Kimmeridge Clay

The Kimmeridge Clay is a sedimentary deposit of fossiliferous marine clay which is of Late Jurassic to lowermost Cretaceous age and occurs in southern and eastern England and in the North Sea. This rock formation is the major source rock for North Sea oil. The fossil fauna of the Kimmeridge Clay includes turtles, crocodiles, sauropods, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, as well as a number of invertebrate species. ThrissopsIndeterminateDorsetMost common Kimmeridge clay fish, known from several complete specimensHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesPachythrissopsIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesAllothrissopsIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesChondrosteiIndeterminateDorsetOne specimen, a finHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesLepidotesIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve Etches GyrodusIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesCaturusIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesAspidorhynchusIndeterminateDorsetHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesHypsocormusH.tenuirostrisDorsetRareHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesPachycormusIndeterminateDorsetRareHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesEurycormusIndeterminateDorsetRare, one complete specimenHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesLeptolepidaeIndeterminateDorsetFairly common, multiple near complete specimens.Housed at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesHolophagusIndeterminateDorsetOne specimen, cranial materialHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve Etches. More than 2 metres longCoelacanthusIndeterminateDorsetOne specimen, a portion of the headHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesAsteracanthusIndeterminateDorsetKnown from many dorsal spinesHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesChimaeraIndeterminateDorsetKnown from many dorsal spinesHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesHybodusIndeterminateDorsetKnown from many dorsal spines, perhaps a complete headHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesIschyodusIndeterminateDorsetOne specimenHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesRhinobatidaeIndeterminateDorsetKnown from a complete specimen, and other isolated remainsHoused at the etches collection, discovered by Steve EtchesBathysuchusB. megarhinusA pelagic teleosaurid.CricosaurusC. gracilisA metriorhynchine metriorhynchidDakosaurusD. maximusA geosaurine metriorhynchidMetriorhynchusM. geoffreyiA metriorhynchine metriorhynchidPlesiosuchusP. manseliA geosaurine metriorhynchidTorvoneustes T. carpenteriA geosaurine metriorhynchidT. coryphaeusA geosaurine metriorhynchidCumnoriaC. prestwichii'Fragmentary skull and skeleton.'DacentrurusD. armatusWiltshire remains include specimens previously referred to Omosaurus armatus and O. hastiger.OrnithopodaIndeterminateKimmeridge clay remains considered to represent a possible close relative of Bugenasaura are now regarded as the remains of an indeterminate euornithopod.(The specimen may have had its locality and horizon mislabelled.)OmosaurusO.armatusO. hastigerBothriospondylusB. suffosus' dorsal and sacral centra.'CetiosaurusC. humerocristatusNow Duriatitan.IndeterminateRemains previously referred to an indeterminate species of Cetiosaurus are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.DuriatitanD. humerocristatusHumerusA titanosauriformGigantosaurusG. megalonyxRemains previously referred to Gigantosaurus megalonyx are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.IschyrosaurusI. manseli'Humerus.'Remains previously referred to Ischyrosaurus manseli are now regarded as indeterminate sauropod material.JuratyrantJ. langhamiPartial skeletonA primitive tyrannosaurTheropodaIndeterminateRemains previously referred to Megalosaurus are now regarded as indeterminate theropod material.SauropodaIndeterminateRemains previously attributed to one or more indeterminate species of Ornithopsis (incl. O. leedsii) are now regarded as possible indeterminate sauropod material.DorsetRhamphorhynchusR.etchesiDorsetGermanodactylusindeterminateDorsetBathyspondylusB. swindoniensisPlesiosaur of unknown affinitiesColymbosaurusC. megadeirusA cryptoclididC. trochantericusNomen dubiumKimmerosaurusK. langhamiA cryptoclididPlesiosaurus'P.' manseliDistinct from Colymbosaurus.PliosaurusP. brachydeirusA thalassophonean pliosauridP. carpenteriA thalassophonean pliosauridP. kevaniA thalassophonean pliosauridP. portentificusA thalassophonean pliosauridP. ?rossicusA thalassophonean pliosaurid; taxonomic identification of specimens tentativeP. westburyensisA thalassophonean pliosauridP. sp. 1Partial skeleton, CAMSM J.35991A thalassophonean pliosaurid; previously assigned to the nomen dubium P. brachyspondylusP. sp. 2Mandible, NHMUK PV OR 39362A thalassophonean pliosaurid; previously assigned to the nomen dubium P. macromerusSpitrasaurusIndeterminateBrachypterygiusB.extremusDorsetGrendeliusG.mordaxDorsetIchthyosauridaeIndeterminateDorsetGiant, near complete specimen. Proposed to have been 6 metres long when complete. Housed at the Etches collection in dorset. MacropterygiusM.trigonusDorsetNomen dubium - classified by a single vertebraNannopterygiusN.enthekiodonDorsetOphthalmosaurusIndeterminateDorset The Kimmeridge Clay is a sedimentary deposit of fossiliferous marine clay which is of Late Jurassic to lowermost Cretaceous age and occurs in southern and eastern England and in the North Sea. This rock formation is the major source rock for North Sea oil. The fossil fauna of the Kimmeridge Clay includes turtles, crocodiles, sauropods, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs, as well as a number of invertebrate species. Kimmeridge Clay is named after the village of Kimmeridge on the Dorset coast of England, where it is well exposed and forms part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Onshore it outcrops across England, in a band stretching from Dorset in the south-west, north-east to North Yorkshire. Offshore it is found throughout the Southern, Central and Northern North Sea. The foundations of the Humber Bridge on the southern (Barton) side of the bridge are on Kimmeridge Clay beneath superficial deposits, under the Humber estuary. Kimmeridge Clay is of great economic importance, being the major source rock for oil fields in the North Sea hydrocarbon province. It has distinctive physical properties and log responses. A Kimmeridge Oil Shale Project (KOSP) has been pursued by the UK based oil and shale gas exploration company Cuadrilla Resources.:6 Fauna uncovered from the Kimmeridge Clay include: Indeterminate nodosaurid remains have been found in Wiltshire, England. Indeterminate stegosaurid remains have been found in Dorset and Wiltshire, England. Indeterminate ornithomimmid remains have been found in Dorset, England. An undescribed theropod genus was found in Dorset.