Fur Formation

Members

The Fur Formation is divided into two members: The lower Knudeklint Member was named for a location on the island of Fur. The upper Silstrup Member was named for a location in Thy. The stratigraphy exposed at Knudeklint constitutes the unit that containing the Paleocene/Eocene boundary informally named Stolleklint Clay, which grades up into the Fur Formation.

Birds

The Fur Formation preserves the earliest diverse Paleogene bird fauna known, with over 30 species, including some near complete, some preserved in 3-D, and some excellent bird-fossils (even with feathers and chromatine). Most are the earliest known representatives of their orders (e.g. Trogons, Swifts, Ibises) and all are terrestrial birds.^[4][5][6]

More information Genus, Species ...

Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Chascacocolius	C. oscitans?	Sandcoleidae	Only known from one wing[6]
Eocypselus	E. vincenti	Apodiformes	Mainly known from the London Clay[6]
Galliformes indet.	Unapplicable	Galloanserae	Known from foot imprints distinct from all other Eocene galliforms[7]
Lithornis	L. vulturinus	Lithornithidae	First complete lithornithid specimen known[8]
Mopsitta	M. tanta	Psittaciformes incertae sedis?	Formerly the largest fossil parrot known,[9] however it may actually be synonymous with the ibis Rhynchaeites[10]
Morsoravis	M. sedilis	Morsoravidae	Formerly classed as a charadriiform[11] before being reclassified as a basal member of Psittacopasseres[12]
Halcyornithidae indet.	Unapplicable	Eufalconimorphae	Only known from one humerus[9]
Pellornis	P. mikkelseni	Messelornithidae	Limb specialisation indicates it was likely cursorial,[13] redescribed from several complete skeletons which support it being a crown-gruiform[14]
Scandiavis	S. mikkelseni	Charadriiformes?	Likely a basal member due to features of the postcrania[15]
Septencoracias	S. morsensis	Coraciiformes	One of the earliest rollers, preserved with fish in its stomach[16]
Septentrogon	S. madseni	Trogonidae	Earliest trogon known[5]

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Reptiles

Several fossil sea turtles are known from the Fur Formation.^[4] In one of them, a large leatherback turtle (Eosphargis breineri)^[17] remains of soft tissue and skin pigmentation have been recovered^[18] A number of well-preserved turtle specimens have been recovered from the formation, two of which have been recognized to be a completely new species of the genus Tasbacka.^[19] Sea snakes are also known from the formation.^[20][21]

• 
  Leatherback turtle Eosphargis breineri skull cast, at Geological Museum in Copenhagen.
• 
  Sea turtle Tasbacka danica Complete unique fossil baby sea turtle. Length 10.5 cm
• 
  Sea snake Palaeophis sp. in Early Eocene Stolleklint Clay
• 
  pan-Cheloniidae sp. (specimen DK 807, collected in 2013)^[22]

• Palaeophis (Sea snake)^[20][21]
• Eosphargis brenieri (Leatherback turtle)^[17]
• Cheloniidae and pan-Cheloniidae^[22]

• †Puppigerus^[23][24]

• Glarichelys^[24]
• Tasbacka^[19]

Fish

Large teleostean fauna, oceanic, possibly including earliest truly deepwater fish, a 'whale-fish'; earliest members of many living families and Tertiary diversity preserved as complete skeletons; some rare and sensational large and complete specimens (two 'bonytongues', one tarpon).^[4][25]

The following taxa are known:^[4][25]

More information Genus, Species ...

Genus	Species	Location	Member	Notes	Images
?Analectis	?A. sp.		Fur	A turkmenid lampriform.
?Antigonia	?A. sp.		Fur	A boarfish.
Archaeozeus	A. skamolensis		Fur	An archaeozeid zeiform.
?Arius	?A. sp.		Fur	A sea catfish.
Atheriniformes indet.			Fur	An atheriniform.
Aulostomoidea indet.			Fur	An aulostomoid.
Brychaetoides	B. greenwoodi		Fur	A bonytongue.[26]
cf. Brychaetus	B. sp.		Stolle Klint	A bonytongue.[26]
Butyrumichthys	B. henricii		Fur	A medusafish.[27]
Euzaphlegidae indet.			Fur	A euzaphlegid.
Exellia	E. sp.		Fur	An exelliid percomorph.[28]
Furichthys	F. fieldsoei		Fur	A bonytongue.[26]
Heterosteoglossum	H. foreyi		Fur, Stolle Klint	A bonytongue.[26]
Holosteus	H. sp.		Fur	A barracudina.
Megalopidae indet.			Fur	A tarpon.
Mene	M. sp.		Fur	A moonfish.
Moclaybalistes	M. danekrus		Fur	A moclaybalistid tetraodontiform.
Muraenidae indet.			Fur	A moray eel.
Osteoglossiformes indet.			Fur	A small-sized osteoglossiform.[26]
Palaeocentrotus	P. boeggildi		Fur	A palaeocentrotid lampriform.
Palaeorhynchidae indet.			Fur	A billfish.
?Percopsiformes indet.			Fur	A potential percopsiform.
Polyspinatus	P. fluere		Fur	A beardfish.
Protozeus	P. kuehnei		Fur	A protozeid zeiform.
Rhamphosus	R. sp.		Fur	A syngnathiform.
Rhinocephalus	R. sp.		Fur	A hake.
?Rondeletia	?R. sp.		Fur	A whalefish, possibly a redmouth whalefish.
?Salmonidae indet.			Fur	A potential salmonid.
?Sardinella	?S. sp.		Fur	A clupeid.
?Scorpaeniformes indet.			Fur	A potential scorpaeniform.
Surlykus	S. longigracilis		Fur	An argentiniform, the most common fish in the Mo-Clay.[29]
?Vomeropsis	?V. sp.		Fur	A carangid.
Xosteoglossid	X. rebeccae		Stolle Klint	A bonytongue.[26]

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Insects

Huge fauna from land, over 200 species, many are oldest of their families; many with colour spots and eye lenses, some extraordinary preservation with stridulation (sound) apparatus in grasshoppers, and apparently migratory moth mass mortality.^{[4][30][31][32]}

More information Genus, Species ...

Genus	Species	Higher taxon	Notes	Images
Apachyus	A. madseni	Apachyidae	First fossil apachyid[33]
Cephalallus	C. vitalii	Spondylidinae	First longhorn beetle from the formation[34]
Cryptocheilus	C. leleji	Pepsini	Earliest pompillid wasp known[35]
Danoberotha	D. verkleijorum	Berothidae	First berothid from the formation[36]
Danochrysa	D. madseni	Chrysopidae[37]
Danolestes	D. moelleri	Lestoidea	A member of Lestoidea of uncertain affinities.[38]
Danomantispa	D. frandseni	Mantispidae	Intermediate between Drepanicinae and Mantispinae[39]
Eodysagrion	E. mikkelseni	Dysagrionidae (Odonata)	Member of its own subfamily, Eodysagrioninae[40]
Eosassula	E. szwedoi	Nogodinidae	One of the few nogodinid fossils[41]
Furagrion	F. jutlandicus	Zygoptera	Bears all wing venation characters of cephalozygopterans, but has a head similar to zygopterans[42]
Furochrysa	F. alisae	Chrysopidae	Distinguished by a long crossvein[37]
Mesypochrysa	M. nielseni	Chrysopidae	Latest record of the Mesozoic genus Mesypochrysa[43]
Pachycondyla	P. rebekkae	Ponerinae	One of the earliest fossil ants in an extant genus at the time of description[44]
Palaeopsychops	P. quadratus	Polystoechotidae	Bears stripes along its crossveins[45]
Parabaissaeshna	P. ejerslevense	Aeshnidae	Resembles the Mesozoic Baissaeshna[46]
Pseudotettigonia	P. amoena	Tettigoniidae	Preserves a complete stridulatory organ, with the structure of the organ suggesting that it was able to hear low ultrasound[47]
Primorilestes	P. madseni	Dysagrionidae (Odonata)[40]
Protheristria	P. roldae	Mantispidae	In the same subfamily as the other mantisfly known from the formation, but otherwise unrelated[48]
Rhantus	R. villumi	Dytiscidae	Oldest species in the genus[49]
Stephenbrooksia	S. multifurcata	Chrysopidae	Bears unusual hind wing venation[37]
Stolleagrion	S. foghnielseni	Cephalozygoptera (Odonata)[50]	First odonate known from the early Ypresian[51]
Triachrysa	T. rusti	Chrysopidae	Has three series of crossveins in its wings, alongside several unrelated genera[52]

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Crustacea

Extraordinary cirripeds (barnacles), and the only fossil shrimps from Denmark.^[53]

• 
  Shrimp Penaeus hamleti, Stolleklint Clay
• 
  Crab Portofuria enigmatica, Stolleklint Clay
• 
  Shrimp Morscrangon acutus

Molluscs

• Gari sp.
• Mytilus sp.
• Nucula sp.

• 
  Mussel at Geological Museum in Copenhagen

Land plants

Some members of the 'Arcto-Tertiary flora'; some with cuticle preservation and some flowers preserved. Large silicified trunks (up to 9 m) of redwood, and some very soft wood preserved. Some trunks with mussels and barnacles attached. Many seeds and fruits.^[4][54]

• 
  Unidentified leaf
• 
  Unidentified leaf
• 
  Jenkinsella sp. seeds
• 
  unidentified flower.

Diatoms

Great diversity of unicellular, marine algae with siliceous (opal) tests, 130 species.^[55]