Kallamedu Formation

Coordinates: 11°41′46″N 79°24′46″E / 11.6962°N 79.4127°E / 11.6962; 79.4127
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Kallamedu Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian
~70.6–65.5 Ma
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesNiniyur Formation
OverliesArchean Basement
ThicknessVariable, typically 5–5,000 km (3.1–3,106.9 mi)
Lithology
PrimaryClaystone, siltstone limestone
OtherConglomerate
Location
Coordinates11°41′46″N 79°24′46″E / 11.6962°N 79.4127°E / 11.6962; 79.4127
Country India
ExtentKallamedu
Type section
Named forKallamedu village

The Kallamedu Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) geologic formation located in India that forms part of the Ariyalur Group.[1] Dinosaur remains and petrified wood samples are among the known fossils recovered from this formation.[2]

Paleofauna[edit]

Dinosaurs[edit]

Dinosaurs from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus Species Material Notes
Abelisauridae indet.[3] "Disassociated remains"
Bruhathkayosaurus[4] B. matleyi ilium and ischium, femur, tibia, radius and part of a vertebra (specifically a platycoelous caudal centrum). Remains no longer exist Initially described as a Theropod, it was reclassified as a Titanosaur
Carnosauria indet.?[4] "Fragmentary remains" Carnosauria was often used as a wastebasket taxon
Fusioolithus[5] F. baghensis Dinosaur eggs
Sauropoda indet.[6] "fragmentary remains."
Stegosauria indet.?[7] Dermal plate or misinterpreted sauropod bone Other more plausible Stegosaur material is known from Cretaceous India
Titanosauria indet.[5] solitary egg.
Troodontidae indet.[3] One isolated tooth (DUGF/52)

Crocodylomorphs[edit]

Crocodylomorphs from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus Species Material Notes
Crocodilia indet.[8] Teeth
Notosuchia indet. [8] Teeth Related to Simosuchus

Turtles[edit]

Turtle from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus Species Material Notes
Kurmademys [9] K. kallamedensis Nearly complete skull A Side-necked Turtle

References[edit]

  1. ^ Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. Oxford University. 1865. pp. 107–140.
  2. ^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, Asia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 593–600. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  3. ^ a b Goswami, A.; Prasad, G. V. R.; Verma, O.; Flynn, J. J.; Benson, R. B. J. (2013). "A troodontid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of India". Nature Communications. 4: 1703. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.1703G. doi:10.1038/ncomms2716. PMID 23591870.
  4. ^ a b Yadagiri, P. and Ayyasami, K. (1987). "A carnosaurian dinosaur from the Kallamedu Formation (Maestrichtian horizon), Tamilnadu." In M.V.A. Sastry, V.V. Sastry, C.G.K. Ramanujam, H.M. Kapoor, B.R. Jagannatha Rao, P.P. Satsangi, and U.B. Mathur (eds.), Three Decades of Development in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy in India. Volume 1. Precambrian to Mesozoic. Geological Society of India Special Publication, 11(1): 523–528.
  5. ^ a b Dhiman, Harsha; Prasad, Guntupalli V. R.; Goswami, Anjali (2018). "Parataxonomy and palaeobiogeographic significance of dinosaur eggshell fragments from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Cauvery Basin, South India". Historical Biology: 1–13. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1450408. S2CID 89969203.
  6. ^ R. Lydekker. (1877). Notices of new and other Vertebrata from Indian Tertiary and Secondary rocks. Records of the Geological Survey of India 10(1):30–43
  7. ^ Peter M. Galton; Krishnan Ayyasami (2017). "Purported latest bone of a plated dinosaur (Ornithischia: Stegosauria), a "dermal plate" from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of southern India". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 285 (1): 91–96. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2017/0671.
  8. ^ a b Prasad, G. V. R., Verma, O., Flynn, J. J. & Goswami, A. (2013) A new Late Cretaceous vertebrate fauna from the Cauvery basin, South India: implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
  9. ^ Gaffney, Eugene S; Chatterjee, Sankar; Rudra, Dhiraj K. (2001). "Kurmademys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India" (pdf). American Museum Novitates (3321): 1–16. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2001)321<0001:kansnt>2.0.co;2. hdl:2246/2938. S2CID 53980146.