Tiki Formation
Geologic formation in India
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The Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic (Carnian to Norian) geologic formation in Madhya Pradesh, northern India. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.[1] Phytosaur remains attributable to the genus Volcanosuchus have also been found in the Tiki Formation.[2]
| Tiki Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Gondwana Group |
| Sub-units | Lower & Upper members |
| Underlies | Unconformity with the Parsora Formation |
| Overlies | Karki Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Mudstone |
| Other | Claystone, sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 23.9°N 81.4°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 42.6°S 51.1°E |
| Region | Madhya Pradesh |
| Country | India |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Tiki village |
  Tiki Formation (India)  Tiki Formation (Madhya Pradesh) | |
The genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium and Tikisuchus and species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis and Parvodus tikiensis have been named after the Tiki Formation.
Paleobiota
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Cynodonts
| Cynodonts of the Tiki Formation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
| Gondwanadon[3][4] | G. tapani | A single molar | A morganucodont |
| Inditherium[5] | I. floris[5] | Three postcanine teeth | A dromatheriid |
| Rewaconodon[3] | R. indicus[5] | A partial jaw and three postcanine teeth | A dromatheriid |
| R. tikiensis[6] | |||
| Ruberodon[3][7] | R. roychowdhurii | Five partial jaws | A traversodontid |
| Tikiodon[3] | T. cromptoni | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliamorph |
| Tikitherium[3][8] | T. copei | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliaform. Initially described as a basal mammaliaform related to Docodonta, but later redescribed as a Neogene shrew fossil that was reworked into the older deposit.[9] |
| Cynodontia indet. | |||
Reptiles
Teeth similar to Galtonia, Protecovasaurus,[10] and Azendohsaurus[11] are known from the formation.
| Reptiles of the Tiki Formation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Material | Notes |
| Clevosaurus[12] | C. nicholsi | Jaw fragments | A clevosaurid sphenodont |
| Colossosuchus[13] | C. techniensis[13] | Known from multiple skeletons, all likely died together | A very large mystriosuchine phytosaur |
| Desmatosuchnae Indet.[14] | osteoderms | A stagonolepidid aetosaur | |
| Hyperodapedon[6] | H. huxleyi | Rare maxillary tooth plates[6] | A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur, also known as Paradapedon.[15] This species is far more common in the coeval Lower Maleri Formation of central India. |
| H. tikiensis[16] | Various cranial and postcranial elements | A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur | |
| Parasuchus[17][6] | P. hislopi | Skulls | A basal (non-mystriosuchine) phytosaur |
| Tikisuchus[17] | T. romeri | The skull and some postcranial elements of a young individual | A putative rauisuchid |
| Volcanosuchus[18] | V. statisticae[18] | A skull | A mystriosuchine phytosaur |
| Ornithischia indet.[19][6] | OD01-OD03/Pal/CHQ/Tiki/15, 3 different teeth with presence of serration suggesting a carnivorus diet. | ||
| Saurischia indet.[20] | numerous small and partial complete vertebrae and partial limb bones. | ||
| Phytosauria indet.[19][21] | |||
| Pseudosuchia indet.[22] | |||
| Sphenodontia indet.[11][19][6] | |||
| Theropoda indet.[17] | IITKGPR435b, a single tooth and IITKGPR502, a ungual phalanx[20][23] | ||
Amphibians
| Amphibians of the Tiki Formation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
| Eodiscoglossus[6] | E. sp | An incomplete jaw | A discoglossid frog |
| Compsocerops[24] | C. tikiensis | A chigutisaurid temnospondyl | |
| Metoposaurus[17] | M. sp. | A metoposaurid temnospondyl | |
| Panthasaurus | P. maleriensis | A metoposaurid temnospondyl | |
Fish
| Fishes of the Tiki Formation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
| Cladodus[6] | C. sp. | Teeth | A ctenacanth |
| Gnathorhiza | G. sp.[25] | Teeth | A gnathorhizid lungfish |
| Lonchidion | L. estesi | A hybodont | |
| L. encumbens | A hybodont | ||
| Mooreodontus[11] | M. indicus[26] | Teeth | A xenacanthid |
| M. jaini[26] | Teeth | ||
| Pristrisodus[27] | P. tikiensis[27] | Teeth | A hybodont, formerly known as Parvodus tikiensis and Lissodus duffini.[6] |
| Ptychoceratodus | P. oldhami[25] | Teeth | A ptychoceratodontid lungfish |
| Tikiodontus[26] | T. asymmetricus[26] | Teeth | A xenacanthid |
| Actinopterygii indet.[6] | |||
| Coelacanthidae indet.[6] | |||
Flora
- Baiera sp.[28]
- Dicroidium sp.[28]
- Elatocladus sp.[28]
- Lepidopteris sp.[28]
- Pagiophyllum sp.[28]
- Sphenobaiera sp.[28]
- Xylopteris sp.[28]
- Yabeiella sp.[28]
Correlations
The Tiki Formation is considered a temporal equivalent of the Lower Maleri Formation. The majority of the Tiki Formation correlates with the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, the upper part of the Santa Maria Formation, and the overlying lower Caturrita Formation of Brazil, the Isalo II Beds of Madagascar, Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland, and the lower Tecovas Formation of the Chinle Group of North America.