Snow Hill Island Formation

The Snow Hill Island Formation is an Early Maastrichtian geologic formation found on James Ross Island, James Ross Island group, Antarctica.[1] Remains of a paravian theropod Imperobator antarcticus[2] have been recovered from it, as well as the elasmarian ornithopods Trinisaura santamartaensis, Biscoveosaurus and Morrosaurus antarcticus, the ankylosaurian Antarctopelta oliveroi, and the shark Notidanodon sp. Alongside these described genera are also the remains of indeterminate elasmosaurids,[3] lithostrotian titanosaurs and an indeterminate pterosaur.[4]

Snow Hill Island Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Maastrichtian
Artist's reconstruction of the paleoenvironment of the Snow Hill Island Formation.
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofMarambio Group
Sub-unitsGamma & Herbert Sound Members
UnderliesLopez de Bertodano Formation
OverliesSanta Marta Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherMudstone
Location
Coordinates63.9°S 57.9°W / -63.9; -57.9
Approximate paleocoordinates61.8°S 68.5°W / -61.8; -68.5
RegionJames Ross Island, James Ross Island group
CountryAntarctica

Geologic map of Seymour Island, Antarctica with Snow Hill Island Formation in dark green

In the Herbert Sound Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation, bivalves, ammonites, and fish were found.[5]

Fossil content

Vertebrate
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.

Plesiosaurs
Plesiosaurs
GenusSpeciesPresence MaterialNotesImages
Elasmosauridae Gen. et. sp. indet. "MLP 11-II-20-4, one cervical vertebra preserving a partial rib; MLP 86-X-28-3, two cervical vertebrae; MLP 86-X-28-(2–6), 10 posterior cervical vertebrae articulated with three pectoral vertebrae, part of two dorsal vertebrae, ribs, and indeterminate fragments."[6]
Vegasaurus V. molyi Cape Lamb member, Vega Island. Partial Skeleton (MLP 93-I-5-1). A plesiosaur.

Mosasaurs
Mosasaurs
Genus Species Presence Material Notes Images
Taniwhasaurus[7] T. antarcticus James Ross Island. A tylosaur.
Taniwhasaurus
Taniwhasaurus

Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs
GenusSpeciesPresence MaterialNotesImages
Antarcticavis A. capelambensis[8] Cape Lambe Member, Vega Island. Partial Skeleton (SDSM 78147) consists of two thoracic vertebrae, the sternum keel, the right coracoid and shoulder blade, the sternal part of the left coracoid, the right upper arm, parts of the left upper arm, the proximal right ulna, the proximal left ulna and radius (articulated), the proximal right carpometacarpus, the proximal left carpometacarpus, the distal left carpometacarpus, the synsacrum, the right and left thighs, the proximal right tibiotarsus, the right and left distal tibiotarsus, and the proximal right tarsometatarsus.
Antarctopelta A. oliveroi Santa Marta Cove. MLP 86-X-28-1, holotype specimen. A Parankylosaur
Antarctopelta_Size_Comparison
Antarctopelta_Size_Comparison
"Biscoveosaurus" Cape Lamb Member.[9][10]
Iguanodontidae Indeterminate Cape Lamb Member.
Imperobator I. antarcticus Cape Lamb Member, Naze Peninsula.[11] A single specimen, UCMP 276000. A large paravian.
Life restoration
Morrosaurus M. antarcticus Cape Lamb Member.[12] Fragmentary right hind limb.[12] An elasmarian ornithopod.
Trinisaura T. santamartaensis Santa Marta Cove, in the lower levels of the formation.[13] An elasmarian ornithopod.

Fish
Fish
GenusSpeciesPresence MaterialNotesImages
Chimaera C. zangerli Santa Marta Cove, James Ross Island.
Chlamydoselachus C. thompsoni Santa Marta Cove, James Ross Island. Complete dentition. A Shark.
Edaphodon E. snowhillensis Herbert Sound Member.[14] Complete dentition.[14] A cartilaginous fish.
Notidanodon N. dentatus Cape Lamb Member, Vega Island. A cow shark.

Pterosaur
Pterosaurs
GenusSpeciesPresence MaterialNotesImages
Pterodactyloidea gen. et sp. Indet. Camp Lamb, Vega Island. MN 7801-V, a wing metacarpal IV.[15] A pterosaur with an estimated wingspan of 4 to 5 meters.[15]

Invertebrate
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.
Invertebrates
GenusSpeciesPresence MaterialNotesImages
Fungiacyathus F. deltoidophorus Karlsen Cliffs Member.[16]
Scleractinia indet. Unidentifiable Karlsen Cliffs Member.[16]

See also

References
  1. di Pasquo, M.; Martin, J.E. (2013). "Palynoassemblages Associated with a Theropod Dinosaur from the Snow Hill Island Formation (lower Maastrichtian) at the Naze, James Ross Island, Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. 45: 135–154. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2013.07.008.
  2. Ely & Case, 2019
  3. O'Gorman, 2012, p.2
  4. Reguero, Marcelo & Gasparini, Zulma & Olivero, Eduardo & Coria, Rodolfo & Fernandez, Marta & O'Gorman, José & Gouiric Cavalli, Soledad & Acosta Hospitaleche, Carolina & Bona, Paula & Iglesias, Ari & Gelfo, Javier N. & Raffi, María & Moly, Juan. (2022). Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian Vertebrates From The James Ross Basin, West Antarctica: Updated Synthesis, Biostratigraphy, And Paleobiogeography. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 20211142. 10.1590/0001-3765202220211142.
  5. O'Gorman, 2012, p.3
  6. O'Gorman, J.P. 2012. The oldest elasmosaurs (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from Antarctica, Santa Marta Formation (upper Coniacian? Santonian-?upper Campanian) and Snow Hill Island Formation (upper Campanian-?lower Maastrichtian), James Ross Island. Polar Research 31. 1–10. Accessed 2019-04-13. doi:10.3402/polar.v31i0.11090
  7. Fernando E. Novas; Marta S. Fernandez; Zulma B. de Gasparini; Juan M. Lirio; Héctor J. Nuñez; Pablo Puerta (2002). "Lakumasaurus antarcticus, n. gen. et sp., a new mosasaur (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Antarctica". Ameghiniana. 39 (2): 245–249. hdl:11336/136746. S2CID 128304133.
  8. Amanda Cordes-Person; Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche; Judd Case; James Martin (2020). "An enigmatic bird from the lower Maastrichtian of Vega Island, Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. 108: Article 104314. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104314.
  9. Lamanna, Matthew C.; Case, Judd A.; Roberts, Eric M.; Arbour, Victoria M.; Ely, Ricardo C.; Salisbury, Steven W.; Clarke, Julia A.; Malinzak, D. Edward; West, Abagael R.; O'connor, Patrick M. (2019). "Late Cretaceous non-avian dinosaurs from the James Ross Basin, Antarctica: description of new material, updated synthesis, biostratigraphy, and paleobiogeography". Advances in Polar Science. 30 (3): 228–250. doi:10.13679/j.advps.2019.0007.
  10. Stilwell, Jeffrey D.; Long, John A. (2011-10-12). Frozen in Time: Prehistoric Life in Antarctica. Csiro Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-10402-0.
  11. Ely, Ricardo C.; Case, Judd A. (2019-09-01). "Phylogeny of a new gigantic paravian (Theropoda; Coelurosauria; Maniraptora) from the Upper Cretaceous of James Ross Island, Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. 101: 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.04.003. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 146325060.
  12. Rozadilla, Sebastián; Agnolin, Federico L.; Novas, Fernando E.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Motta, Matías J.; Lirio, Juan M.; Isasi, Marcelo P. (2016-01-01). "A new ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Antarctica and its palaeobiogeographical implications". Cretaceous Research. 57: 311–324. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.09.009. ISSN 0195-6671.
  13. Coria, Rodolfo A.; Moly, Juan J.; Reguero, Marcelo; Santillana, Sergio; Marenssi, Sergio (2013-04-01). "A new ornithopod (Dinosauria; Ornithischia) from Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. 41: 186–193. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.12.004. hdl:11336/76749. ISSN 0195-6671.
  14. Gouiric-Cavalli, Soledad; Cabrera, Daniel A.; Cione, Alberto L.; O'Gorman, José P.; Coria, Rodolfo A.; Fernández, Marta (2015-09-03). "The first record of the chimaeroid genus Edaphodon (Chondrichthyes, Holocephali) from Antarctica (Snow Hill Island Formation, Late Cretaceous, James Ross Island)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (5): e981128. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.981128. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 129091192.
  15. KELLNER, ALEXANDER W.A.; RODRIGUES, TAISSA; COSTA, FABIANA R.; WEINSCHÜTZ, LUIZ C.; FIGUEIREDO, RODRIGO G.; SOUZA, GEOVANE A. DE; BRUM, ARTHUR S.; ELEUTÉRIO, LÚCIA H.S.; MUELLER, CARSTEN W.; SAYÃO, JULIANA M. (2019). "Pterodactyloid pterosaur bones from Cretaceous deposits of the Antarctic Peninsula". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 91 (suppl 2): e20191300. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201920191300. ISSN 1678-2690. PMID 31800676. S2CID 208642733.
  16. Videira-Santos, Roberto; Tobin, Thomas S.; Scheffler, Sandro Marcelo (2022-08-14). "New occurrences of caryophylliid and fungiacyathid scleractinian corals from the Santa Marta and Snow Hill Island formations (Upper Cretaceous, Antarctica)". Cretaceous Research. 140: 105338. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105338. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 251576799.

Bibliography

Further reading
  • D. Néraudeau, A. Crame, and M. Kooser. 2000. Upper Cretaceous echinoids from James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Géobios 33(4):455–466 doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(00)80079-0
  • R. A. Otero, S. Soto-Acuna, A. O. Vargas, D. Rubilar Rogers, R. E. Yury Yanez and C. S. Gutstein. 2013. Additions to the diversity of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Antarctica. Gondwana Research doi:10.1016/j.gr.2013.07.016
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