Süntel Formation

Süntel Formation
Süntel Formation
Stratigraphic range: Kimmeridgian; ~155–151 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Süntel Formation at Langenberg quarry
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Sand-Tonkomplex & Unterbank Members
Underlies	Gigas-Schichten & Holzen Formation
Overlies	Korallenoolith Formation
Thickness	Variable, over 60 m (200 ft) at Langenberg Quarry
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Sandstone, claystone, marl
Location
Coordinates	52°18′N 8°48′E / 52.3°N 8.8°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	43°24′N 16°54′E / 43.4°N 16.9°E
Region	Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen
Country	Germany
Extent	Lower Saxony Basin
Type section
Named for	Süntel
Location	Lower Saxon Hills
Region	Niedersachsen
	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

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
Docodon^[16]	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

References

↑ Lallensack et al., 2015, p.4
↑ Zuo F, Heimhofer U, Huck S, Luppold FW, Wings O, Erbacher J (January 2018). "Sedimentology and depositional sequences of a Kimmeridgian carbonate ramp system, Lower Saxony Basin, Northern Germany". Facies. 64 (1) 1. Bibcode:2018Faci...64....1Z. doi:10.1007/s10347-017-0513-0. ISSN 0172-9179. S2CID 134929243.
↑ Bai et al., 2017
1 2 3 4 5 6 Evers SW, Wings O (2020-02-06). "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 e8437. Bibcode:2020PeerJ...8e8437E. doi:10.7717/peerj.8437. PMC 7007975. PMID 32071804.
1 2 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". PLOS ONE. 11 (7) e0158334. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158334G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158334. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4934775. PMID 27383054.
↑ Burigo, André; Mateus, Octávio (2024-12-30). "Allosaurus europaeus (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) Revisited and Taxonomy of the Genus". Diversity. 17 (1): 29. Bibcode:2024Diver..17...29B. doi:10.3390/d17010029. ISSN 1424-2818.
↑ Wings, 2015 (SMTV - pages 99-100)
↑ Jansen M, Klein N (July 2014). Angielczyk K (ed.). "A juvenile turtle (Testudines, Eucryptodira) from the Upper Jurassic of Langenberg Quarry, Oker, Northern Germany". Palaeontology. 57 (4): 743–756. Bibcode:2014Palgy..57..743J. doi:10.1111/pala.12085. S2CID 128991586.
↑ Marinheiro J, Mateus O (2011). Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. p. 151.
↑ Richter A, Knötschke N, Kosma R, Sobral G, Wings O (October 2013). "The first Mesozoic lizard from northern Germany (Paramacellodidae, Late Jurassic, Langenberg Quarry) and its taphonomy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Program and Abstracts): 198.
↑ Fastnacht M (2005). "The first dsungaripterid pterosaur from the Kimmeridgian of Germany and the biomechanics of pterosaur long bones". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 50: 273–288.
1 2 Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Schwarz D, Knötschke N (2006). "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.
↑ Schwarz D, Raddatz M, Wings O (2017-02-15). Claessens L (ed.). "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) e0160617. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1260617S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160617. PMC 5310792. PMID 28199316.
↑ Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Knötschke N (2008). "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.
1 2 3 Martin T, Averianov AO, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-08-07). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology. 33 (5): 616–629. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. S2CID 201201555.
↑ Martin, Thomas; Averianov, Alexander O.; Lang, Andreas J.; Schultz, Julia A.; Wings, Oliver (2024-01-12). "Docodontans (Mammaliaformes) from the Late Jurassic of Germany". Historical Biology. 37 (2): 255–263. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2300635. ISSN 0891-2963.
1 2 Martin T, Averianov AO, Jäger KR, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-12-01). "A Large Morganucodontan Mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic of Germany". Fossil Imprint. 75 (3–4): 504–509. doi:10.2478/if-2019-0030. ISSN 2533-4069. S2CID 210921885.
↑ Martin TH, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings OL (2016). "First Jurassic mammals of Germany: Multituberculate teeth from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony)". Palaeontologia Polonica. 67: 171–9. doi:10.4202/pp.2016.67_171 (inactive 14 August 2026).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2026 (link)
↑ 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". The Science of Nature. 108 (3): 23. Bibcode:2021SciNa.108...23M. doi:10.1007/s00114-021-01719-z. ISSN 1432-1904. PMC 8126546. PMID 33993371.
1 2 3 4 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. Bibcode:2011PdPe...91..129D. doi:10.1007/s12549-010-0044-y.

Bibliography

Bai, Hua-Qing; Betzler, Christian; Erbacher, Jochen; Reolid, Jesús; Zuo, Fanfan (2017). "Sequence stratigraphy of Upper Jurassic deposits in the North German Basin (Lower Saxony, Süntel Mountains)". Facies. 63 (3) 19. Bibcode:2017Faci...63...19B. doi:10.1007/s10347-017-0501-4. S2CID 135060170.
Lallensack, Jens N.; Sander, P. Martin; Knötschke, Nils; Wings, Oliver (2015). "Dinosaur tracks from the Langenberg Quarry (Late Jurassic, Germany) reconstructed with historical photogrammetry: Evidence for large theropods soon after insular dwarfism" (PDF). Palaeontologia Electronica. 18. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
Diedrich, C (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. Bibcode:2011PdPe...91..129D. doi:10.1007/s12549-010-0044-y. S2CID 140604517.

[Lallensack2015-p4-1] Lallensack et al., 2015, p.4

[2] Zuo F, Heimhofer U, Huck S, Luppold FW, Wings O, Erbacher J (January 2018). "Sedimentology and depositional sequences of a Kimmeridgian carbonate ramp system, Lower Saxony Basin, Northern Germany". Facies. 64 (1) 1. Bibcode:2018Faci...64....1Z. doi:10.1007/s10347-017-0513-0. ISSN 0172-9179. S2CID 134929243.

[Bai2017-3] Bai et al., 2017

[:2-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Evers SW, Wings O (2020-02-06). "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 e8437. Bibcode:2020PeerJ...8e8437E. doi:10.7717/peerj.8437. PMC 7007975. PMID 32071804.

[:4-5] 1 2 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". PLOS ONE. 11 (7) e0158334. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158334G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158334. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4934775. PMID 27383054.

[6] Burigo, André; Mateus, Octávio (2024-12-30). "Allosaurus europaeus (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) Revisited and Taxonomy of the Genus". Diversity. 17 (1): 29. Bibcode:2024Diver..17...29B. doi:10.3390/d17010029. ISSN 1424-2818.

[7] Wings, 2015 (SMTV - pages 99-100)

[8] Jansen M, Klein N (July 2014). Angielczyk K (ed.). "A juvenile turtle (Testudines, Eucryptodira) from the Upper Jurassic of Langenberg Quarry, Oker, Northern Germany". Palaeontology. 57 (4): 743–756. Bibcode:2014Palgy..57..743J. doi:10.1111/pala.12085. S2CID 128991586.

[9] Marinheiro J, Mateus O (2011). Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. p. 151.

[10] Richter A, Knötschke N, Kosma R, Sobral G, Wings O (October 2013). "The first Mesozoic lizard from northern Germany (Paramacellodidae, Late Jurassic, Langenberg Quarry) and its taphonomy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Program and Abstracts): 198.

[11] Fastnacht M (2005). "The first dsungaripterid pterosaur from the Kimmeridgian of Germany and the biomechanics of pterosaur long bones". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 50: 273–288.

[:3-12] 1 2 Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Schwarz D, Knötschke N (2006). "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.

[13] Schwarz D, Raddatz M, Wings O (2017-02-15). Claessens L (ed.). "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) e0160617. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1260617S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160617. PMC 5310792. PMID 28199316.

[14] Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Knötschke N (2008). "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.

[:0-15] 1 2 3 Martin T, Averianov AO, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-08-07). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology. 33 (5): 616–629. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. S2CID 201201555.

[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". Historical Biology. 37 (2): 255–263. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2300635. ISSN 0891-2963.

[:1-17] 1 2 Martin T, Averianov AO, Jäger KR, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-12-01). "A Large Morganucodontan Mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic of Germany". Fossil Imprint. 75 (3–4): 504–509. doi:10.2478/if-2019-0030. ISSN 2533-4069. S2CID 210921885.

[Thomas_Martin_2016-18] Martin TH, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings OL (2016). "First Jurassic mammals of Germany: Multituberculate teeth from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony)". Palaeontologia Polonica. 67: 171–9. doi:10.4202/pp.2016.67_171 (inactive 14 August 2026).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2026 (link)

[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". The Science of Nature. 108 (3): 23. Bibcode:2021SciNa.108...23M. doi:10.1007/s00114-021-01719-z. ISSN 1432-1904. PMC 8126546. PMID 33993371.

[D11-20] 1 2 3 4 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. Bibcode:2011PdPe...91..129D. doi:10.1007/s12549-010-0044-y.

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