Fleming Fjord Formation
Geological formation in Greenland
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The Fleming Fjord Formation, alternatively called the Fleming Fjord Group is an Upper Triassic geological formation in the northeastern coast of Jameson Land, Greenland. It consists of terrestrial sediments and is known for its fossil content.
Unit ofScoresby Land Group
Sub-unitsEdderfugledal, Malmros Klint & Ørsted Dal Members
UnderliesKap Stewart Group
| Fleming Fjord Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Norian-Rhaetian ~ | |
The Buch Bjerg "Track-site" at the Fleming Fjord Formation | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Scoresby Land Group |
| Sub-units | Edderfugledal, Malmros Klint & Ørsted Dal Members |
| Underlies | Kap Stewart Group |
| Overlies | Gippsdalen Formation |
| Area | 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) |
| Thickness | 200–300 m (660–980 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Mudstone, claystone |
| Other | Limestone, sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 71.9°N 22.56°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 45.7°N 2.8°W |
| Region | East Greenland |
| Country | Greenland |
| Extent | Jameson Land |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Fleming Fjord |
  Fleming Fjord Formation (Greenland) | |
Description
Paleobiota
The fauna of Fleming Fjord is diverse, including sauropodomorph dinosaurs, pterosaurs, temnospondyls, mammaliaforms, aetosaurs, and other taxa.[2] Freshwater unionid bivalves and conchostracans have been reported from the Malmros Klint Member.[3]
Fish
Lungfish, actinopterygian, and chondrichthyan teeth have been reported from the Malmros Klint Member.[3]
| Fish of the Fleming Fjord Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes |
| Ceratodus | C. tunuensis[4] | Ørsted Dal Member | A lungfish, possibly synonymous with Ptychoceratodus rectangulus[5] | ||
| Ferganoceratodus | F. rectangulus[5][6] | Ørsted Dal Member | A lungfish | ||
| Lissodus | L. lepagei , L. cf. L. minimus[7] | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A hybodont shark | ||
| Rhomphaiodon | Indeterminate[7] | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A synechodontiform shark | ||
| Saurichthys | Indeterminate | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A saurichthyiform ray-finned fish | ||
| Gyrolepis | Indeterminate | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A primitive "palaeoniscoid" ray-finned fish | ||
Amphibians
| Amphibians of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Cyclotosaurus | C. naraserluki[8] | Ørsted Dal Member | A capitosaurian temnospondyl |  | ||
| Gerrothorax | G. cf. pulcherrimus[9] | Malmros Klint Member,[3] and Ørsted Dal Member | A plagiosaurid temnospondyl | |||
| Salientia | indet.[10] | Ørsted Dal Member | A potential stem-group anuran (frog) | |||
Archosaurs
Besides the forms described below, a diverse ichnofauna of small and large tracks has also been reported from the Malmros Klint Member,[3] as well as coprolites[11][12] and additional theropod, pterosaur, and turtle fossils.[3][13]
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Avemetatarsalia
| Avemetatarsalians of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Arcticodactylus | A. cromptonellus | Ørsted Dal Member | A eudimorphodontid pterosaur[13] |   | ||
| Eosauropus | E. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | Large (>40 cm per footprint) quadrupedal tracks, likely produced by an early sauropod related to Eusauropoda[14] | |||
| Evazoum | E. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | Large (~36 cm per footprint) bipedal tracks, likely produced by a plateosaurian sauropodomorph. By far the largest prints assigned to this ichnogenus[14] | |||
| Grallator | G. sp. | Malmros Klint Member, Ørsted Dal Member | Small bipedal tracks, likely produced by theropods[14][13] | |||
| Issi[15] | I. saaneq | Iron Cake Site | Malmros Klint Member | Specimens consists of juvenile skull, and partial skeletons | A plateosaurid sauropodomorph closely related to (and previously referred to) Plateosaurus | |
| Plateosauridae | indet. | Malmros Klint Member, Ørsted Dal Member | Undescribed fossils of plateosaurid sauropodomorphs, including complete skeletons. Plateosaurid skull material has been named as the species Issi saaneq[15] | |||
Pseudosuchians
| Pseudosuchians of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Aetosaurus | A. ferratus | Ørsted Dal Member | A small aetosaur[13] |
 | ||
| cf. Brachychirotherium | B. cf. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | Footprints | Small quadrupedal tracks, likely produced by small or juvenile pseudosuchians[16] | ||
| Paratypothorax | P. andressorum | Ørsted Dal Member? | An osteoderm | A moderate-sized paratypothoracin aetosaur[13] | ||
| Mystriosuchus[7] | M. alleroq | Malmros Klint Mb, Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A parasuchid phytosaur | |||
| Phytosauria | indet. | Malmros Klint Member | Indeterminate phytosaur fossils, including adult and juvenile specimens[13] | |||
Other archosaurs
| Other archosaurs of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Clevosauridae | C. sp | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A rhynchocephalian reptile. Closely resembles Clevosaurus.[7] | |||
| Doswelliidae[7] | Indeterminate[7] | Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal Fm | A proterochampsian archosauriform | |||
Pantestudines
| Pantestudines of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Cryptochersis[17] | C. paraxene | A proterochersid |  | |||
| cf. Proganochelys | P. cf. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | Turtle fossils possibly referrable to Proganochelys[13][18] | |||
| Testudinata | indet. | Malmros Klint Member?, Ørsted Dal Member | Indeterminate testudinatan (turtle) fossils[13] | |||
| Ypomonetikochelys | Y. euryaspis[17] | A proganochelyid | ||||
Synapsids
| Synapsids of the Fleming Fjord Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Locality | Member | Materials | Notes | Images |
| Brachyzostrodon | B. cf. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | A morganucodont mammaliaform[13] |  | ||
| Haramiyavia | H. clemmenseni | Ørsted Dal Member | A haramiyid mammaliaform[13] | |||
| Kalaallitkigun[19] | K. jenkinsi | Ørsted Dal Member | A haramiyid mammaliaform | |||
| Kuehneotherium | K. sp. | Ørsted Dal Member | A kuehneotheriid mammaliaform[13] | |||
| Mitredon | M. cromptoni | Ørsted Dal Member | A probainognathian cynodont with uncertain affinities[13] | |||