The Fleming Fjord Formation, alternatively called the Fleming Fjord Group is an Upper Triassic geological formation in the northeastern coast of Jameson Land, Greenland. It consists of terrestrial sediments and is known for its fossil content.
Description It is of Norian to Rhaetian age and is subdivided into three members; at the base the Edderfugledal Member, followed by the Malmros Klint Member with the Ørsted Dal Member at the top. It was deposited in a large shallow to ephemeral lake.
Paleobiota The fauna of Fleming Fjord is diverse, including sauropodomorph dinosaurs, pterosaurs, temnospondyls, mammaliaforms, aetosaurs, and other taxa. Freshwater unionid bivalves and conchostracans have been reported from the Malmros Klint Member.
Fish Lungfish, actinopterygian, and chondrichthyan teeth have been reported from the Malmros Klint Member. Fish of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesCeratodusC. tunuensisØrsted Dal MemberA lungfish, possibly synonymous with Ptychoceratodus rectangulusFerganoceratodusF. rectangulusØrsted Dal MemberA lungfishLissodusL. lepagei, L. cf. L. minimusCarlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA hybodont sharkRhomphaiodon IndeterminateCarlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA synechodontiform sharkSaurichthys Indeterminate Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA saurichthyiform ray-finned fishGyrolepis Indeterminate Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA primitive "palaeoniscoid" ray-finned fish
Amphibians Amphibians of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesCyclotosaurusC. naraserlukiØrsted Dal MemberA capitosaurian temnospondylGerrothoraxG. cf. pulcherrimusMalmros Klint Member, and Ørsted Dal MemberA plagiosaurid temnospondylSalientia indet.Ørsted Dal MemberA potential stem-group anuran (frog)
Archosaurs Besides the forms described below, a diverse ichnofauna of small and large tracks has also been reported from the Malmros Klint Member, as well as coprolites and additional theropod, pterosaur, and turtle fossils.
Avemetatarsalia Avemetatarsalians of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesArcticodactylusA. cromptonellus Carlsberg Fjord BedsØrsted Dal Member Specimens consist of a partial skeleton with a skullA eudimorphodontid pterosaur Eosauropus E. sp. Ørsted Dal Member Large (>40 cm per footprint) quadrupedal tracks, likely produced by an early sauropod related to Eusauropoda Evazoum E. sp. Ørsted Dal Member Large (~36 cm per footprint) bipedal tracks, likely produced by a plateosaurian sauropodomorph. By far the largest prints assigned to this ichnogenus Grallator G. sp. Malmros Klint Member, Ørsted Dal Member Small bipedal tracks, likely produced by theropodsIssiI. saaneq Iron Cake SiteMalmros Klint Member Specimens consists of juvenile skull, and partial skeletonsA plateosaurid sauropodomorph closely related to (and previously referred to) PlateosaurusPlateosauridae indet.Malmros Klint Member, Ørsted Dal MemberUndescribed fossils of plateosaurid sauropodomorphs, including complete skeletons. Plateosaurid skull material has been named as the species Issi saaneq
Pseudosuchians Pseudosuchians of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesAetosaurusA. ferratusØrsted Dal MemberA small aetosaur cf. Brachychirotherium B. cf. sp. Ørsted Dal Member Footprints Small quadrupedal tracks, likely produced by small or juvenile pseudosuchiansParatypothoraxP. andressorumØrsted Dal Member? An osteodermA moderate-sized paratypothoracin aetosaurMystriosuchusM. alleroqMalmros Klint Mb, Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA parasuchid phytosaurPhytosauria indet.Malmros Klint MemberIndeterminate phytosaur fossils, including adult and juvenile specimens
Other archosaurs Other archosaurs of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesClevosauridae C. sp Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA rhynchocephalian reptile. Closely resembles Clevosaurus.DoswelliidaeIndeterminate Carlsberg Fjord Mb of Ørsted Dal FmA proterochampsian archosauriform
Pantestudines Pantestudines of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesCryptochersisC. paraxene Stairmaster Quarry Ørsted Dal Member Left part of the posterior plastral lobe A proterochersidcf. ProganochelysP. cf. sp.Ørsted Dal MemberTurtle fossils possibly referrable to ProganochelysTestudinata indet.Malmros Klint Member?, Ørsted Dal MemberIndeterminate testudinatan (turtle) fossilsYpomonetikochelysY. euryaspis Ørsted Dal Member A partial shell, associated appendicular elements and incomplete tail bones A proganochelyid
Synapsids Synapsids of the Fleming Fjord FormationGenus / TaxonSpeciesLocalityMemberMaterialsNotesImagesBrachyzostrodonB. cf. sp.Ørsted Dal MemberA morganucodont mammaliaformHaramiyaviaH. clemmenseniØrsted Dal MemberA haramiyid mammaliaformKalaallitkigunK. jenkinsiØrsted Dal MemberA haramiyid mammaliaformKuehneotheriumK. sp.Ørsted Dal MemberA kuehneotheriid mammaliaformMitredonM. cromptoniØrsted Dal MemberA probainognathian cynodont with uncertain affinities
See also List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Greenland
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