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Elliot Formation

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The Elliot Formation is a geological formation dating to roughly 210 to 190 million years ago and covering the Norian to Sinemurian stages. The Elliot Formation is found in South Africa and Lesotho and is a member of the Stormberg Group. It consists mainly of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone. Fossils of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus have been recovered from the upper Elliot Formation.

Vertebrate fauna[]

Unidentified dinosaur eggs have been recovered from the formation.

Ornithischia[]

An unnamed ornithischian genus has been reported from the Upper Elliot Formation.[4] Geographically it was located in the Mafeteng district, Lesotho.[4] Ornithischian tracks have been reported from the Upper Elliot Formation.[4] Geographically they were located in Leribe District,[3] Mafeteng district, and Mohales Hoek District, Lesotho.[4] Possible indeterminate ornithischian remains have been reported from the Lower and Upper Elliot Formation of Cape Province, South Africa[3] and the Mohales Hoek District, Lesotho. Template:Paleobiota-key-compact

Ornithischian dinosaurs of the Elliot Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Abrictosaurus[1]

A. consors[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Qacha's Nek District[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"[Two] skulls, [one] associated with fragmentary skeleton; material consisting of either male and female or adult and juvenile."[2]

The Qacha's Nek District remains were once considered Lycorhinus consors.[1]

Abrictosaurus

Heterodontosaurus

Heterodontosaurus

Heterodontosaurus

Fabrosaurus[1]

F. australis[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mafeteng district[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Fragmentary dentary with teeth."[3]

Its remains are now considered indeterminate ornithischian.[1]

Heterodontosaurus[1]

H. tucki[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

Indeterminate[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Quthing District[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Lanasaurus

L. scalpridens

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot

Now regarded as a junior synonym of Lycorhinus.

Lesothosaurus[4]

L. diagnosticus[4]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mafeteng district[1]
  • Upper Elliot

"At least [four] skulls and associated skeletal material."[3]

Lycorhinus[1]

L. angustidens[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot

"Isolated dentary maxillae."[2]

L. consors[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Qacha's Nek District[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Split off as the type species of the new genus Abrictosaurus.

Pegomastax[5]

P. africana[5]

  • Joe Gqabi District[5]
  • Upper Elliot

Sauropodomorpha[]

Prosauropod tracks have been found in the Lower and Upper Elliot Formation.[4][1] Geographically, these finds have been located in Leribe District, Mafeteng District, Mohales Hoek district, Quthing District,[1] and Maseru District, Lesotho.[4] Possible prosauropod tracks have been located in the Lower Elliot Formation. Geographically these were located in Cape Province, South Africa.[4]

Template:Paleobiota-key-compact

Sauropodomorph dinosaurs of the Elliot Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Aardonyx

A. celestae

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot

Massospondylus

Massospondylus

File:Melanorosaurus readi steveoc.jpg

Melanorosaurus readi

Aetonyx

A. palustris

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Cervicals, caudals, partial fore- and hindlimb."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Antetonitrus[4]

A. ingenipes[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

Blikanasaurus[4]

B. cromptoni[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[4]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

"Associated left tibia, fibula, tarsus, [and] pes."[7]

Dromicosaurus

D. gracilis

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Eucnemesaurus

E. fortis

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

"Fragmentary skeleton."[6]

Euskelosaurus[4]

E. africanus

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

"Vertebrae, ischia, incomplete ilia, tibiae and femora."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[4]

E. browni[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

Indeterminate[4]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mohale's Hoek District[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[4]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

Gryponyx

G. africanus

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Vertebrae, both manus, pelvis and hindlimbs."[6]

A valid sauropodomorph genus and species.[8]

G. taylori

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Sacrals, pelvic girdle."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Indeterminate[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mohale's Hoek District[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Hortalotarsus

H. skirtopodus

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Ignavusaurus[9]

I. rachelis[9]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Upper Elliot[9]

Leptospondylus

L. capensis

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Caudals."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Massospondylus[4]

M. browni

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Cervicals, dorsal, caudals, pedal elements."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

M. carinatus[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Leribe District[1]
  • Quthing District[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]
  1. Leribe remains "(=Gryponyx sp., Aetonyx sp.)"; Quthing remains "(including Gryponyx taylori)"[1]

M. harriesi

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Forelimb."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

M. schwarzi

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Indeterminate[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mafeteng District[1]
  • Qacha's Nek District[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[4]
  • Upper Elliot[1]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

Melanorosaurus[4]

M. readi[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[4]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

"[Three] partial skeletons, adult."[10]

M. thabanensis[1]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Mafeteng District[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Femur, adult."[10]

Indeterminate[4]

Flag of Lesotho

  • Leribe District[4]
  • Maseru District[4]
  • Mohale's Hoek District[4]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

Orinosaurus

O. capensis

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

"Proximal tibia."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[4]

Pachyspondylus

P. orpenii

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

"Fragmentary vertebrae."[6]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Plateosauravus[11][12]

P. cullingworthi[11][12]

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

"Partial skeleton."[6]

Plateosaurus

P. stormbergensis

Flag of South Africa

  • Lower Elliot[4]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[4]

Thecodontosaurus

T. browni

Flag of Lesotho

  • Quthing District[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

T. minor

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[1]
  • Upper Elliot[1]

Elliot material formerly referred to this taxon was later concluded to be indeterminate prosauropod remains.[1]

Theropoda[]

Theropod tracks are stratigraphically located in both the Lower and Upper Elliot Formation. Geographically, they are located in the Leribe District, Mafeteng District, Quthing District,[1] Maseru District and Mohales Hoek district,[4][1] Lesotho.[4]

Template:Paleobiota-key-compact

Theropod dinosaurs of the Elliot Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Aliwalia[4]

A. rex[4]

Flag of South Africa

  • Cape Province[4]
  • Lower Elliot[4]

Partial femur and possible maxilla.[13]

Now known to be a chimera of Eucnemesaurus and a theropod mandible.

File:Coelophysis rhodesiensis.JPG

Coelophysis rhodesiensis

Dracovenator[14]

D. regenti[14]

Flag of South Africa

A dilophosaurid

Coelophysis[1]

C. rhodesiensis[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

Former Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis.

Megapnosaurus[1]

M. rhodesiensis[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

Note: Referred to as Syntarsus by Weishampel et al.[1]

Syntarsus[1]

S. rhodesiensis[1]

Flag of South Africa

  • Upper Elliot[1]

See also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named earlyjurassicdistribution
  2. ^ a b "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 394.
  3. ^ a b "Table 14.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 326.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named triassicdistribution
  5. ^ a b c Sereno, Paul C. (2012). "Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs". ZooKeys 226: 1–225. doi:10.3897/zookeys.226.2840. PMID 23166462. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 236.
  7. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 261.
  8. ^ C. C. Vasconcelos, A. M. Yates (2004). Sauropodomorph biodiversity of the upper Elliot Formation (Lower Jurassic) of southern Africa. Geoscience Africa, Abstract Volume 2:670.
  9. ^ a b c Knoll, Fabien (2010). "A primitive sauropodomorph from the upper Elliot Formation of Lesotho". Geological Magazine 147 (6): 814–829. doi:10.1017/S001675681000018X. http://www.foreignpolicybulletinmonitor.com/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7908827&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S001675681000018X. 
  10. ^ a b "Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 235.
  11. ^ a b Yates, A.M., and Kitching, J.W. (2003). The earliest known sauropod dinosaur and the first steps towards sauropod locomotion. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 270(1525):1753-1758.
  12. ^ a b Yates, A.M. (2006). Solving a dinosaurian puzzle: the identity of Aliwalia rex Galton. Historical Biology, iFirst article, 1-30.
  13. ^ "Table 2.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 26.
  14. ^ a b c d A. M. Yates. 2005. A new theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and its implications for the early evolution of theropods. Palaeontologia Africana 41:105-122
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