Kallamedu Formation

Kallamedu Formation
Kallamedu Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian; ~70.6–65.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Niniyur Formation
Overlies	Archean Basement
Thickness	Variable, typically 5–5,000 km (3.1–3,106.9 mi)
Lithology
Primary	Claystone, siltstone limestone
Other	Conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	11°41′46″N 79°24′46″E / 11.6962°N 79.4127°E
Country	India
Extent	Kallamedu
Type section
Named for	Kallamedu village

The Kallamedu Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) geologic formation located in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, India that forms part of the Ariyalur Group.^[1] It dates to the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains and petrified wood samples are among the known fossils recovered from this formation.^[2]

Lithology[edit]

The Kallamedu formation likely represented a fluvial environment. It is composed of siltstones, clays and sandstones. The high organic carbon content of some of the rocks are consistent with a swamp.^[3]

Paleofauna[edit]

Color key

Taxon	Reclassified taxon	Taxon falsely reported as present	Dubious taxon or junior synonym	Ichnotaxon	Ootaxon	Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

Dinosaurs[edit]

Dinosaurs from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Abelisauridae indet.^[4]		"Disassociated remains"
Carnosauria indet.?^[5]		"Fragmentary remains"	Carnosauria was often used as a wastebasket taxon.
Troodontidae indet.^[4]		One isolated tooth (DUGF/52).
Bruhathkayosaurus^[5]	B. matleyi	ilium and ischium, femur, tibia, radius and part of a vertebra (specifically a platycoelous caudal centrum). Remains no longer exist	Initially described as a Theropod, it was reclassified as a Titanosaur.	Sauropoda indet.^[6]	"Fragmentary remains."
Titanosauria indet.^[7]		Solitary egg.
Fusioolithus^[7]	F. baghensis	Dinosaur eggs.
Stegosauria indet.?^[8]		Misinterpreted sauropod bone.	Other more plausible Stegosaur material is known from Cretaceous India.

Crocodylomorphs[edit]

Crocodylomorphs from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Crocodilia indet.^[9]		Teeth
Notosuchia indet. ^[9]		Teeth	Related to Simosuchus

Turtles[edit]

Turtle from the Kallamedu Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Kurmademys ^[10]	K. kallamedensis	Nearly complete skull	A Side-necked Turtle

References[edit]

^ Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. Oxford University. 1865. pp. 107–140.
^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, Asia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 593–600. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263426844_SEDIMENTOLOGICAL_STUDIES_OF_KALLAMEDU_FORMATION_IN_ARIYALUR_AREA_TAMIL_NADU_INDIA
^ ^a ^b Goswami, A.; Prasad, G. V. R.; Verma, O.; Flynn, J. J.; Benson, R. B. J. (2013). "A troodontid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of India". Nature Communications. 4: 1703. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.1703G. doi:10.1038/ncomms2716. PMID 23591870.
^ ^a ^b Yadagiri, P. and Ayyasami, K. (1987). "A carnosaurian dinosaur from the Kallamedu Formation (Maestrichtian horizon), Tamilnadu." In M.V.A. Sastry, V.V. Sastry, C.G.K. Ramanujam, H.M. Kapoor, B.R. Jagannatha Rao, P.P. Satsangi, and U.B. Mathur (eds.), Three Decades of Development in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy in India. Volume 1. Precambrian to Mesozoic. Geological Society of India Special Publication, 11(1): 523–528.
^ R. Lydekker. (1877). Notices of new and other Vertebrata from Indian Tertiary and Secondary rocks. Records of the Geological Survey of India 10(1):30–43
^ ^a ^b Dhiman, Harsha; Prasad, Guntupalli V. R.; Goswami, Anjali (2018). "Parataxonomy and palaeobiogeographic significance of dinosaur eggshell fragments from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Cauvery Basin, South India". Historical Biology: 1–13. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1450408. S2CID 89969203.
^ Peter M. Galton; Krishnan Ayyasami (2017). "Purported latest bone of a plated dinosaur (Ornithischia: Stegosauria), a "dermal plate" from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of southern India". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 285 (1): 91–96. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2017/0671.
^ ^a ^b Prasad, G. V. R., Verma, O., Flynn, J. J. & Goswami, A. (2013) A new Late Cretaceous vertebrate fauna from the Cauvery basin, South India: implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
^ Gaffney, Eugene S; Chatterjee, Sankar; Rudra, Dhiraj K. (2001). "Kurmademys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India" (pdf). American Museum Novitates (3321): 1–16. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2001)321<0001:kansnt>2.0.co;2. hdl:2246/2938. S2CID 53980146.

[geology-1] Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. Oxford University. 1865. pp. 107–140.

[cretaceousdistribution-2] Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, Asia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 593–600. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

[3] ttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/263426844_SEDIMENTOLOGICAL_STUDIES_OF_KALLAMEDU_FORMATION_IN_ARIYALUR_AREA_TAMIL_NADU_INDIA

[Goswami2013-4] Goswami, A.; Prasad, G. V. R.; Verma, O.; Flynn, J. J.; Benson, R. B. J. (2013). "A troodontid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of India". Nature Communications. 4: 1703. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.1703G. doi:10.1038/ncomms2716. PMID 23591870.

[Bruhatyh-5] Yadagiri, P. and Ayyasami, K. (1987). "A carnosaurian dinosaur from the Kallamedu Formation (Maestrichtian horizon), Tamilnadu." In M.V.A. Sastry, V.V. Sastry, C.G.K. Ramanujam, H.M. Kapoor, B.R. Jagannatha Rao, P.P. Satsangi, and U.B. Mathur (eds.), Three Decades of Development in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy in India. Volume 1. Precambrian to Mesozoic. Geological Society of India Special Publication, 11(1): 523–528.

[6] R. Lydekker. (1877). Notices of new and other Vertebrata from Indian Tertiary and Secondary rocks. Records of the Geological Survey of India 10(1):30–43

[Dhimpay2019-7] Dhiman, Harsha; Prasad, Guntupalli V. R.; Goswami, Anjali (2018). "Parataxonomy and palaeobiogeographic significance of dinosaur eggshell fragments from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Cauvery Basin, South India". Historical Biology: 1–13. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1450408. S2CID 89969203.

[NJGPA20172-8] Peter M. Galton; Krishnan Ayyasami (2017). "Purported latest bone of a plated dinosaur (Ornithischia: Stegosauria), a "dermal plate" from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of southern India". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 285 (1): 91–96. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2017/0671.

[Prasad2013-9] Prasad, G. V. R., Verma, O., Flynn, J. J. & Goswami, A. (2013) A new Late Cretaceous vertebrate fauna from the Cauvery basin, South India: implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

[American_Museum_Novitates-10] Gaffney, Eugene S; Chatterjee, Sankar; Rudra, Dhiraj K. (2001). "Kurmademys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India" (pdf). American Museum Novitates (3321): 1–16. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2001)321<0001:kansnt>2.0.co;2. hdl:2246/2938. S2CID 53980146.

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