Clarens Formation

The Clarens Formation is a prominent fossil site in the Tuli Basin, in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.

Fauna of the Clarens Formation

Unidentified dinosaur eggs have been recovered from the formation.^[1]

Bony fish

Bony fishes of the Clarens Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Semionotus	S. capensis				Semionotus ("Flag-Back") is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish found throughout Northern Pangaea (North America and Europe) during the late Triassic, becoming extinct at the start of the Jurassic.	Semionotus

Insects

Termites are known from the formation.

Dinosaurs

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Discredited taxon Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; crossed out data are discredited.

Dinosaurs of the Clarens Formation
Genus	Species	Province	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Aristosaurus[2]	A. erectus[2]	Free State[2]				Massospondylus Heterodontosaurus
Fabrosaurus[2]	Indeterminate[2]	Free State[2]
Geranosaurus[3]	G. atavus[3]	Cape[4] Free State[2]
Gyposaurus[2]	G. capensis[2]	Free State[2]
Heterodontosaurus[3]	H. tucki[3]	Cape[4] Free State[2]
Hortalotarsus[4]	H. skirtopodus[4]	Cape[4]
Massospondylus[3]	M. carinatus[3]	Cape[4] Free State[2]
Thecodontosaurus[2]	T. dubius[2]	Free State[2]
	T. minor[2]	Free State[2]

Synapsids

Synapsids of the Clarens Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Pachygenelus	P. monus					Tritylodon
Tritylodon	T. maximus				Tritylodon was a species of tritylodont, one of the most advanced group of cynodonts. It was small in size and had an herbivorous diet, something of an anomaly among the mostly carnivorous cynodonts. Tritylodon had many features of modern mammals, but was egg-laying.

Footnotes

1. ^ Weishampel, David B; et al (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Jurassic, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 535–536. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q} "81.2 Free State Province, South Africa; 2. Clarens Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 536.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "81.2 Free State Province, South Africa; 2. Clarens Formation" and "81.3 Cape Province, South Africa; 2. Clarens Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 536.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "81.3 Cape Province, South Africa; 2. Clarens Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 536.

References

• Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations