The Bull Run Formation is a
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...
(
Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic Period. It has the rank of an age ( geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.
Stratigraphic ...
) stratigraphic unit in the eastern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
.
[Bull Run Formation]
at Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database, a large relational database assembled by hundreds of paleontologists from around the world.
History
Fossilworks was cre ...
.org Fossil fish bones and scales have been found in outcrops of the formation's Groveton Member in
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park is a unit of the National Park Service located in Prince William County, Virginia, north of Manassas that preserves the site of two major American Civil War battles: the First Battle of Bull Run, also called t ...
.
[Hunt et al., 2006, p.64] Indeterminate fossil
ornithischian
Ornithischia () is an extinct order of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek ...
tracks have been reported from the formation.
[Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.517-607]
The Bull Run Formation was once considered part of the Culpeper Group of the
Newark Supergroup
The Newark Supergroup, also known as the Newark Group, is an assemblage of Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic sedimentary rocks which outcrop intermittently along the United States East Coast. They were deposited in a series of Triassic basins ...
, but the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
no longer formally recognizes this formation (it is ''abandoned'').
Bull Run
National Geologic Map Database, Geolex — Unit Summary, USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
.
Fossil content
The following fossils were reported from the formation:[
* '' Rutiodon cf. manhattanensis''
;Ichnofossils
* '' Agrestipus hottoni''
* '' Eubrontes cursorius''
* '' Kayentapus minor''
* '' Grallator (Eubrontes)''
* '' Anomoepus sp.''
* '' Diplurus sp.''
]
See also
* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
This list of dinosaur-bearing rock formations is a list of geologic formations in which dinosaur fossils have been documented.
Containing body fossils
* List of stratigraphic units with dinosaur body fossils
** List of stratigraphic units with f ...
** List of stratigraphic units with ornithischian tracks Indeterminate or unspecified ornithischian tracks
Ceratopsians
Ornithopods
Thyreophorans
Ankylosaurs
Stegosaurs
See also
List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
This list of dinosaur-bearing rock formations is a list of geologic ...
*** Indeterminate ornithischian tracks
References
Bibliography
* Hunt, ReBecca K., Vincent L. Santucci and Jason Kenworthy. 2006. "A preliminary inventory of fossil fish from National Park Service units." in S.G. Lucas, J.A. Spielmann, P.M. Hester, J.P. Kenworthy, and V.L. Santucci (ed.s), Fossils from Federal Lands. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 34, pp. 63–69
* R. E. Weems. 2006. The manus print of Kayentapus minor: its bearing on the biomechanics and ichnotaxonomy of early Mesozoic saurischian dinosaurs. In J. D. Harris, S. G. Lucas, J. A. Spielmann, M. G. Lockley, A. R. C. Milner, & J. I. Kirkland (eds.), The Triassic-Jurassic Terrestrial Transition. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 37:369-378
*
* R. E. Weems and P. G. Kimmel. 1993. Upper Triassic reptile footprints and a coelacanth fish scale from the Culpeper Basin, Virginia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 16(2):390-401
* J. R. Smith. 1982. Dinosaurs in Virginia—evidence of two new genera. Lapidary Journal 36(6):1110-1111
* R. Weems. 1979. A large parasuchian (phytosaur) from the Upper Triassic portion of the Culpeper Basin of Virginia (USA). Proceedings from the Biological Society of Washington 92(4):682-688
Geologic formations of Maryland
Geologic formations of Virginia
Triassic System of North America
Triassic geology of Virginia
Norian Stage
Mudstone formations
Shale formations
Siltstone formations
Lacustrine deposits
Ichnofossiliferous formations
Paleontology in Virginia
{{Virginia-geologic-formation-stub