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Greater Levantine Formation: Difference between revisions
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Though many of the Greater Levantine Formation fossils are fragmentary, they are sufficient to provide a good picture of the flora and fauna in the Levantine Basin during the Late Jurassic period. Overall, the climate was dry, similar to a savanna but, since there were no angiosperms (grasses, flowers, and some trees), the flora was quite different. Conifers, the dominant plants of the time, were to be found with ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, and horsetail rushes. Much of the fossilized vegetation was riparian, living along the river flood plains. Along the rivers, there were fish, frogs, salamanders, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, pterosaurs, crayfish, clams, and mammaliforms. | Though many of the Greater Levantine Formation fossils are fragmentary, they are sufficient to provide a good picture of the flora and fauna in the Levantine Basin during the Late Jurassic period. Overall, the climate was dry, similar to a savanna but, since there were no angiosperms (grasses, flowers, and some trees), the flora was quite different. Conifers, the dominant plants of the time, were to be found with ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, and horsetail rushes. Much of the fossilized vegetation was riparian, living along the river flood plains. Along the rivers, there were fish, frogs, salamanders, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, pterosaurs, crayfish, clams, and mammaliforms. | ||
The dinosaurs were most likely riparian as well. Hundreds of dinosaur fossils have been discovered, such as ''[[Joanusaurus]]'', ''[[Vollardisaurus]]'', ''[[ | The dinosaurs were most likely riparian as well. Hundreds of dinosaur fossils have been discovered, such as ''[[Joanusaurus]]'', ''[[Vollardisaurus]]'', ''[[Makrylaimis]]'', ''[[Ionitops]]'', several stegosaurs comprising at least two species of ''Stegosaurus'' and the early testudosaurs, ''[[Aescaractapelta]]'' and ''[[Conchobarsaurus]]'', most notably a very broad range of sauropods (the giants of the Mesozoic era). Since at least some of these species are known to have nested in the area (''Joanusaurus'' embryoes have been discovered), there are indications that it was a good environment for dinosaurs and not just home to migratory, seasonal populations. However, the large body mass of the sauropods has been interpreted as an adaptation to migration in times of drought. | ||
===Sites=== | ===Sites=== | ||
Locations where significant Greater Levantine Formation fossil discoveries have been made include: | Locations where significant Greater Levantine Formation fossil discoveries have been made include: | ||
====Anglei==== | ====Anglei==== | ||
* Dungville Basin: First excavated in 1924 with the purpose of finding sauropods from the Greater Levantine Formation for public display. Several specimens of ''[[ | * Dungville Basin: First excavated in 1924 with the purpose of finding sauropods from the Greater Levantine Formation for public display. Several specimens of ''[[Makrylaimis]]'' as well as partial specimens of ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' have been excavated in the Dungville Basin. | ||
====Carna==== | ====Carna==== | ||
* [[Great Lime Quarry]]: First excavated by geologists from the [[University of Dunaird]] in the late 1920s. [[Jour & Leon]] led an expedition in 1931 which discovered that, during the Jurassic, the quarry was a mudhole where several enormous sauropods got stuck and apparently caused a feeding frenzy that lured and trapped many carnivorous dinosaurs. Most specimens of the ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' subspecies ''J. carnae'' are from this site, as well as the unique ''[[Dunairdsaurus]]'' and ''[[Ligmaceratops]]''. | * [[Great Lime Quarry]]: First excavated by geologists from the [[University of Dunaird]] in the late 1920s. [[Jour & Leon]] led an expedition in 1931 which discovered that, during the Jurassic, the quarry was a mudhole where several enormous sauropods got stuck and apparently caused a feeding frenzy that lured and trapped many carnivorous dinosaurs. Most specimens of the ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' subspecies ''J. carnae'' are from this site, as well as the unique ''[[Dunairdsaurus]]'' and ''[[Ligmaceratops]]''. | ||
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====Yonderre==== | ====Yonderre==== | ||
* [[Pas-en-Fair Quarry]]: A former sandstone quarry in [[Donne]] from which three partial ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' specimens have been recovered as well as numerous crocodillians, mammals and fossilized plant matter. | * [[Pas-en-Fair Quarry]]: A former sandstone quarry in [[Donne]] from which three partial ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' specimens have been recovered as well as numerous crocodillians, mammals and fossilized plant matter. | ||
* [[Vollardic Mountains]]: Since they were first excavated in the 1860s the numerous quarries and mines in [[Vollardie]] have yielded great numbers of fossilized dinosaurs including the eponymous ''[[Vollardisaurus]]'', ''[[Joanusaurus]]'', ''[[ | * [[Vollardic Mountains]]: Since they were first excavated in the 1860s the numerous quarries and mines in [[Vollardie]] have yielded great numbers of fossilized dinosaurs including the eponymous ''[[Vollardisaurus]]'', ''[[Joanusaurus]]'', ''[[Makrylaimis]]'', ''[[Aescaractapelta]]'' and more. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||