Earth:Süntel Formation

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Süntel Formation
Stratigraphic range: Kimmeridgian
~155–151 Ma
↓
Süntel Formation at Langenberg quarry
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsSand-Tonkomplex & Unterbank Members
UnderliesGigas-Schichten & Holzen Formation
OverliesKorallenoolith Formation
ThicknessVariable, over 60 m (200 ft) at Langenberg Quarry
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone
OtherSandstone, claystone, marl
Location
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 52°18′N 8°48′E / 52.3°N 8.8°E / 52.3; 8.8
Paleocoordinates [ ⚑ ] 43°24′N 16°54′E / 43.4°N 16.9°E / 43.4; 16.9
RegionNordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen
CountryGermany
ExtentLower Saxony Basin
Type section
Named forSüntel
LocationLower Saxon Hills
RegionNiedersachsen
Süntel Formation is located in Germany
Süntel Formation
Süntel Formation (Germany)

The Süntel Formation, previously known as the Kimmeridge Formation (German: "Mittlerer Kimmeridge"; Middle Kimmeridge),[1] is a geological formation in Germany. It is Late Jurassic in age, spanning the early to late Kimmeridgian stage. It predominantly consists of limestone deposited in shallow marine carbonate ramp conditions.[2]

Description

Map of the Lower Saxon Hills with Süntel center-right

The formation is part of the Lower Saxony Basin that borders the Süntel massif of the Lower Saxon Hills, part of the larger Harz Mountains. The formation is described as alternations of glauconitic marl, limestone and sandstone.[3]

Paleontological significance

The formation is known for its fossils, with the Langenberg Quarry having provided fossils of numerous vertebrates.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Allosauroidea indet.[4] Langenberg Quarry Bed 83 DfMMh/FV1/19, small pedal ungual, cf. DfMMh/FV/343, small pedal phalanx
Allosaurus A. sp. Teeth Teeth referable to Allosaurus.[5][6]
cf. Ceratosauria indet.[4] DfMMh/FV/776, anterior chevron
Europasaurus E. holgeri Disarticulated remains representing numerous individuals Brachiosauridae Sauropod
cf. Megalosauroidea indet.[4] Indeterminate DfMMh/FV/287, left fibula
Stegosauridae indet.[7] Indeterminate Teeth
cf. Tetanurae indet.[4] Indeterminate DfMMh/FV/105, distal caudal vertebra
Theropoda indet.[4] Indeterminate DfMMh/FV2/19, a small pedal phalanx III-1, DfMMh/FV3/19, proximal part of a small right fibula
cf.Torvosaurus Indeterminate Teeth Teeth regarded as likely referable to Torvosaurus.[5]

Turtles

Turtles of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Eucryptodira indet. Indeterminate Langenberg Quarry Bed 73 Juvenile carapace with disarticulated skull and right forelimb[8]
Plesiochelys[4] Indeterminate
cf. Thalassemys Indeterminate DFMMh/FV 296, "skull part (articulated quadrate, squamosal, basisphenoid, and pterygoid), a disarticulated 40 cm long partial carapace, plastron, and one cervical vertebra."[9]

Squamates

Squamates of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Paramacellodidae indet. Indeterminate Langenberg Quarry Partial skeleton[10]

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
?Dsungaripteridae indet. Indeterminate Langenberg Quarry DFMMh/FV 500, an articulated partial skeleton consisting of "10 thoracic vertebrae, complete pelvis and sacrum, left and right femur" with an associated possible partial right tibia.[11]

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Goniopholis[12] G. simus Langenberg Quarry
Knoetschkesuchus[13] K. langenbergensis Bed 83 two partial skeletons and various isolated bones Atoposaurid
Machimosaurus[12] M. hugii
Steneosaurus S. brevirostris[14] Rostrum, jaw and postcranial remains

Mammaliaforms

Mammaliaforms of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Cimbriodon[15] C. multituberculatus Langenberg Quarry Bed 83 upper and lower p3, p4 and p5 molars Paulchoffatiid multituberculate
Docodon[16] D. hercynicus two lower molars Docodontid
D. sp distal fragment of lower molar Docodontid
Dryolestida indet.[17] Indeterminate
Teutonodon[18] T. langenbergensis NLMH 105650, upper right M1 Pinheirodontid multituberculate[15]
Hercynodon[19] H. germanicus NLMH 105668, left upper molar, NLMH 105669-70 right upper molars, NLMH 105671 left lower molar Dryolestid
Paulchoffatiidae indet.[15] Indeterminate NLMH 105655, left p4, NLMH 105651; m1 NLMH 105651 considered an Eobataarid by Martin et al. 2016, considered a Paulchoffatiid by Martin et al. 2019
Storchodon[17] S. cingulatus MH 105654, a right upper molar A large morganucodont

Ichnofossils

Ichnofossils of the Süntel Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Elephantopoides[20] E. sp.
Grallator (Eubrontes)[20] G. (Eubrontes) sp.
Iguanodontipus[20] ?I. sp. Strömer quarry tracksite
Megalosauripus[20] M. teutonicus Bruns quarry tracksite Sand-Tonkomplex Member

See also

  • List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany

References

  1. ↑ Lallensack et al., 2015, p.4
  2. ↑ "Sedimentology and depositional sequences of a Kimmeridgian carbonate ramp system, Lower Saxony Basin, Northern Germany". Facies 64 (1). January 2018. doi:10.1007/s10347-017-0513-0. ISSN 0172-9179. Bibcode: 2018Faci...64....1Z. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10347-017-0513-0. 
  3. ↑ Bai et al., 2017
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur bones from the Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) provide evidence for several theropod lineages in the central European archipelago". PeerJ 8. 2020-02-06. doi:10.7717/peerj.8437. PMID 32071804. Bibcode: 2020PeerJ...8e8437E. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gerke, Oliver; Wings, Oliver (2016-07-06). "Multivariate and Cladistic Analyses of Isolated Teeth Reveal Sympatry of Theropod Dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic of Northern Germany" (in en). PLOS ONE 11 (7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158334. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 27383054. Bibcode: 2016PLoSO..1158334G. 
  6. ↑ Burigo, André; Mateus, Octávio (2024-12-30). "Allosaurus europaeus (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) Revisited and Taxonomy of the Genus" (in en). Diversity 17 (1): 29. doi:10.3390/d17010029. ISSN 1424-2818. Bibcode: 2024Diver..17...29B. 
  7. ↑ Wings, 2015 (SMTV - pages 99-100)
  8. ↑ "A juvenile turtle (Testudines, Eucryptodira) from the Upper Jurassic of Langenberg Quarry, Oker, Northern Germany" (in en). Palaeontology 57 (4): 743–756. July 2014. doi:10.1111/pala.12085. Bibcode: 2014Palgy..57..743J. 
  9. ↑ "Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany.". 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2011. p. 151. https://docentes.fct.unl.pt/omateus/publications/occurrence-marine-turtle-thalassemys-kimmeridgian-oker-germany. 
  10. ↑ "The first Mesozoic lizard from northern Germany (Paramacellodidae, Late Jurassic, Langenberg Quarry) and its taphonomy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Program and Abstracts): 198. October 2013. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277139865. 
  11. ↑ "The first dsungaripterid pterosaur from the Kimmeridgian of Germany and the biomechanics of pterosaur long bones.". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50: 273–288. 2005. https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app50-273.html. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "The Late Jurassic crocodiles of the Langenberg near Oker, Lower Saxony (Germany), and description of related materials (with remarks on the history of quarrying the "Langenberg Limestone" and "Obernkirchen Sandstone")". Clausthaler Geowissenschaften 5: 59–77. 2006. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40663177. 
  13. ↑ "Knoetschkesuchus langenbergensis gen. nov. sp. nov., a new atoposaurid crocodyliform from the Upper Jurassic Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany), and its relationships to Theriosuchus". PLOS ONE 12 (2). 2017-02-15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160617. PMID 28199316. Bibcode: 2017PLoSO..1260617S. 
  14. ↑ "First remains of the head of Steneosaurus (crocodylomorpha: teleosauridae) from the Late Jurassic of Oker (Lower Saxony, Germany)". Studia Geologica Salmanticensia 44 (2): 187–201. 2008. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/43950110. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology 33 (5): 616–629. 2019-08-07. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. 
  16. ↑ Martin, Thomas; Averianov, Alexander O.; Lang, Andreas J.; Schultz, Julia A.; Wings, Oliver (2024-01-12). "Docodontans (Mammaliaformes) from the Late Jurassic of Germany" (in en). Historical Biology 37 (2): 255–263. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2300635. ISSN 0891-2963. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2023.2300635. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "A Large Morganucodontan Mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic of Germany". Fossil Imprint 75 (3–4): 504–509. 2019-12-01. doi:10.2478/if-2019-0030. ISSN 2533-4069. http://fi.nm.cz/clanek/a-large-morganucodontan-mammaliaform-from-the-late-jurassic-of-germany/. 
  18. ↑ "First Jurassic mammals of Germany: Multituberculate teeth from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony).". Palaeontologia Polonica 67: 171–9. 2016. doi:10.4202/pp.2016.67_171. 
  19. ↑ Martin, Thomas; Averianov, Alexander O.; Schultz, Julia A.; Schwermann, Achim H.; Wings, Oliver (2021-05-16). "A derived dryolestid mammal indicates possible insular endemism in the Late Jurassic of Germany" (in en). The Science of Nature 108 (3): 23. doi:10.1007/s00114-021-01719-z. ISSN 1432-1904. PMID 33993371. Bibcode: 2021SciNa.108...23M. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Diedrich, Cajus (1 June 2011). "Upper Jurassic tidal flat megatracksites of Germany—coastal dinosaur migration highways between European islands, and a review of the dinosaur footprints". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 91 (2): 129–155. doi:10.1007/s12549-010-0044-y. Bibcode: 2011PdPe...91..129D. 

Bibliography