Schlern Formation
The Schlern Formation, also known as Schlern Dolomite, and Sciliar Formation or Sciliar Dolomite in Italy, is a limestone, marl and dolomite formation in the Southern Limestone Alps in Kärnten, Austria and South Tyrol, Italy.[1][2][3]
| Schlern Formation Stratigraphic range: late Anisian-mid Ladinian ~242–239 Ma | |
|---|---|
| Type | Geologic formation |
| Underlies | Cassian Dolomite |
| Overlies | Contrin Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Dolomite |
| Other | Limestone, marl |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 46.6°N 13.3°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 6.8°N 23.5°E |
| Region | Kärnten South Tyrol |
| Country |  Austria Italy |
| Extent | Southern Limestone Alps |
  Schlern Formation (Austria) | |
Description
It preserves fossils dating back to the Middle Triassic period (late Anisian-middle Ladinian), or Illyrian to Longobardian in the regional stratigraphy. The formation correlates with the Wetterstein Formation of the Northern Limestone Alps. The formation is also coeval with the Livinallongo or Buchenstein Formation. The Schlern Formation is unconformably overlain by the Cassian Dolomite, and overlies the Contrin Formation separated by another unconformity. Deposition of the formation took place between the Pelsonian Humid Interval and the Ladinian Humid Interval, that preceded the better known Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE).[4]
In Italy, the unit is recognized in the Civetta and Latemar reef buildups,[2][3] and in Austria at the Gartnerkofel.[1]
Fossil content
Among others, the following fossils have been described from the Schlern Formation:
- Bivalves
- Gastropods
- Cassianopsis decussata[6]
- Coelostylina conica[6]
- Fedaiella neritacea[6]
- Hologyra alpina[7]
- H. elevata[7]
- Hologyra (Vernelia) dissimilis[7]
- Loxonema aequale[6]
- Neritaria plicatilis[6]
- Palaeonarica concentrica[6]
- Promathildia pygmaea[6]
- Pustulifer alpina[6]
- Tyrsoecus (Stephanocosmia)[6]
- Zygopleura spinosa[6]
See also
References
- Schlern Formation at Fossilworks.org
- Schlern 1 Formation at Fossilworks.org
- Sciliar Dolomite at Fossilworks.org
- Bernardi et al., 2018, p.3
- Ogilvie Gordon, 1927
- Friesenbichler et al., 2019
- Böhm, 1895
Bibliography
- Friesenbichler, E.; M. Hautmann; A. Nützel; M. Urlichs, and H. Bucher. 2019. Palaeoecology of Late Ladinian (Middle Triassic) benthic faunas from the Schlern/Sciliar and Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi area (South Tyrol, Italy). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 93. 1–29.
- Bernardi, M.; P. Gianolla; F.M. Petti; P. Mietto, and M. J. Benton. 2018. Dinosaur diversification linked with the Carnian Pluvial Episode. Nature Communications 9. 1–10. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03996-1
Text and images are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License - Ogilvie Gordon, M. M.. 1927. Das Grödener-, Fassa- und Enneberggebiet in den Südtiroler Dolomiten: Geologische Beschreibung mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Überschiebungserscheinungen. Teil III. Paläontologie. Abhandlungen der Geologischen Bundesanstalt 24. 1–88.
- Böhm, J. 1895. Die Gastropoden des Marmolatakalkes. Palaeontographica 42. 211–308.
Further reading
- A. Emmerich, V. Zamparelli, T. Bechstädt and R. Zühlke. 2005. The reefal margin and slope of a Middle Triassic carbonate platform: the Latemar (Dolomites, Italy). Facies 50(3-4):573-614
- J. Pfeiffer. 1988. Paleontology and microfacies of a platform margin in the Carnic Alps (Austria, Middle Triassic). Facies 19:33-60
- E. Fois and M. Gaetani. 1981. The northern margin of the Civetta buildup. Evolution during the Ladinian and the Carnian. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e stratigrafia 86(3):469-542
- E. Fois. 1981. The Sass da Putia carbonate buildup (western Dolomites): biofacies succession and marginal development during the Ladinian. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 87(4):565-598