Jump to content

Griman Creek Formation

Coordinates: 29°24′S 147°42′E / 29.4°S 147.7°E / -29.4; 147.7
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hemiauchenia (talk | contribs) at 09:17, 31 July 2023. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with Gorman Creek Formation.
Griman Creek Formation
Stratigraphic range: late Albian-early-mid Cenomanian
~106–98 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofRolling Downs Group
Sub-unitsCoocoran Claystone & Wallangulla Sandstone Members
UnderliesUnconformity with Oligo-Miocene Cumborah Gravel
OverliesSurat Siltstone, Wallumbilla Formation
ThicknessUp to 345 m (1,132 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, siltstone, mudstone
OtherConglomerate, coal
Location
Coordinates29°24′S 147°42′E / 29.4°S 147.7°E / -29.4; 147.7
Approximate paleocoordinates64°24′S 134°54′E / 64.4°S 134.9°E / -64.4; 134.9
Region Queensland
 New South Wales
Country Australia
ExtentSurat Basin
Type section
Named forGriman Creek
Named byReiser
Year defined1970
Griman Creek Formation is located in Australia
Griman Creek Formation
Griman Creek Formation (Australia)

The Griman Creek Formation is a geological formation in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, Australia whose strata date back to the Albian-Cenomanian stages of the mid-Cretaceous.[1] It is most notable being a major source of opal, found near the town of Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. Alongside the opal opalised fossils are also found, including those of dinosaurs and primitive monotremes.[2]

Description

As a whole, the formation primarily consists of thinly bedded medium to fine sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, with sporadic coal seams. In the vicinity of Lightning Ridge, it is divided up into two informal members the underlying Wallangulla Sandstone Member which primarily consists of red fine grained sandstone, light siltstone and grey claystone and is up to 30 metres (98 ft) thick while the overlying Coocoran Claystone consists of about 10 metres of claystone. The contact between the two units is sudden and unconformable. Discontinuous clay lens beds within the Wallangulla Sandstone Member near Lightning Ridge, referred to as the Finch Clay Facies, are one of Australia's primary sources of commercial precious opal, with many mines dug in the area. These deposits are also the primary source of fossils within the formation, a large proportion of which are preserved as semi-precious opalized pseudomorphs. The fauna found in lightning ridge indicates that the depositional environment of the Finch Clay Facies was in near-coastal freshwater lagoons.[1]

Background

See also: Surat Basin
Australia was located near the South Pole in the Early and Middle Cretaceous
GPlates reconstruction for 100 Ma (Albian-Cenomanian and Early and Late Cretaceous boundary)
Paleogeography of the Turonian (90 Ma)
Original map by Ron Blakey

Fossil content

Indeterminate avialan, euornithopod, and sauropod remains that were once misidentified as brachiosaurid are present in New South Wales, Australia.[2] Euornithopod tracks are also present in New South Wales.[citation needed]

Dipnoi

Dipnoi of the Griman Creek Formation
Taxa Species Presence Material Notes Images
Metaceratodus wollastoni[3] M. wollastoni Isolated tooth plates
Ceratodus diutinus[3] C. diutinus Isolated tooth plates
Neoceratodus potkooroki[4] N. potkooroki Isolated tooth plates

Actinopterygii

Actinopterygians of the Griman Creek Formation
Taxa Species Presence Material Notes Images
Calamopleurus?[4] sp. Isolated jaw bones

Mammals

Mammals
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Kollikodon K. ritchiei [citation needed]
Steropodon S. galmani [citation needed]
Stirtodon S. elizabethae

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Isisfordia I. molnari Lightning Ridge Braincase and referred maxillary fragment[5]

Dinosaurs

Indeterminate ornithopods and iguanodontians are known from the formation.[6] Indeterminate avetheropods and megaraptorans are known from the formation.[1] Two species of titanosauriforms and one species of titanosaur are known from teeth.[7]

Dinosaurs
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Fostoria F. dhimbangunmal New South Wales A member of Rhabdodontomorpha.
Fulgurotherium F. australe New South Wales [2]
Rapator R. ornitholestoides New South Wales A megaraptoran; "Manual element"[2][8]
Walgettosuchus W. woodwardi New South Wales "Vertebra"[2][9]
Later determined to be an indeterminate theropod[2]
Weewarrasaurus W. pobeni New South Wales An ornithopod known from an isolated dentary[6]
Ankylosauria Indeterminate Osteoderm[10]
Enantiornithes Indeterminate Partial femora[citation needed]
Megaraptora ("Lightning Claw") Indeterminate New South Wales Partial skeleton including parts of the lower arm, claws, lower leg, part of the hip, and pieces of ribs.[11]
Noasauridae Indeterminate Cervical vertebra[12]
Sauropoda Indeterminate A tooth

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Anhangueria Indeterminate "two isolated tooth crowns", possible limb elements[citation needed]

Testudines

Turtles
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Spoochelys S. ormondea Perichelydian stem-turtle[13][14]
Chelidae Indeterminate[15]

See also

Australia
South America
North America
Europe
Asia

References

  1. ^ a b c Bell et al., 2019
  2. ^ a b c d e f Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.573-574
  3. ^ a b Kemp, A. (1997). "Four species of Metaceratodus (Osteichthyes: Dipnoi, Family Ceratodontidae) from Australian Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 17 (1): 26–33. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10010949. ISSN 0272-4634. Wikidata Q104114935.
  4. ^ a b Rodney W. Berrell, Lionel Cavin, Kate Trinajstic, Catherine Boisvert, Elizabeth T. Smith, The first record of amiid fishes (Halecomorphi, Amiiformes, Amiidae, Calamopleurini?) from Eastern Gondwana, Cretaceous Research, 2023, 105538, ISSN 0195-6671, doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105538.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667123000666
  5. ^ Hart et al., 2019
  6. ^ a b Bell et al., 2018
  7. ^ Frauenfelder et al. 2020
  8. ^ "Table 4.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.74
  9. ^ "Table 4.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.78
  10. ^ Bell et al., 2017
  11. ^ Bell et al. 2016
  12. ^ Brougham et al., 2020
  13. ^ T-Bone Extension, Coocoran Opal Fields at Fossilworks.org
  14. ^ Smith et al., 2013
  15. ^ Smith, Elizabeth T. (September 2010). "Early Cretaceous chelids from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 34 (3): 375–384. doi:10.1080/03115518.2010.488117. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 129726482.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Griman_Creek_Formation&oldid=1168025655"