Moskvoretskaya Formation

The Moskvoretskaya Formation is a Middle Jurassic (Bathonian stage) geologic formation in the European part of Russia. It consists of continental claystones, siltstones and sandstones deposited in karstified segments of underlying Middle Carboniferous limestone, that would have formed underground aquifers.

Moskvoretskaya Formation Stratigraphic range: Bathonian ~168–167 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Meshchera Member
Underlies	Callovian and Oxfordian marine claystones
Overlies	Unconformably (about 150 Ma) overlying and infilling Middle Carboniferous limestone
Area	Kolomensky District, Moscow Oblast
Thickness	Variable
Lithology
Primary	Claystone, siltstone
Other	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	55.2°N 38.8°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	48.8°N 41.2°E
Region	Moscow
Country	Russia
Extent	Localized in karstified limestones
Type section
Named for	Moskva River
Moskvoretskaya Formation (Russia) Moskvoretskaya Formation (Moscow Oblast)

The formation is divided up into two members, the lower consists of dark clays to silts and is highly fossiliferous, while the upper member is sandy and lean in fossil content.[1]

The remains of indeterminate tetanuran dinosaurs are known from the formation. As are fossil flora, fish and abundant remains of the turtle Heckerochelys romani,[2] and various other fossils.[3]

Fossil content

Turtles

Turtles
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Heckerochelys	H. romani	Moscow	Kolomna		A stem turtle outside both extant groups[2]

Therapsids

Therapsids
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Morganucodontidae?	Gen. et sp. indet.			Femur	[4]

Crocodyliforms

Neosuchians
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Neosuchia	Gen. et sp. indet.	Moscow	Kolomna	Vertebrae, teeth, dentary fragment	[1]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes
Tetanurae	Gen. et sp. indet.			Includes a partial skull, tooths and postcraneal elements	Formerly referred to Richardoestesia and Coelurosauria[1][5]

Fish

• Ceratodus segnis
• Ischyodus cf. egertoni[1]
• Hybodus sp.[1]
• Lepidotes sp.
• Ptycholepis sp.
• Dapediidae indet.

Flora

• Cedrus sp.
• Picea sp.
• Pinus sp.
• Bennettitales indet.
• Cyatheaceae indet.
• Cycadales indet.
• Gingkoales indet.
• Gleicheniaceae indet.
• Peltaspermales indet.

Other

• Scyadopitys verticillata
• cf. Gobiops sp.
• ?Cteniogenys sp.[1]
• Caudata indet.

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
  • List of stratigraphic units with few dinosaur genera
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Russia
• Mitchell Plain, karst field in Mississippian limestone in Indiana, United States
• Bemaraha Formation, Bathonian dinosaur-bearing formation of Madagascar
• Itat Formation, Middle Jurassic fossiliferous formation of Western Siberia

References

1. Pashschenko et al., 2018
2. Sukhanov, 2006
3. Moskvoretskaya Formation at Fossilworks.org
4. Lopatin & Averianov, 2006
5. Alifanov & Sennikov, 2001

Bibliography

• Pashchenko, D.I.; I.T. Kuzmin; A.G. Sennikov; P.P. Skutschas, and M.B. Efimov. 2018. On the Finding of Neosuchians (Neosuchia, Crocodyliformes) in the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Deposits of the Moscow Region. Paleontological Journal 52. 550–562. Accessed 2019-10-12. doi:10.1134/S0031030118050118 ISSN 0031-0301
• Lopatin, A.V., and A.O. Averianov. 2006. Mesozoic mammals of Russia. 9th International Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biota, Abstracts and Proceedings Volume 67-70.
• Sukhanov, V.B. 2006. An archaic turtle, Heckerochelys romani gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of Moscow region, Russia. Fossil Turtle Research 1. 112-118. Accessed 2019-10-12.
• Alifanov, V.R., and A.G. Sennikov. 2001. Discovery of dinosaur remains in a Moscow suburb. Doklady Earth Sciences 376. 1-3. Accessed 2019-10-12.

Further reading

• Weishampel, David B.; Peter Dodson, and Halszka Osmólska (eds.). 2004. The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, 1–880. Berkeley: University of California Press. Accessed 2019-02-21.ISBN 0-520-24209-2