Süntel Formation

The Süntel Formation, previously known as the Kimmeridge Formation (German: “Mittlerer Kimmeridge”; Middle Kimmeridge),[1] is a geological formation in Germany. It is Late Jurassic in age, spanning the early to late Kimmeridgian stage. It predominantly consists of limestone deposited in shallow marine carbonate ramp conditions.[2]

Süntel Formation Stratigraphic range: Kimmeridgian ~155–151 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Süntel Formation at Langenberg quarry
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Sand-Tonkomplex & Unterbank Members
Underlies	Gigas-Schichten & Holzen Formation
Overlies	Korallenoolith Formation
Thickness	Variable, over 60 m (200 ft) at Langenberg Quarry
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Sandstone, claystone, marl
Location
Coordinates	52.3°N 8.8°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	43.4°N 16.9°E
Region	Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen
Country	Germany
Extent	Lower Saxony Basin
Type section
Named for	Süntel
Location	Lower Saxon Hills
Region	Niedersachsen
Süntel Formation (Germany)

Description

Map of the Lower Saxon Hills with Süntel center-right

The formation is part of the Lower Saxony Basin that borders the Süntel massif of the Lower Saxon Hills, part of the larger Harz Mountains. The formation is described as alternations of glauconitic marl, limestone and sandstone.[3]

Paleontological significance

The formation is known for its fossils, with the Langenberg Quarry having provided fossils of numerous vertebrates.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Europasaurus	E. holgeri	Langenberg Quarry	Bed 83	Disarticulated remains representing numerous individuals	Sauropod dinosaur
Allosauroidea[4]	Indeterminate			DfMMh/FV1/19, small pedal ungual, cf. DfMMh/FV/343, small pedal phalanx
cf. Ceratosauria[4]				DfMMh/FV/776, anterior chevron
cf. Megalosauroidea[4]				DfMMh/FV/287, left fibula
cf. Tetanurae[4]				DfMMh/FV/105, distal caudal vertebra
Theropoda[4]				DfMMh/FV2/19, a small pedal phalanx III-1, DfMMh/FV3/19, proximal part of a small right fibula
Theropoda		Hannover: Lindener Berg, Tönniesberg, and Ahlem, Thüste, Marienhagen, Holzen, Kahlberg and Langenberg Quarry		18 distinct morphotypes of teeth, referred to "Tyrannosauroidea, as well as Allosauroidea, Megalosauroidea cf. Marshosaurus, Megalosauridae cf. Torvosaurus and probably Ceratosauria"[5]

Turtles

Turtles of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Plesiochelys[4]	Indeterminate	Langenberg Quarry
cf. Thalassemys	Indeterminate			DFMMh/FV 296, "skull part (articulated quadrate, squamosal, basisphenoid, and pterygoid), a disarticulated 40 cm long partial carapace, plastron, and one cervical vertebra."[6]
Eucryptodira	Indeterminate		Bed 73	Juvenile carapace with disarticulated skull and right forelimb[7]

Squamates

Squamates of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Paramacellodidae	Indeterminate	Langenberg Quarry		Partial skeleton[8]

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
?Dsungaripteridae	Indeterminate	Langenberg Quarry		DFMMh/FV 500, an articulated partial skeleton consisting of "10 thoracic vertebrae, complete pelvis and sacrum, left and right femur" with an associated possible partial right tibia.[9]

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Knoetschkesuchus[10]	K. langenbergensis	Langenberg Quarry	Bed 83	two partial skeletons and various isolated bones	Atoposaurid
Machimosaurus[11]	M. hugii
Steneosaurus	S. brevirostris[12]			Rostrum, jaw and postcranial remains
Goniopholis[11]	G. simus

Mammaliaforms

Mammaliaforms of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Cimbriodon [13]	C. multituberculatus	Langenberg Quarry	Bed 83	upper and lower p3,p4 and p5 molars	Paulchoffatiidae
Teutonodon[14]	T. langenbergensis			NLMH 105650, upper right M1	Pinheirodontid[13]
Storchodon[15]	S. cingulatus			MH 105654, a right upper molar	A large morganucodont
Paulchoffatiidae[13]	Indeterminate			NLMH 105655, left p4, NLMH 105651; m1	NLMH 105651 considered an Eobataarid by Martin et al 2016, considered a Paulchoffatiid by Martin et al 2019
Docodonta[15]	Indeterminate
Dryolestida[15]	Indeterminate

Ichnofossils

Ichnofossils of the Süntel Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Megalosauripus[16]	M. teutonicus	Bruns quarry tracksite	Sand-Tonkomplex Member
Elephantopoides[16]	E. sp.
		Strömer quarry tracksite
Grallator (Eubrontes)[16]	Grallator (Eubrontes) sp.
Iguanodontipus[16]	?Iguanodontipus sp.

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany

References

1. Lallensack et al., 2015, p.4
2. Zuo F, Heimhofer U, Huck S, Luppold FW, Wings O, Erbacher J (January 2018). "Sedimentology and depositional sequences of a Kimmeridgian carbonate ramp system, Lower Saxony Basin, Northern Germany". Facies. 64 (1): 1. doi:10.1007/s10347-017-0513-0. ISSN 0172-9179.
3. Bai et al., 2017
4. Evers SW, Wings O (2020-02-06). "Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur bones from the Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) provide evidence for several theropod lineages in the central European archipelago". PeerJ. 8: e8437. doi:10.7717/peerj.8437. PMID 32071804.
5. Gerke, Oliver; Wings, Oliver (2016-07-06). Lötters, Stefan (ed.). "Multivariate and Cladistic Analyses of Isolated Teeth Reveal Sympatry of Theropod Dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic of Northern Germany". PLOS One. 11 (7): e0158334. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158334. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4934775. PMID 27383054.
6. Marinheiro J, Mateus O (2011). Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. p. 151.
7. Jansen M, Klein N (July 2014). Angielczyk K (ed.). "A juvenile turtle (Testudines, Eucryptodira) from the Upper Jurassic of Langenberg Quarry, Oker, Northern Germany". Palaeontology. 57 (4): 743–756. doi:10.1111/pala.12085.
8. Richter A, Knötschke N, Kosma R, Sobral G, Wings O (October 2013). "The first Mesozoic lizard from northern Germany (Paramacellodidae, Late Jurassic, Langenberg Quarry) and its taphonomy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Program and Abstracts): 198.
9. Fastnacht M (2005). "The first dsungaripterid pterosaur from the Kimmeridgian of Germany and the biomechanics of pterosaur long bones". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 50: 273–288.
10. Schwarz D, Raddatz M, Wings O (2017-02-15). Claessens L (ed.). "Knoetschkesuchus langenbergensis gen. nov. sp. nov., a new atoposaurid crocodyliform from the Upper Jurassic Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany), and its relationships to Theriosuchus". PLOS One. 12 (2): e0160617. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160617. PMC 5310792. PMID 28199316.
11. Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Schwarz D, Knötschke N (2006). "The Late Jurassic crocodiles of the Langenberg near Oker, Lower Saxony (Germany), and description of related materials (with remarks on the history of quarrying the "Langenberg Limestone" and "Obernkirchen Sandstone")". Clausthaler Geowissenschaften. 5: 59–77.
12. Karl HV, Gröning E, Brauckmann C, Knötschke N (2008). "First remains of the head of Steneosaurus (crocodylomorpha: teleosauridae) from the Late Jurassic of Oker (Lower Saxony, Germany)". Studia Geologica Salmanticensia. 44 (2): 187–201.
13. Martin T, Averianov AO, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-08-07). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology: 1–14. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274.
14. Martin TH, Schultz JA, Schwermann AH, Wings OL (2016). "First Jurassic mammals of Germany: Multituberculate teeth from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony)". Palaeontologia Polonica. 67: 171–9. doi:10.4202/pp.2016.67_171.
15. Martin T, Averianov AO, Jäger KR, Schwermann AH, Wings O (2019-12-01). "A Large Morganucodontan Mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic of Germany". Fossil Imprint. 75 (3–4): 504–509. doi:10.2478/if-2019-0030. ISSN 2533-4069.
16. Diedrich, 2011

Bibliography

• Bai, Hua-Qing; Christian Betzler; Jochen Erbacher; Jesús Reolid, and Fanfan Zuo. 2017. Sequence stratigraphy of Upper Jurassic deposits in the North German Basin (Lower Saxony, Süntel Mountains). Facies 63. .. Accessed 2020-09-07.
• Lallensack, Jens N.; P. Martin Sander; Nils Knötschke, and Oliver Wings. 2015. Dinosaur tracks from the Langenberg Quarry (Late Jurassic, Germany) reconstructed with historical photogrammetry: Evidence for large theropods soon after insular dwarfism. Palaeontologia Electronica 18. 1–34. Accessed 2020-09-07.
• Diedrich, C. 2011. Upper Jurassic tidal flat megatracksites of Germany - coastal dinosaur migration highways between European islands, and a review of the dinosaur footprints. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 91. 129–155.