Misplaced Pages

Lilstock Formation

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Lilstock Formation
Stratigraphic range: Rhaetian
~205–202 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
TypeFormation
Unit ofPenarth Group
Sub-unitsCotham Member, Langport Member
UnderliesBlue Lias Formation, Scunthorpe Mudstone Redcar Mudstone Formation
OverliesWestbury Formation
Thickness1–10 m (3.3–32.8 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryShale, siltstone, limestone, mudstone
Location
Coordinates51°12′N 3°18′W / 51.2°N 3.3°W / 51.2; -3.3
Approximate paleocoordinates35°30′N 0°30′E / 35.5°N 0.5°E / 35.5; 0.5
RegionEngland
Country United Kingdom
Type section
Named forLilstock
Lilstock Formation is located in the United KingdomLilstock FormationLilstock Formation (the United Kingdom)Show map of the United KingdomLilstock Formation is located in EnglandLilstock FormationLilstock Formation (England)Show map of England

The Lilstock Formation is a geologic formation in England. It preserves bivalve, insect and other invertebrate fossils, as well as fossil fish of Agkistracanthus mitgelensis and the basal theropod dinosaur Newtonsaurus cambrensis dating back to the Rhaetian of the Triassic period.

White Lias

The White lias is a rare, fine-grained form of limestone from the late Triassic period, occurring only in certain parts of Somerset and infrequently in Warwickshire. It gets the name ‘lias’ from the quarrymen's dialect for ‘layers’, referring to its natural state when quarried.

White lias is part of the Langport Member of the Lilstock Formation, a multi-layered bed of stone formed from shale and limestone. At its base is a bone-bed yielding ancient marine, reptilian and ammonite fossils.

White lias varies in colour from white-cream to pale grey and is traditionally used for building and flooring. Evidence of its use can be seen in manor houses, churches and cathedrals all over the UK. It is most prevalent in the Somerset towns of Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Langport and Wincanton. Bowdens quarry in Langport is the only supplier of white lias, and of the more commonly found blue lias and grey varieties.

See also

References

  1. Lilstock Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. Galton PM. Bones of large dinosaurs (Prosauropoda and Stegosauria) from the Rhaetic Bone Bed (Upper Triassic) of Aust Cliff, southwest England. Revue de Paléobiologie, Genève. 2005; 24:51–74.
  3. ^ "Lias Stone Suppliers | Somerset Lias Quarry | Lovell Stone Group".
  4. Swift, Andrew (1995). "A review of the nature and outcrop of the 'White Lias' facies of the Langport Member (Penarth Group: Upper Triassic) in Britain". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 106 (4): 247–258. Bibcode:1995PrGA..106..247S. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(08)80236-2.

Further reading

  • P. B. Brodie. 1845. A History of the Fossil Insects in the Secondary Rocks of England Accompanied by a Particular Account of the Strata in which they Occur, and of the Circumstances Connected with their Preservation 1-130
  • C. J. Duffin. 1994. Myriacanthid holocephalans (Chondrichthyes) from the British Late Triassic. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 192(1):1-16


Stub icon

This article about a specific stratigraphic formation in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article related to the Triassic period is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This Somerset location article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: