Lava Formation

Lava Formation
Stratigraphic range: Lower to Middle Toarcian 180 Ma

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[1]
Lava Formation; Stratigraphic range: Lower to Middle Toarcian 180 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ [1]
	Strata on the Curonian Spit
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Jotvingiai Group[2]
Underlies	Skalviai Group
Overlies	Neringa Formation
Thickness	45 m [3]
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone and clay with a coaly admixture and the inclusion of wood remains.[4][5][6]
Other	Shallow, continental basins with sandy-clayey sediments deposited with traces of breaks and weathering. Upper part is dominated by argillaceous sediments. Cemented sandstones with interlayers of kaolinite-hydromica clays.[7]
Location
Region	Curonian Spit
Country	Lithuania; Russia

The Lava Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation in Lithuania. Fish remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.[8][9][10] The Jotvingiai Group Toarcian deposits were deposited likely in a shallow lacustrine basin or a near sea freshwater lagoon, with the other environment of the formation consisting of shallow marine conditions, seashore barriers and dunes, on a hot and humid climate.[11] Due to the abundant presence of deltaic sedimens (Including Plant fragments of Protophyllocladoxylon? sp.) on the upper part it is considered to be related to the retry of the sea level, as in the Polish equivalent formation, the Ciechocinek Formation.The climate at the time of deposition was strongly seasonal, probably with moonsonal periods.[12] There is a great amountof kaolinite content, being present laterally in the basin, decreasing and lefting space to increasing smectite to the south-west of the formation. On the other hand, there is a great amount of coarsest sediments, what consist mostly on sands.[13][14]

Paleogeography

Panoramic with the deposits at the background

While most of Europe was occupied by sea, Lithuania has a dominated continental regime, which lasted about 32 million years.[15] The low elevation lands where flooded along the Toarcian rise and fall of the sea level, measured also on the Ciechocinek Formation, where the decomposition products were taken to separate depressions where they accumulated lagoon sediments, along with marine deposition of the sea basin lying on southwest of Lithuania.[15] The southwest was composed mostly by a series of deltaic successions, along with several unidentified water bodies.[16] The deposition of the formation shows a transition from deltaic to basinal facies at the west, where the sea shallow bays flooded the region, while in the north-east the land remained.[16] The Lava Formation shelf had a depth of 200–250 m. The climate was humid, slightly warmer than in average latitudes, with a drier climate periods.[15] In this climate, lush vegetation grew on the edges of the basins, leading to the formation of brown coal interlayers. Aalenian-Oxfordian marine activity led to changes, with the rise of the sea level, until it retreat back on the southwest near the Cretaceous strata.[15]

Spores

Genus	Species	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Chasmatosporites[17]	Chasmatosporites apertus Chasmatosporites hians	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Gymnospermopsida.
Perinopollenites[17]	Perinopollenites sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Gymnospermopsida.
Acanthotriletes[17][18]	Acanthotriletes elatus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Lycophyta. Abundant genus, related to freshwater deposits
Hymenozonotriletes[17]	Hymenozonotriletes dalinkevidiusi Hymenozonotriletes speciosus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Lycophyta. Abundant genus, related to freshwater deposits
Leptolepidites[17][18]	Leptolepidites major Leptolepidites sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Lycopsida. Abundant genus, related to freshwater deposits
Uvaesporites[17]	Uvaesporites argenteaeformis	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Lycopsida. Abundant genus, related to freshwater deposits
Staplinisporites[18]	Staplinisporites caminus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Bryophyta.
Lycopodiumsporites[17][18]	Lycopodiumsporites semimuris	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Lycopodiaceae. Most abundant Moss Spores on the Strata
Densoisporites[17][18]	Densoisporites crassus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Selaginellaceae. Relatively abundant
Foveosporites[17][18]	Foveosporites microreticulatus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Selaginellaceae. Abundant and related with Deltaic facies
Heliosporites[17]	Heliosporites altmarkensis	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Selaginellaceae. Abundant and related with Deltaic facies
Cingulatisporites[17]	Cingulatisporites scabratus Cingulatisporites sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Pteridopsida. Relatively abundant
Leiotriletes[17]	Leiotriletes rotundiformis	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Pteridopsida. Relatively abundant
Leiozonotriletes[17]	Leiozonotriletes sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Pteridopsida. Relatively abundant
Cyathidites[17]	Cyathidites minor	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Pteridopsida. Among the smallest and most difficult to found genera on the layers of the Formation.
Pilosisporites[17]	Pilosisporites brevipapillosus	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Pteridophyta.
Klukisporites[17][18]	Klukisporites sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Schizaeaceae.
Camptotriletes[17][18]	Camptotriletes anagrammensis Camptotriletes cerebriformis Camptotriletes triangularis	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Marattiaceae.
Matonisporites[17][18]	Matonisporites phlebopteroides	Nida, Curonian Split	Spores	Affinities with the Matoniaceae.
Paleoconiferus[17][18]	Paleoconiferus sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Pinopsida.
Paleopicea[17][18]	Paleopicea sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Pinaceae. Relatively abundant Pinaceae Pollen, appears specially on Kaolinite-abundant strata.
Pseudopicea[17][18]	Pseudopicea sp. sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Pinaceae. Relatively abundant Pinaceae Pollen, appears specially on Kaolinite-abundant strata.
Protopinus[17][18]	Protopinus sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Pinaceae.
Pseudopinus[17][18]	Pseudopinus oblatinoides	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Pinaceae.
Protopodocarpus[17][18]	Protopodocarpus sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Podocarpaceae.
Classopollis[17][18]	Classopollis sp.1 sp. nov. Classopollis sp.2 sp. nov. Classopollis sp.3 sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Pollen	Affinities with the Cheirolepidiaceae.

Plantae

Genus	Species	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Lycopodium[17][18]	Lycopodium sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Stems	Affinities with the Lycopodiaceae inside Lycopodiophyta. Moss, relatively abundant and relates with freshwater strata. Related to humid Floors	Lycopodium
Lygodium[17]	Lygodium compactum	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Lygodiaceae inside Schizaeales. A climbing Fern	Lygodium
Osmunda[17][18]	Osmunda sp sp. nov. Osmunda sp.1 sp. nov. Osmunda sp.2 sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Osmundaceae inside Osmundopsida. Abundant Ferns	Osmunda
Clathropteris[3][12][17][18]	Clathropteris obovata Clathropteris "sp. 1" Clathropteris "sp. 2"	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Dipteridaceae inside Gleicheniales. Large Ferns, commonly found forming large colonies on near water environments. There are the most common flora on the Lava Formation.	Clathropteris
Dictyophyllum[17][18]	Dictyophyllum sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Dipteridaceae inside Gleicheniales.
Phlebopteris[3][12][18]	Phlebopteris cf. smithii	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Matoniaceae inside Gleicheniales.	Phlebopteris
Marattiopsis[17][18]	Marattiopsis scabratus	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Marattiaceae inside Marattiales.
Coniopteris[17][18]	Coniopteris sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Dicksoniaceae inside Cyatheales. Tree Ferns, relatively Abundant
Ginkgo[3][12]	Ginkgo acuta Ginkgo "sp. 1"	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Ginkgoaceae inside Ginkgoales. Large to medium Arboreal trees, common on the Fennoscandinavian realm, but also on the Siberian strata.	Ginkgo
Picea[17][18]	Picea sp sp. nov. Picea sp.1 sp. nov. Picea sp.2 sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Cones	Affinities with the Piceoideae inside Coniferales.	Picea
Pinus[17][18]	Pinus sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Cones	Affinities with the Pinaceae inside Coniferales.	Pinus
Sciadopitys[17][18]	Sciadopitys dalinkeviciusi Sciadopitys speciosus Sciadopitys mesozoicus	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves Cones	Affinities with the Sciadopityaceae inside Coniferales.	Sciadopitys
Podozamites[17][18]	Podozamites sp sp. nov.	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Podocarpaceae inside Coniferales.	Podozamites
Elatocladus[3][12][18]	Elatocladus sp.	Nida, Curonian Split	Leaves	Affinities with the Podocarpaceae inside Coniferales.	Elatocladus

Actinopterygii

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.

Genus	Species	Stratigraphic Position	Material	Notes
Pholidophoridae[3][12][19]	Pholidophoriformes Indeterminate	Nida, Curonian Split	Teeth & Scales	Bony fishes of the family Pholidophoriformes inside Pachycormiformes. Fishes of small size, the most abundant on the strata along the Toarcian European Realm.
Semionotidae[3][12]	Semionotiformes Indeterminate	Nida, Curonian Split	Teeth & Scales	bony fish of the family Semionotiformes
Macrosemiiformes[3][12]	Macrosemiiformes Indeterminate	Nida, Curonian Split	Teeth & Scales	Bony fish of the family Semionotiformes

References

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1. Grigelis, A. (Ed.). 1982: Geology of the Soviet Baltic Republics. 340 pp
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Paškevičius, J. 1997. The geology of the Baltic Republics. Lietuvos geologijos tarnyba, Vilnius, 387
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Venozhinskene,A.I. et al. (1978) Stratigraphy of Upper Triassic, (Rhaetian,), Jurassic, (Pre Middle Callovian), continental deposits of the western part of the southern Baltic area. (In: Phanerozoic Stratigraphy of the Baltic States Paleontological Assemblages, Structure and Composition of Sediments. V.S.Sorokin, editor) [ Stratigrafiya verkhetriasovykh (retskikh) Yurskikh (Dosrednekelloveiskikh) kontinental'nykh otlozhenii Zaladnoi Chasti Yuzhnoi Pribaltiki. (In: Stratigrafiya Fanerozoya Pribaltiki Paleontologicheskie Kompleksy, Stroenie i Sostav Otlotzhenii. V.S. Sorokin, editor) ] Trudy Ministerstvo Geologii SSR,Akademiya Nauk SSR,VNIIMGG P. 127- 138
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