Schlern Formation

The Schlern Formation, also known as Schlern Dolomite, and Sciliar Formation or Sciliar Dolomite in Italy, is a limestone, marl and dolomite formation in the Southern Limestone Alps in Kärnten, Austria and South Tyrol, Italy.[1][2][3]

Schlern Formation Stratigraphic range: late Anisian-mid Ladinian ~242–239 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geologic formation
Underlies	Cassian Dolomite
Overlies	Contrin Formation
Lithology
Primary	Dolomite
Other	Limestone, marl
Location
Coordinates	46.6°N 13.3°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	6.8°N 23.5°E
Region	Kärnten South Tyrol
Country	Austria  Italy
Extent	Southern Limestone Alps
Schlern Formation (Austria)

Description

Stratigraphy of the Dolomites

It preserves fossils dating back to the Middle Triassic period (late Anisian-middle Ladinian), or Illyrian to Longobardian in the regional stratigraphy. The formation correlates with the Wetterstein Formation of the Northern Limestone Alps. The formation is also coeval with the Livinallongo or Buchenstein Formation. The Schlern Formation is unconformably overlain by the Cassian Dolomite, and overlies the Contrin Formation separated by another unconformity. Deposition of the formation took place between the Pelsonian Humid Interval and the Ladinian Humid Interval, that preceded the better known Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE).[4]

In Italy, the unit is recognized in the Civetta and Latemar reef buildups,[2][3] and in Austria at the Gartnerkofel.[1]

Fossil content

Among others, the following fossils have been described from the Schlern Formation:

Bivalves

• Daonella esinensis[5]

Gastropods

• Cassianopsis decussata[6]
• Coelostylina conica[6]
• Fedaiella neritacea[6]
• Hologyra alpina[7]
• H. elevata[7]
• Hologyra (Vernelia) dissimilis[7]
• Loxonema aequale[6]
• Neritaria plicatilis[6]
• Palaeonarica concentrica[6]
• Promathildia pygmaea[6]
• Pustulifer alpina[6]
• Tyrsoecus (Stephanocosmia)[6]
• Zygopleura spinosa[6]

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Austria
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Italy
• Bletterbach

References

1. Schlern Formation at Fossilworks.org
2. Schlern 1 Formation at Fossilworks.org
3. Sciliar Dolomite at Fossilworks.org
4. Bernardi et al., 2018, p.3
5. Ogilvie Gordon, 1927
6. Friesenbichler et al., 2019
7. Böhm, 1895

Bibliography

• Friesenbichler, E.; M. Hautmann; A. Nützel; M. Urlichs, and H. Bucher. 2019. Palaeoecology of Late Ladinian (Middle Triassic) benthic faunas from the Schlern/Sciliar and Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi area (South Tyrol, Italy). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 93. 1–29.
• Bernardi, M.; P. Gianolla; F.M. Petti; P. Mietto, and M. J. Benton. 2018. Dinosaur diversification linked with the Carnian Pluvial Episode. Nature Communications 9. 1–10. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03996-1 Text and images are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
• Ogilvie Gordon, M. M.. 1927. Das Grödener-, Fassa- und Enneberggebiet in den Südtiroler Dolomiten: Geologische Beschreibung mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Überschiebungserscheinungen. Teil III. Paläontologie. Abhandlungen der Geologischen Bundesanstalt 24. 1–88.
• Böhm, J. 1895. Die Gastropoden des Marmolatakalkes. Palaeontographica 42. 211–308.

Further reading

• A. Emmerich, V. Zamparelli, T. Bechstädt and R. Zühlke. 2005. The reefal margin and slope of a Middle Triassic carbonate platform: the Latemar (Dolomites, Italy). Facies 50(3-4):573-614
• J. Pfeiffer. 1988. Paleontology and microfacies of a platform margin in the Carnic Alps (Austria, Middle Triassic). Facies 19:33-60
• E. Fois and M. Gaetani. 1981. The northern margin of the Civetta buildup. Evolution during the Ladinian and the Carnian. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e stratigrafia 86(3):469-542
• E. Fois. 1981. The Sass da Putia carbonate buildup (western Dolomites): biofacies succession and marginal development during the Ladinian. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 87(4):565-598