| Conway Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Eyre Group |
| Underlies | Loburn Mudstone |
| Overlies | Broken River Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone, siltstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 42°36′S 173°30′E / 42.6°S 173.5°E / -42.6; 173.5 |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 57°42′S 149°06′W / 57.7°S 149.1°W / -57.7; -149.1 |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Extent | South Island |
.png)  Conway Formation (New Zealand) | |
The Conway Formation, previously known as the Laidmore Formation, is a Campanian to Danian geologic formation in the South Island of New Zealand and therefore crosses the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary. Plesiosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from its strata. The Conway Formation is part of the Eyre Group and Haerenga Supergroup.
Fossil content
Among others, the following fossils have been found in the formation:[1]
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Mosasaurs
| Mosasaurs of the Conway Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Prognathodon | P. waiparaensis | A prognathodontin mosasaurine | ||||
| Taniwhasaurus | T. oweni | A tylosaurine mosasaurid | ||||
Plesiosaurs
| Plesiosaurs of the Conway Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Alexandronectes | A. zealandiensis | A aristonectine elasmosaurid | ||||
| Mauisaurus | M. ?haasti | A elasmosaurid plesiosaur | ||||
Fish
Cartilaginous Fish
| Cartilaginous Fish of the Conway Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Australopristis[2] | A. wiffeni | A sawskate | ||||
See also
References
- Haumuri Bluff at Fossilworks.org
- Martill, D.M.; Ibrahim, N. (2012). "Aberrant rostral teeth of the sawfish Onchopristis numidus from the Kem Kem beds (?early Late Cretaceous) of Morocco and a reappraisal of Onchopristis in New Zealand". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 64: 71–76. Bibcode:2012JAfES..64...71M. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2011.11.009.
Further reading
- M. W. Caldwell, R. Holmes, G. L. Bell, Jr. and J. Wiffen. 2005. An unusual tylosaurine mosasaur from New Zealand: a new skull of Taniwhasaurus oweni (Lower Haumurian; Upper Cretaceous). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(2):393-401
- J. P. O'Gorman, R. A. Otero, and N. Hiller. 2014. A new record of an aristonectine elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of New Zealand: implications for the Mauisaurus haasti Hector, 1874 hypodigm. Alcheringa
- R. A. Otero, J. P. O'Gorman, N. Hiller, F. R. O'Keefe, and R. E. Fordyce. 2016. Alexandronectes zealandiensis gen. et sp. nov., a new aristonectine plesiosaur from the lower Maastrichtian of New Zealand. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(2):e1054494:1-14
- G. Warren and I. Speden. 1977. The Piripauan and Haumurian stratotypes (Mata Series, Upper Cretaceous) and correlative sequences in the Haumuri Bluff District, South Marlborough. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 92:1-60