The Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation is a geological formation in Belgium. It is found in localised areas of the northern margin of the Mons Basin, alongside the equivalently aged Hautrage and Baudour Clay Formations. It is Upper Barremian-Lower Aptian in age. It predominantly consists of laminated clay, with some lignite. It is well known for the "Iguanodon sinkhole" locality near Bernissart where many specimens of Iguanodon bernissartensis were described by Louis Dollo in the late 19th century.
Geologic context The Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation are part of the stratigraphy of the Mons Basin, a Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary basin in western Belgium. The subsidence of the basin floor is caused by the dissolution of anhydrite in the Carboniferous basement. Wealden facies are the oldest units within the basin, and are only found on the northern margin of the basin, being absent from the central and southern parts of the basin. Localised areas of significant subsidence, referred to as "sinkholes" are observed. The Wealden facies are overlain by "mixed siliciclastic–carbonate formations" called Meules dating to the Albian.
Fossil content Tetrapods Tetrapods of the Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images Anteophthalmosuchus A. epikrator Bernissart "Two ... fully articulated skeletons, one missing the skull and mandible." Goniopholidid crocodyliform Bernissartia B. fagesii IRSNB R46, mostly complete skeleton Bernissartiid crocodyliform Chitracephalus C. dumonii Carapace with preserved limbs Cryptodiran turtle Iguanodon I. bernissartensis Multiple skeletons Iguanodontian dinosaur Mantellisaurus M. atherfieldensis IRSNB 1551, single mostly complete skeleton Iguanodontian dinosaur, formerly considered holotype of "Dollodon bampingi" Hylaeobatrachus H. croyii Slab and counterslab of a complete skeleton Salamander Peltochelys P. duchastelii Shell fragments Paracryptodire, probable close relative of Compsemys Theropoda Indeterminate Phalanx
Fish Fish of the Sainte-Barbe Clays Formation Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images Aethalionopsis A. robustus Bernissart Formerly referred to Anaethalion Amiopsis A. dolloi Barbalepis B. macroptera Coccolepid fish, formerly referred to Coccolepis Pleuropholis P. germinalisPleuropholid fish Callopterus C. insignis Genus is later considered as nomen nudum and Ainia is used for Jurassic species, but validity of this species is not discussed Pattersonella P. formosa Formerly referred to Leptolepis Scheenstia S. bernissartensis Multiple specimens Previously referred to Lepidotes, L. brevifulcratus is a junior synonym. Turbomesodon T. bernissartensis Multiple specimens Previously referred to Mesodon and Macromesodon.
Other fish
Leptolepis attenuatus L. brevis Notagogus parvus Nybelinoides brevis Ophiopsiella dorsalisDupont, 1892 Ophiopsis penicillatusdu Pauw, 1902 Arratiaelops vectensis Pholidophorus obesus Scheenstia mantelli Belonostomus sp. Caturus sp. Pholidophorus sp. Polypsephis sp. Typodus sp.
Insects The Tettigarctid cicada Hylaeoneura lignei is known from the formation.Lameere & Severin, 1897
Parasites
Ascarites gerusPoinar & Boucot, 2006 A. priscus Digenites proterus Entamoebites antiquus
Flora
Alethopteris elegans Cladophlebis dunkeri Conites minuta Laccopteris dunkeri Leckenbya valdensis Matonidium goepperti Onychiopsis mantelli Pecopteris conybeari P. polymorpha Pinites solmsi Polypodites mantelli Ruffordia goepperti Sagenopteris mantelli Sphenopteris delicatissima S. fittoni S. roemeri Stellatopollis hughesiiYans et al., 2006 Weichselia mantelli Adiantites sp. Equisetites sp. Gleichenia sp.Woodward, 1885 Gleichenites sp. Hausmannia (Protorhipis) Lycopodites sp. cf. Taeniopteris sp.
Ichnofossils Algites sp.Quinet, 1969
See also List of dinosaur bearing rock formations List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Belgium
References
Bibliography
Further reading P.-J. Van Beneden. 1878. Sur la découverte de reptiles fossiles gigantesques dans le charbonnage de Bernissart près de Péruwelz [On the discovery of gigantic fossil reptiles in the Bernissart coal mine near Péruwelz]. Bulletin de l'Academie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, série 2 45:578-579