The Scunthorpe Mudstone is a geologic formation in England. It preserves plesiosaur fossils dating back to the Late Triassic (Rhaetian) to Early Jurassic (Hettangian) period.[1] It predominantly consists of grey mudstone with thin beds of argillaceous limestone and calcareous siltstone.[2] The Ichthyosaur Wahlisaurus is known from the formation.[3] As is the holotype specimen of the dinosaur Sarcosaurus.[4]

Scunthorpe Mudstone
Stratigraphic range: Rhaetian-Hettangian
~205–196.5 Ma
TypeFormation
Unit ofLias Group
Sub-unitsBarnstone Member
UnderliesCharmouth Mudstone Formation
OverliesLilstock Formation
ThicknessUp to 128 m
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone
OtherLimestone, Siltstone
Location
Coordinates52°54′N 1°00′W / 52.9°N 1.0°W / 52.9; -1.0
Approximate paleocoordinates38°00′N 1°18′E / 38.0°N 1.3°E / 38.0; 1.3
RegionEngland
Country United Kingdom
ExtentEast Midlands Shelf Leicester to Market Weighton
Type section
Named forScunthorpe
LocationBlyborough Borehole, Blyborough, Lincolnshire
Scunthorpe Mudstone is located in the United Kingdom
Scunthorpe Mudstone
Scunthorpe Mudstone (the United Kingdom)
Scunthorpe Mudstone is located in England
Scunthorpe Mudstone
Scunthorpe Mudstone (England)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cropwell plesiosaur at Fossilworks.org
  2. ^ "Scunthorpe Mudstone Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  3. ^ Lomax, Dean R. (4 May 2017). "A new leptonectid ichthyosaur from the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian) of Nottinghamshire, England, UK, and the taxonomic usefulness of the ichthyosaurian coracoid". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 15 (5): 387–401. Bibcode:2017JSPal..15..387L. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1183149. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 88578965.
  4. ^ Ezcurra, Martín D; Butler, Richard J; Maidment, Susannah C R; Sansom, Ivan J; Meade, Luke E; Radley, Jonathan D (23 June 2020). "A revision of the early neotheropod genus Sarcosaurus from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian) of central England". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 191: 113–149. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa054. hdl:11336/160038. ISSN 0024-4082.

Further reading

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  • R. Forrest. 1998. A possible early elasmosaurian plesiosaur from the Triassic/Jurassic boundary of Nottinghamshire. Mercian Geologist 14(3):135-143