, as well as fossil fish of Agkistracanthus mitgelensis and the basal theropod dinosaur Newtonsaurus cambrensis dating back to the Rhaetian of the Triassic period.[1][2]
White Lias
The White lias is a rare, fine-grained form of limestone from the late Triassic period, occurring only in certain parts of Somerset and infrequently in Warwickshire.[3] It gets the name ‘lias’ from the quarrymen's dialect for ‘layers’, referring to its natural state when quarried.
White lias is part of the Langport Member of the Lilstock Formation,[4] a multi-layered bed of stone formed from shale and limestone. At its base is a bone-bed yielding ancient marine, reptilian and ammonite fossils.[3]
White lias varies in colour from white-cream to pale grey and is traditionally used for building and flooring.[3] Evidence of its use can be seen in manor houses, churches and cathedrals all over the UK. It is most prevalent in the Somerset towns of Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Langport and Wincanton.[3] Bowdens quarry in Langport is the only supplier of white lias, and of the more commonly found blue lias and grey varieties.
Fossil content
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Dinosaurs
Theropods
| Theropods of the Lilstock Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Newtonsaurus[5] | N. cambrensis | A coelophysoid theropod | frameless | |||
Fish
Cartilaginous Fish
| Cartilaginous Fish of the Lilstock Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Agkistracanthus | A. mitgelensis | A myriacanthid chimaeriform | ||||
See also
- List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in England
References
- ↑ Lilstock Formation at Fossilworks.org
- ↑ Galton PM. Bones of large dinosaurs (Prosauropoda and Stegosauria) from the Rhaetic Bone Bed (Upper Triassic) of Aust Cliff, southwest England. Revue de Paléobiologie, Genève. 2005; 24:51–74.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Lias Stone Suppliers | Somerset Lias Quarry | Lovell Stone Group". http://www.somersetlias.com/stone/white-lias.
- ↑ Swift, Andrew (1995). "A review of the nature and outcrop of the 'White Lias' facies of the Langport Member (Penarth Group: Upper Triassic) in Britain" (in en). Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 106 (4): 247–258. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(08)80236-2. Bibcode: 1995PrGA..106..247S. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0016787808802362.
- ↑ Evans, Owain; Howells, Cindy; Wintle, Nathan; Benton, Michael J. (2025-09-11). "Re-assessment of a large archosaur dentary from the Late Triassic of South Wales, United Kingdom". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 136 (6). doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101142. ISSN 0016-7878. Bibcode: 2025PrGA..13601142E. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787825000513.
Further reading
- P. B. Brodie. 1845. A History of the Fossil Insects in the Secondary Rocks of England Accompanied by a Particular Account of the Strata in which they Occur, and of the Circumstances Connected with their Preservation 1-130
- C. J. Duffin. 1994. Myriacanthid holocephalans (Chondrichthyes) from the British Late Triassic. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 192(1):1-16
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