Frænkelryggen Formation
The Frænkelryggen Formation is a geologic formation in Svalbard, Norway. The fluvial sandstones and green shales preserve flora and early fish fossils dating back to the Lochkovian stage of the Early Devonian period.
| Frænkelryggen Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Lochkovian | |
| Type | Formation |
| Unit of | Red Bay Group |
| Underlies | Ben Nevis Formation |
| Overlies | Andréebreen Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Shale |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 79.7°N 12.5°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 6.3°N 17.9°W |
| Region | Svalbard |
| Country |  Norway |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Frænkelryggen (583 m (1,913 ft)) |
| Named by | Kiaer |
| Year defined | 1918 |
  Frænkelryggen Formation (Svalbard) | |
Description
Defined at the Frænkelryggen mountain (583 m (1,913 ft)) by Kiaer in 1918,[1] the formation was originally described as Silurian,[2] later dating of the formation provided likely ages between 413.5 and 411 Ma, dating the formation to the Lochkovian stage of the Early Devonian.[3] The formation belongs to the Red Bay Group, conformably overlying the Andréebreen Formation and overlain conformably by the Ben Nevis Formation.[4]
The formation comprises sandstone and green shales deposited in a fluvial environment.
Fossil content
The Frænkelryggen Formation has provided fossils of:[2][5]
Vertebrates
- Anglaspis insignis[6]
- Dinaspidella robusta[7]
- Poraspis brevis[8]
- P. polaris[9]
- Machairaspis sp.[10]
- Waengsjoeaspis sp.[10][11]
Flora
- Calamospora nigrata
- Cyclogranisporites plicatus
- Emphanisporites minutus
- Granulatisporites muninensis
- Leiotriletes parvus
- Pachytheca cf. fasciculata
- Punctatisporites glabar
- ?Taeniocrada spitsbergensis
- Prototaxites sp.
- ?Zosterophyllum sp.
- Hostinella indet.
References
- Dallmann & Mørk, 1991, p.129
- Red Bay Series at Fossilworks.org
- King & Rücklin, 2020, p.3
- Pernègre & Blieck, 2016, p.8
- Hoeg, 1942
- Blieck & Heintz, 1983, p.63
- Blieck & Heintz, 1983, p.51
- Blieck & Heintz, 1983, p.55
- Blieck & Heintz, 1983, p.57
- Scott, 2011, p.126
- Scott, 2011, p.64
Bibliography
- , and . 2020. Tip dating with fossil sites and stratigraphic sequences. PeerJ 8. 1–11. doi:10.7717/peerj.9368
- , and . 2016. A revised heterostracan-based ichthyostratigraphy of the Wood Bay Formation (Lower Devonian, Spitsbergen), and correlation with Russian Arctic archipelagos. Geodiversitas 38. 5–20. doi:10.5252/g2016n1a1
- . 2011. Description of new species of Osteotraci from the Man on the Hill locality, Northwest Territories, Canada, with consideration of the phylogenetic and biogeographic significance of the new taxa, 1–302. University of Alberta.
- , and . 1991. Stratigraphical dictionary for Svalbard. Norsk Polarinstitut Rapportserie 74. 1–190.
- , and . 1983. The Cyathaspids of the Red Bay Group (Lower Devonian) of Spitsbergen. Polar Research XIII. 49–74.
- . 1942. The Downtonian and Devonian Flora of Spitsbergen. Skrifter 83. ..
Further reading
- . 1969. The vertebrate fauna of the Primaeva beds of the Frænkelryggen Formation of Vestspitsbergen and its biostratigraphic significance. Lethaia 2. 219–239.