Manda Formation

Manda Formation
Stratigraphic range: Anisian
Type Geological formation
Unit of Cynognathus Assemblage Zone
 Songea Group
Sub-units Kingori Sandstone Member, Lifua Member
Underlies None
Overlies Usili Formation
Lithology
Primary Sandstone
Other Mudstone, siltstone, marl
Location
Coordinates 10°18′S 35°12′E / 10.3°S 35.2°E / -10.3; 35.2Coordinates: 10°18′S 35°12′E / 10.3°S 35.2°E / -10.3; 35.2
Approximate paleocoordinates 53°42′S 23°00′E / 53.7°S 23.0°E / -53.7; 23.0
Region Iringa & Ruvuma Regions
Country  Tanzania
Extent Ruhuhu Basin

Map of the outcropping Manda Formation

The Manda Formation (also known as the Manda Beds) is a Middle Triassic geologic formation in Tanzania. It preserves fossils of many terrestrial vertebrates from the Triassic, including some of the earliest archosaurs.[1]

History of study

One of the first to study rocks of the Manda Formation was British geologist G. M. Stockley. In 1932, Stockley explored the geology of the Ruhuhu Basin in Tanzania. He called a series of layers dating from the Late Carboniferous to the Middle Triassic the Songea Series and divided it into eight units labelled K1-K8. Stockley was also the first to describe fossils from these rocks, naming an older layer the "Lower Bone Bed" and a younger layer the "Upper Bone Bed".

In 1957, paleontologist Alan J. Charig described many more fossils from the bone beds in his Ph.D. thesis for the University of Cambridge.[2][3] Charig renamed the youngest of Stockley's units in 1963, calling unit K6 the Kawinga Formation, K7 the Kingori Sandstones, and K8 the Manda Formation. Fossils were identified in many strata, invalidating Stockley's division into two distinct bone beds. Since Charig's description, the Kawinga Formation has been renamed the Usili Formation, the Kingori Sandstones have become the Kingori Sandstone Member of the Manda Formation, and Charig's original Manda Formation has become a subunit of the formation called the Lifua Member.[1] Six formations and one informal unit are currently recognized in the Songea Group (Ruhuhu basin) rocks range in age from Pennsylvanian to Anisian, including the Idusi (K1), Mchuchuma (K2), Mbuyura (K3), Mhukuru (K4), Ruhuhu (K5), and Usili (K6) formations and the informal Manda Beds, which include the Kingori Sandstone (K7) and Lifua Member (K8).[4]

Paleobiota

Tetrapods

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
 Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Temnospondyls

TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Stanocephalosaurus pronus[5]Lifua MemberRemains of a temnospondyl amphibian previously referred either to Parotosaurus or Eryosuchus[6]

Parareptiles

TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Ruhuhuaria reiszi[7]Lifua MemberCAMZM T997, poorly preserved but complete skull and mandibleAn owenettid

Archosauromorphs

TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Asperoris mnyamaLifua MemberNHMUK PV R36615, incomplete skullA non-crurotarsan archosauriform of uncertain phylogenetic placement
"Stagonosuchus" tanganyikaensis[8]Lifua MemberSAM 11754, right humerusAn indeterminate archosauromorph; possibly a rhynchosaur
Stenaulorhynchus stockleyiLifua MemberA rhynchosaur
Unnamed[5]Lifua MemberNHMUK PV R36619, incomplete skull and partial postcranial skeletonA non-archosaurian archosauriform
Archosaurs
TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Asilisaurus kongweLifua MemberA silesaurid dinosauriform
Hypselorhachis mirabilisLifua MemberNHMUK R16586, a complete dorsal vertebraA sail-backed archosaur possibly belonging to the family Ctenosauriscidae
Mandasuchus tanyauchen[9]Lifua MemberNHMUK R6792, partial mandible and postcranial skeletonsA paracrocodylomorph
Nundasuchus songeaensis[5][10]Lifua MemberNMT RB48, partial skeleton and skullAn archosaur, possibly suchian
Nyasasaurus parringtoni[11]Lifua MemberNHMUK R6856, a right humerus, three partial presacral vertebrae and three sacral vertebrae. SAM-PK-K10654 is also potentially referable - see "Thecodontosaurus" alophos below.A theropod or an ornithischian or the most advanced non-dinosaurian dinosauriform. Possibly the oldest dinosaur.[11]
"Pallisteria angustimentum"Lifua MemberNHMUK R36620, partial skull and some postcranial fragmentsA "rauisuchian"; a nomen nudum first identified as a thecodont
Parringtonia gracilisLifua MemberNHMUK R8646, a mandible, scapula, partial ischium, twelve vertebrae, and five osteodermsAn erpetosuchid
Stagonosuchus nyassicusLifua MemberGPIT/RE/3831/1-21 and GPIT/RE/3832/1-15, two partial postcranial skeletonsA "rauisuchian"
"Stenaulorhynchus" major[8]Lifua MemberSAM S337, distal half of a left humerusA subjective senior synonym of Stagonosuchus.[11]
Teleocrater rhadinusLifua MemberNHMUK R6795, vertebrae, limb bones and other elements. Additional material referred from two other individuals.An early avemetatarsalian[12]
"Thecodontosaurus" alophos[11]Lifua MemberSAM-PK-K10654, three neck vertebrae and two rear presacral vertebraeA probable subjective senior synonym of Nyasasaurus, first identified as a sauropodomorph dinosaur.[11]
Unnamed[13]Lifua MemberNearly complete skull and partial skeletonA stem-aetosaur

Therapsids

Dicynodonts
TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Angonisaurus cruickshankiLifua MemberA kannemeyeriiform
Kannemeyeria sp.Lifua MemberA kannemeyeriid kannemeyeriiform
Sangusaurus parringtoniiLifua MemberA stahleckeriid kannemeyeriiform
?ShansiodonLifua MemberSkullA shansiodontid kannemeyeriiform
Tetragonias njalilusLifua MemberA shansiodontid kannemeyeriiform
Cynodonts
TaxonMemberMaterialNotesImages
Aleodon brachyrhamphusLifua MemberA possible chiniquodontid
Cricodon metabolusLifua MemberA trirachodontid
Cynognathus crateronotus[14]Lifua MemberA cynognathid
Diademodon tetragonasLifua MemberA diademodontid
Scalenodon angustifronsLifua MemberA traversodontid
"Scalenodon" attridgeiLifua MemberA traversodontid; may fall outside the genus Scalenodon and may be a synonym of "Scalenodon" charigi
"Scalenodon" charigiLifua MemberA traversodontid; may fall outside the genus Scalenodon
Mandagomphodon hirschoniLifua MemberA traversodontid; originally classified in the genus Scalenodon; named after the Manda Beds

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Butler, R. J.; Barrett, P. M.; Abel, R. L.; Gower, D. J. (2009). "A possible ctenosauriscid archosaur from the Middle Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (4): 1022–1031. doi:10.1671/039.029.0404.
  2. ↑ Charig, A. J. (1957). New Triassic archosaurs from Tanganyika, including Mandasuchus and Teleocrater: Dissertation Abstracts. Cambridge University.
  3. ↑ Nesbitt, S. J.; Butler, R. J. (2012). "Redescription of the archosaur Parringtonia gracilis from the Middle Triassic Manda beds of Tanzania, and the antiquity of Erpetosuchidae". Geological Magazine. 150: 1. doi:10.1017/S0016756812000362.
  4. ↑ Sidor, C. A.; Angielczyk, K. D.; Weide †, D. M.; Smith, R. M. H.; Nesbitt, S. J.; Tsuji, L. A. (2010). "Tetrapod fauna of the lowermost Usili Formation (Songea Group, Ruhuhu Basin) of southern Tanzania, with a new burnetiid record". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (3): 696–703. doi:10.1080/02724631003758086.
  5. 1 2 3 Sidor, C. A.; Vilhena, D. A.; Angielczyk, K. D.; Huttenlocker, A. K.; Nesbitt, S. J.; Peecook, B. R.; Steyer, J. S.; Smith, R. M. H.; Tsuji, L. A. (2013). "Provincialization of terrestrial faunas following the end-Permian mass extinction". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110 (20): 8129–8133. doi:10.1073/pnas.1302323110. PMC 3657826. PMID 23630295.
  6. ↑ Sues, H.-D.; Fraser, N.C. (2010). "Early and early Middle Triassic in Gondwana". Triassic Life on Land: The Great Transition. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 19–36. ISBN 9780231135221. ISBN 0-231-13522-X
  7. ↑ Tsuji, L. A.; Sobral, G.; Müller, J. (2013). "Ruhuhuaria reiszi, a new procolophonoid reptile from the Triassic Ruhuhu Basin of Tanzania". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 12: 487–494. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2013.08.002.
  8. 1 2 Lautenschlager, S.; Desojo, J. B. (2011). "Reassessment of the Middle Triassic rauisuchian archosaurs Ticinosuchus ferox and Stagonosuchus nyassicus". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 85 (4): 357–381. doi:10.1007/s12542-011-0105-1.
  9. ↑ Richard J. Butler; Sterling J. Nesbitt; Alan J. Charig; David J. Gower; Paul M. Barrett (2018). "Mandasuchus tanyauchen, gen. et sp. nov., a pseudosuchian archosaur from the Manda Beds (?Middle Triassic) of Tanzania". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (Supplement to No. 6): 96–121. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1343728.
  10. ↑ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Sidor, Christian A.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Smith, Roger M. H.; Tsuji, Linda A. (November 2014). "A new archosaur from the Manda beds (Anisian, Middle Triassic) of southern Tanzania and its implications for character state optimizations at Archosauria and Pseudosuchia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (6): 1357–1382. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.859622.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Nesbitt, S. J.; Barrett, P. M.; Werning, S.; Sidor, C. A.; Charig, A. J. (2013). "The oldest dinosaur? A Middle Triassic dinosauriform from Tanzania". Biol. Lett. 9: 20120949. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.0949. PMC 3565515. PMID 23221875.
  12. ↑ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Butler, Richard J.; Ezcurra, Martín D.; Barrett, Paul M.; Stocker, Michelle R.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Smith, Roger M. H.; Sidor, Christian A.; Niedźwiedzki, Grzegorz; Sennikov, Andrey G.; Charig, Alan J. (2017). "The earliest bird-line archosaurs and the assembly of the dinosaur body plan". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature22037.
  13. ↑ Nesbitt, S.J.; Sidor, C.A.; Angielczyk, K.D.; Smith, R.M.; Parker, W. (2012). "Derivation of the aetosaur osteoderm carapace: evidence from a new, exceptionally preserved "stem aetosaur" from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Manda Beds of southwestern Tanzania". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (Supp. 1): 149. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.10635175.
  14. ↑ Brenen M. Wynd; Brandon R. Peecook; Megan R. Whitney; Christian A. Sidor (2018). "The first occurrence of Cynognathus crateronotus (Cynodontia: Cynognathia) in Tanzania and Zambia, with implications for the age and biostratigraphic correlation of Triassic strata in southern Pangea". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (Supplement to No. 6): 228–239. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1421548.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.