The formation was deposited in an ancient lake, with hydrothermal influences, thanks to the relationships with the Kirckpatrick Basalt.[4] Sedimentary interbeds deposited over lava flows of the Kirkpatrick Basalt during the Early Jurassic splitting of Gondwana represent unusual freshwater paleoenvironments, with hotter conditions that allow to the diversification of the microbes (Archea).[5][6]
According to Barrett, "...the basalt-dominated Mawson Formation and tholeiitic flows (Kirkpatrick Basalt)...are included in the Ferrar Group." The Mawson Formation consists of diamictites, explosion breccias, and lahar flows, evidence of magma entering water-saturated sediments. The Kirkpatrick Basalts (180 Ma) have interbedded lake sediments with plant and fish fossils.[7][8]
Fossil content
There abundant Fossils of microorganisms, as members of the group Archea and other who take advantage of the hydrothermal activity[5][6][9]
Spinicaudata
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Carapacestheria
C. disgregaris
Carapace Nunatak
Carapaces
Related to the modern Cyzicus mexicanus[5][6]
Fish
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Oreochima
O. ellioti
Carapace Nunatak
Various specimens
An archaeomaenid[10]
Insects
Fossil insect wings not described to the genus level are known from the formation.[11]
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Caraphlebia
C. antartica
Carapace Nunatak
wings
A dragonfly[12]
Uralonympha
U. sehopfi
Carapace Nunatak
A nearly complete specimen
A stonefly nymph[12]
Coleoptera
Indeterminate
Carapace Nunatak
Wing
Unnamed and non compared[13]
Ostracoda
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Darwinula
Darwinula sp.
Carapace Nunatak
Valves
Common Early Jurassic ostracod[5][6]
Fungi
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Wood-decay fungus
Indeterminate
Carapace Nunatak
Wood affected by pathogenic fungi
Infestation traces and fungal parasitic interaction on several plants[14]
Plants
One of the best preserved fossil flora of the Antarctic.[15][16] Spores are Know[17]
Genus
Species
Location
Stratigraphic position
Material
Notes
Nothodacrium
N. warreni
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
A member of the family Podocarpaceae[18]
Masculostrobus
M. warrenii
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
A member of the family Podocarpaceae[18]
Brachyphyllum
Indeterminate
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
A member of the Coniferales[18]
Classostrobus
C. elliotii
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
A member of the Cheirolepidiaceae[19]
Chimaerostrobus
C. minutus
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
An indeterminate conifer pollen cone[clarification needed][20]
Polyphacelus
P. stormensis
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
Fern petioles[clarification needed][21]
Zamites
Indeterminate
Carapace Nunatak
Specimens
Spermatophyta incertae sedis[5][6]
See also
List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Antarctica
Shafer Peak Formation
Hanson Formation
Shackleton Formation
South Polar region of the Cretaceous
Toarcian turnover
Toarcian formations
Marne di Monte Serrone, Italy
Calcare di Sogno, Italy
Sachrang Formation, Austria
Posidonia Shale, Lagerstätte in Germany
Ciechocinek Formation, Germany and Poland
Krempachy Marl Formation, Poland and Slovakia
Lava Formation, Lithuania
Azilal Group, North Africa
Whitby Mudstone, England
Fernie Formation, Alberta and British Columbia
Poker Chip Shale
Whiteaves Formation, British Columbia
Navajo Sandstone, Utah
Los Molles Formation, Argentina
Kandreho Formation, Madagascar
Kota Formation, India
Cattamarra Coal Measures, Australia
References
^Ballance et al., 1971
^Burgess et al., 2015
^Elliot, 2013
^Bradshaw, 1987
^ a b c d eBabcock et al., 2006
^ a b c d eStigall et al., 2008
^Barrett, P.J. (1991). Tingey, Robert (ed.). The Devonian to Jurassic Beacon Supergroup of the Transantarctic Mountains and correlatives in other parts of Antarctica, in The Geology of Antarctica. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 122–123, 129, 145. ISBN 0198544677.
^Tingey, R.J. (1991). Tingey, Robert (ed.). Mesozoic tholeiitic igneous rocks in Antarctica: the Ferrar (Super) Group and related rocks, in The Geology of Antarctica. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 159–160. ISBN 0198544677.
^Norris, 1965
^Schaeffer, 1972
^Bomfleur et al., 2011
^ a bCarpenter, 1969
^Tasch, 1973
^Harper et al., 2012
^Bomfleur et al., 2007
^Gair et al., 1965
^Ribecai, C. (2007). Early jurassic miospores from ferrar group of carapace nunatak, south victoria Land, Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 144(1-2), 3-12.
^ a b cTownrow, 1967
^Hieger et al., 2015
^Atkinson et al., 2018
^Yao et al., 1991
Bibliography
Atkinson, B. A., Serbet, R., Hieger, T. J., & Taylor, E. L. (2018). Additional evidence for the Mesozoic diversification of conifers: Pollen cone of Chimaerostrobus minutus gen. et sp. nov.(Coniferales), from the Lower Jurassic of Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 257, 77-84
S.D. Burgess, S.A. Bowring, T.H. Fleming, D.H. Elliot High-precision geochronology links the Ferrar large igneous province with early Jurassic ocean anoxia and biotic crisis Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 415 (2015), pp. 90-99
Hieger, T. J., Serbet, R., Harper, C. J., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L., & Gulbranson, E. L. (2015). Cheirolepidiaceous diversity: An anatomically preserved pollen cone from the Lower Jurassic of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Review of palaeobotany and palynology, 220, 78-87
D.H. Elliot The geological and tectonic evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains: a review Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Publ., 381 (2013), pp. 7-35
Harper, C. J., Bomfleur, B., Decombeix, A. L., Taylor, E. L., Taylor, T. N., & Krings, M. (2012). Tylosis formation and fungal interactions in an Early Jurassic conifer from northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 175, 25-31
Bomfleur, B., Schneider, J. W., Schöner, R., Viereck-Götte, L., & Kerp, H. (2011). Fossil sites in the continental Victoria and Ferrar groups (Triassic-Jurassic) of north Victoria Land, Antarctica. Polarforschung, 80(2), 88-99
Stigall, A. L., Babcock, L. E., Briggs, D. E. G., & Leslie, S. A. (2008). Taphonomy of Lacustrine Interbeds in the Kirkpatrick Basalt (Jurassic), Antarctica. PALAIOS, 23(6), 344–355. doi:10.2110/palo.2007.p07-029r
Bomfleur, B., Schneider, J., Schöner, R., Viereck-Götte, L., Kerp, H., Cooper, A. K., & Raymond, C. R. (2007, August). Exceptionally well-preserved Triassic and Early Jurassic floras from North Victoria Land, Antarctica. In Antarctica: a keystone in a changing world. Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, US Geol. Surv., OF-2007-1047, extend. abstr (Vol. 34)
Babcock LE, Leslie SA, Elliot DH, Stigall AL, et al. 2006. The “Preservation Paradox”: microbes as a key to exceptional fossil preservation in the Kirkpatrick Basalt (Jurassic), Antarctica. The Sedimentary Record 4: 4–8
Yao, X., Taylor, T. N., & Taylor, E. L. (1991). Silicified dipterid ferns from the Jurassic of Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 67(3-4), 353-362
P. Tasch. 1973. Jurassic beetle from southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. 47:590-592
M.A. Bradshaw Additional field interpretation of the Jurassic sequence at Carapace Nunatak and Coombs Hills, south Victoria Land Antarctica N. Z. J. Geol. Geophys., 30 (1987), pp. 37-49
Schaeffer, Bobb. "A Jurassic Fish from Antarctica". American Museum of Natural History, 1972
P.F. Ballance, W.A. Watters The Mawson Diamictite and the Carapace Sandstone, formations of the Ferrar Group at Allan Hills and Carapace Nunatak, Victoria Land, Antarctica N. Z. J. Geol. Geophys., 14 (1971), pp. 512-527
F. M. Carpenter. 1969. Fossil insects from Antarctica 76: 418–425
J. A. Townrow. 1967. Fossil plants from Allan and Carapace Nunataks, and from the Upper Mill and Shackleton Glaciers, Antarctica. 10(2):456-473 ISBN 0-520-24209-2
Gair, H. S., Norris, G., & Ricker, J. (1965). Early mesozoic microfloras from Antarctica. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 8(2), 231-235
Norris, G. (1965). Triassic and Jurassic miospores and acritarchs from the Beacon and Ferrar groups, Victoria Land, Antarctica. New Zealand journal of geology and geophysics, 8(2), 236-277
Categories:
Geologic formations of Antarctica
Jurassic System of Antarctica
Pliensbachian Stage
Toarcian Stage
Mudstone formations
Tuff formations
Lacustrine deposits
Paleontology in Antarctica
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Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2019