Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation

Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation
Stratigraphic range: Barremian-early Aptian
~126–124 Ma

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Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation; Stratigraphic range: Barremian-early Aptian; ~126–124 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Albian aged "Meules"
Overlies	Breccia, Pennsylvanian basement
Thickness	Variable, 50 m (160 ft) at Bernissart
Lithology
Primary	Clay
Other	Lignite
Location
Coordinates	50.5°N 3.6°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	40.7°N 13.7°E
Country	Belgium
Extent	Localised within the northern margins of the Mons Basin
	Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation (Belgium)

The Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation is a geological formation in Belgium. It is found in localised areas of the northern margin of the Mons Basin, alongside the equivalently aged Hautrage and Baudour Clay Formations.[1] It is Upper Barremian-Lower Aptian in age.[2] It predomiantly consists of laminated clay, with some lignite.[3] It is well known for the "Iguanodon sinkhole" locality near Bernissart where many specimens of Iguanodon bernissartensis were discovered by Louis Dollo in the late 19th century.

Geologic context

The Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation are part of the stratigraphy of the Mons Basin, a Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary basin in western Belgium. The subsidence of the basin floor is caused by the dissolution of anhydrite in the Carboniferous basement. Wealden facies are the oldest units within the basin, and are only found on the northern margin of the basin, being absent from the central and southern parts of the basin. Localised areas of significant subsidence, referred to as "sinkholes" are observed. The Wealden facies are overlain by "mixed siliciclastic–carbonate formations" called Meules dating to the Albian.[1]

Fossil content

Tetrapods

Tetrapods of the Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Anteophthalmosuchus	A. epikrator[4]	Bernissart		"Two ... fully articulated skeletons, one missing the skull and mandible."[5]	Goniopholidid crocodyliform
Bernissartia	B. fagesii			IRSNB R46, mostly complete skeleton	Bernissartiid crocodyliform
Chitracephalus	C. dumonii			Carapace with preserved limbs	Cryptodiran turtle[6]
Iguanodon	I. bernissartensis			Multiple skeletons	Iguanodontian dinosaur
Mantellisaurus	M. atherfieldensis			IRSNB 1551, single mostly complete skeleton	Iguanodontian dinosaur, formerly considered holotype of "Dollodon bampingi"[7]
Hylaeobatrachus	H. croyii			Slab and counterslab of a complete skeleton	Salamander
Peltochelys	P. duchastelii			Shell fragments	Paracryptodire, probable close relative of Compsemys[8]
Theropoda	Indeterminate			Phalanx

Fish

Fish of the Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Aethalionopsis	A. robustus	Bernissart			Formerly referred to Anaethalion
Amiopsis	A. dolloi
Barbalepis	B. macroptera				Formerly referred to Coccolepis[9]
Callopterus	C. insignis
Pattersonella	P. formosa				Formerly referred to Leptolepis
Scheenstia	S. bernissartensis			Multiple specimens	Previously referred to Lepidotes, L. brevifulcratus is a junior synonym.[10]

Other fish

* Leptolepis attenuatus[11]

Insects

The Tettigarctid cicada Hylaeoneura lignei is known from the formation.[14]

Parasites

Ascarites gerus[15]
A. priscus[15]
Digenites proterus[15]
Entamoebites antiquus[15]

Flora

Alethopteris elegans[12]
Cladophlebis dunkeri[11]
Conites minuta[11]
Laccopteris dunkeri[11]
Leckenbya valdensis[11]
Matonidium goepperti[11]
Onychiopsis mantelli[11]
Pecopteris conybeari[12]
P. polymorpha[12]
Pinites solmsi[11]
Polypodites mantelli[12]
Ruffordia goepperti[11]
Sagenopteris mantelli[11]
Sphenopteris delicatissima[11]
S. fittoni[11]
S. roemeri[12]
Stellatopollis hughesii[16]
Weichselia mantelli[11]
Adiantites sp.[11]
Equisetites sp.[11]
Gleichenia sp.[17]
Gleichenites sp.[17]
Hausmannia (Protorhipis)[11]
Lycopodites sp.[11]
cf. Taeniopteris sp.[11]

Ichnofossils

Algites sp.[11]

References

Godefroit, Pascal (2012). "A Short Introduction to the Geology of the Mons Basin and the Iguanodon Sinkhole, Belgium". Bernissart dinosaurs and early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems. Indiana University Press. pp. 35–42. ISBN 978-0-253-35721-2. OCLC 721905743.
Dejax, J.; Pons, D.; Yans, J. (April 2007). "Palynology of the dinosaur-bearing Wealden facies in the natural pit of Bernissart (Belgium)". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 144 (1–2): 25–38. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2005.10.004.
Schnyder, Johann; Dejax, Jean; Keppens, Edward; Nguyen Tu, Thanh Thuy; Spagna, Paul; Boulila, Slah; Galbrun, Bruno; Riboulleau, Armelle; Tshibangu, Jean-Pierre; Yans, Johan (October 2009). "An Early Cretaceous lacustrine record: Organic matter and organic carbon isotopes at Bernissart (Mons Basin, Belgium)". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 281 (1–2): 79–91. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.07.014.
Ristevski, Jorgo; Young, Mark T.; de Andrade, Marco Brandalise; Hastings, Alexander K. (April 2018). "A new species of Anteophthalmosuchus (Crocodylomorpha, Goniopholididae) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, and a review of the genus". Cretaceous Research. 84: 340–383. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.11.008.
Martin, Jeremy E.; Delfino, Massimo; Smith, Thierry (2016-11-01). "Osteology and affinities of Dollo's goniopholidid (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Early Cretaceous of Bernissart, Belgium". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (6): e1222534. doi:10.1080/02724634.2016.1222534. ISSN 0272-4634.
Pérez-García, Adán (September 2012). "The European Early Cretaceous Cryptodiran Turtle Chitracephalus dumonii and the Diversity of a Poorly Known Lineage of Turtles". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 57 (3): 575–588. doi:10.4202/app.2011.0065. ISSN 0567-7920.
McDonald, Andrew T. (February 2012). "The status of Dollodon and other basal iguanodonts (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe". Cretaceous Research. 33 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.03.002.
Joyce, Walter G.; Rollot, Yann (2020-05-14). "An alternative interpretation of Peltochelys duchastelii as a paracryptodire". Fossil Record. 23 (1): 83–93. doi:10.5194/fr-23-83-2020. ISSN 2193-0074.
Olive, Sébastien; Taverne, Louis; López-Arbarello, Adriana (March 2019). "A new genus of coccolepidid actinopterygian from the Cretaceous Iguanodon-bearing locality of Bernissart, Belgium". Cretaceous Research. 95: 318–335. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.11.020.
Cavin, Lionel; Deesri, Uthumporn; Olive, Sébastien (2020-03-18). "Scheenstia bernissartensis (Actinopterygii: Ginglymodi) from the Early Cretaceous of Bernissart, Belgium, with an appraisal of ginglymodian evolutionary history". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (6): 513–527. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1634649. ISSN 1477-2019.
Quinet, 1969
Dupont, 1892
du Pauw, 1902
Lameere & Severin, 1897
Poinar & Boucot, 2006
Yans et al., 2006
Woodward, 1885

Bibliography

Poinar, G., and A. J. Boucot. 2006. Evidence of intestinal parasites of dinosaurs. Parasitology 133. 245–249.
Yans, J.; J. Dejax; D. Pons; L. Taverne, and P. Bultynck. 2006. The iguanodons of Bernissart (Belgium) are middle Barremian to earliest Aptian in age. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Science de la Terre 76. 91–95.
Quinet, G.-E. 1969. Bernissart...il y a 125.000.000 d'Années. Le Règne des Iguanodons - Bernissart...125,000,000 Years Ago. The Reign of the Iguanodon, 1–86. ..
du Pauw, L. F. 1902. Notes sur les Fouilles du Charbonnage de Bernissart. Découverte, Solidification et Montage des Iguanodons - Notes on the excavations of the Bernissart coal mine. Discovery, solidification, and mounting of the Iguanodons, 1–25. ..
Lameere, A., and G. Severin. 1897. Les insectes de Bernissart. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 41. 35–38.
Dupont, É. 1892. Le gisement des Iguanodons de Bernissart - The locality of the Iguanodons of Bernissart. Bulletin de la Société Belge de Géologie, de Paléontologie et d'Hydrologie 6. 86–92.
Woodward, H. 1885. On Iguanodon mantelli, Meyer. Geological Magazine, decade 3 2. 10–15.