Benton, M.J., Cook, E. and Hooker, J.J. 2005. Mesozoic and Tertiary Fossil Mammals and Birds of Great Britain. Geological Conservation Review Series No. 32, JNCC, Peterborough. The original source material for these web pages has been made available by the JNCC under the Open Government Licence 3.0. Full details in the JNCC Open Data Policy

Early Cretaceous mammal sites

Early Cretaceous mammals are known from rich faunas at the very beginning of the period (Berriasian Stage) in the Purbeck Limestone Group and from poorer but globally important sites in Wealden strata of Valanginian and Barremian ages. Those from the Purbeck Limestone Group are listed below.

Purbeck Limestone Group mammal sites

DORSET: Durlston Bay [SZ 035 772]–[SZ 039 786]; diverse mammalian fauna, including triconodonts, docodonts, multituberculates, symmetrodonts and 'eupantotheres'; Lulworth Formation; Clemens et al., 1979); see GCR site report below. Sunnydown Farm [SY 9822 7880] and sites in the surrounding area ([SZ 020 777], [SY 980 790]; Peraiocynodon, Gerhardodon purbeckensis, Sunnyodon notleyi, Bolodon osborni, Bolodon minor, Albionbaatar denisae, Dorsetodon haysomi, Chunnelodon alopekodes, Peramus, Amblotherium, ?Peraspalax, Phascolestes, Magnimus ensomi, Thereuodon taraktes, Spalacotherium evansae and Tinodon micron; Cherry Freshwater Member, Lulworth Formation; Ensom et al., 1994; Sigogneau-Russell, 1999; Sigogneau-Russell and Ensom, 1994, 1998; McGowan and Ensom, 1997; Ensom and Sigogneau-Russell, 1998, 2000). Acton, small quarry ([SY 990 778]; Tribactonodon bonfieldi; Intermarine Member, Durlston Formation; Sigogneau-Russell et al., 2001).

WILTSHIRE: Town Gardens Quarry Swindon ([SU 152 835]; Plagiaulax, Spalacotherium and other mammals; may be contemporaneous with Dorset sites; Clemens et al., 1979; Hudleston, 1876).

One Purbeck mammal locality has been selected as a GCR for its mammals: Durlston Bay, Swanage, Dorset.

References