# Forest Marble Formation

The Forest Marble is a geological formation in England. Part of the Great Oolite Group, it dates to the late Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic.

## Lithology

The primary lithology of the formation typically consists of greenish grey variably calcareous silicate mudstone, with lenticular cross bedded limestone units deposited in a marine setting.

## Paleobiota

Despite the formation being nearly entirely marine, at several localities abundant remains of terrestrial microvertebrates are found, the primary locality being the Kirtlington Mammal Bed (designated 3p) in Kirtlington Quarry near Kirtlington, Oxfordshire. Another important locality is Watton Cliff near Eype in Dorset.

### Fish

Fish of the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes |
| Hybodus | Hybodus obtusus | Watton Cliff | A hybodont shark |
| Egertonodus | Egertonodus duffini | Watton Cliff | A hybodont shark |
| Secarodus | Secarodus polyprion | Watton Cliff | A hybodont shark |
| Strophodus | Spp. | | A hybodont shark, formerly considered to be Asteracanthus |
| Lonchidion | Indeterminate | | A hybodont shark |
| Parvodus | Parvodus pattersoni | | A hybodont shark |
| Lissodus | Lissodus leiopleurus | | A hybodont shark |
| Palaeocarcharias? | Indeterminate | | Possibly the oldest lamniform shark |

### Dinosaurs
#### Ornithischians

| 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. |
Ornithischians of the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes |
| Alocodon | Indeterminate | Oxfordshire | |
| Hylaeosaurus | Indeterminate | Wiltshire | Dubious |
| Iguanodon | Indeterminate | Oxfordshire | Dubious, probably indeterminate ornithischian |

#### Saurischians

| 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. |
Saurischians reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Bothriospondylus | B. robustus | Wiltshire | | "Dorsal vertebra." | Reassigned to Marmarospondylus | Cetiosaurus |
| Bothriospondylus | Indeterminate | Oxfordshire | | | | Cetiosaurus |
| Cardiodon | C. rugulosus | Wiltshire | | | | Cetiosaurus |
| Cetiosaurus | C. oxoniensis | Oxfordshire | | | A cetiosaurid sauropod. | Cetiosaurus |
| "Cetiosaurus" | C. glymptonensis | Oxfordshire | | "Caudal vertebrae." | Actually indeterminate theropod remains. | Cetiosaurus |
| Dromaeosauridae | Indeterminate | Oxfordshire | Kirtlington Quarry | "Teeth" | Remains represent three species. Same species also present in the Chipping Norton Limestone. Other authors have questioned the attribution to dromaeosaurs. | Cetiosaurus |
| Marmarospondylus | | | | Dorsal verebra | Dubious genus of sauropod | Cetiosaurus |
| Megalosaurus | M. bucklandii | Gloucestershire | | | | Cetiosaurus |
| Megalosaurus | Indeterminate | Dorset Oxfordshire | | | Actually indeterminate theropod remains. | Cetiosaurus |

### Amphibians

Amphibians reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes | Images |
| Anoualerpeton | A. priscus | Kirtlington | Albanerpetontid | |
| Eodiscoglossus | E. oxoniensis | Kirtlington | Frog, probably not closely related to type species of genus. | Eodiscoglossus |
| Marmorerpeton | M. kermacki, M. freemani | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | Neotenic stem-group salamander (Caudata) belonging to Karauridae | |
| Caudata | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | 2 distinct taxa, one common one small, referred to as Kirtlington Salamander A and B, respectively | |

### Turtles

Turtles reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Paracryptodira | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | Shell fragments, basisphenoid | | |

### Choristoderes

Choristoderes reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Cteniogenys | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | | | |

### Lepidosauromorphs

Lepidosauromorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Notes |
| Balnealacerta | B. silvestris | Kirtlington | Scincomorph lizard |
| Bellairsia | B. gracillis | Kirtlington | Squamate |
| Eophis | E. underwoodi | Kirtlington | Stem-snake |
| Marmoretta | M. oxoniensis | Kirtlington | Basal Lepidosauromorph |
| Oxiella | O. tenuis | Kirtlington | Squamate |
| Parviraptor | cf. estesi | Kirtlington | Stem-snake |
| Saurillodon | S. marmorensis | Kirtlington | Paramacellodid lizard |
| Rhynchocephalia | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | |

### Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| cf. Goniopholis | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | | | Goniopholis |
| cf. Theriosuchus | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | | | |

### Mammaliamorphs

Mammaliamorphs reported from the Forest Marble Formation :
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| Amphitherium | Indeterminate | ?Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | The first Mesozoic mammal to be described. Initially believed to be a marsupial. Close relative of Palaeoxonodon and Peramuridae. | |
| Borealestes | B. serendipitus | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | molar fragments | Docodonta | |
| Dobunnodon | B. mussetti | Kirtlington | molar fragments | Docodonta | |
| Gobiconodon | G. bathoniensis | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Gobiconodontid | |
| Hahnotherium | H. antiquum | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Multituberculate | |
| Kermackodon | K. multicuspis, K. oxfordensis | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Allotherian belonging to the family Kermackodontidae, K. oxfordensis previously placed in separate genus Eleutherodon. | |
| Kirtlingtonia | K. catenata | Kirtlington | | Haramiyid | |
| Krusatodon | K. kirtlingtonensis | Kirtlington | | Tegotheriid docodontan | |
| Millsodon | M. superstes | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Haramiyid | |
| Morganucodon | M. tardus | Watton Cliff | | Morganucodontidae | Morganucodon |
| Palaeoxonodon | P. ooliticus | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Amphitheriid | |
| Paritatodon | P. kermacki | Kirtlington | | Docodontan or Shuotheriidae | |
| Peraiocynodon | P. major | Kirtlington | | Docodontidae | |
| Phascolotherium | P. simpsoni | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Amphilestidae | |
| Simpsonodon | S. oxfordensis | Kirtlington | | Docodonta | |
| Shuotherium | Indeterminate | Kirtington | | Shuotheriidae | |
| Stereognathus | S. ooliticus | Kirtlington, Watton Cliff | | Tritylodontidae | |
| Stylidens | S. hookeri | Watton Cliff | | Morganucodontidae | |
| Wareolestes | W. rex | Kirtlington | | Morganucodonta | |
| Allotheria | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | | |
| Haramiyida | Indeterminate | Kirtlington | | | |
| Dryolestida | Indeterminate | | Lower molars | | |
| Peramuridae | Indeterminate | Watton Cliff | | | |