Melovatka Formation

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
Melovatka Formation
Stratigraphic range: Middle Cenomanian
~
The Melovatka Formation in 1941
TypeGeological formation
Lithology
PrimaryPhosphorite
OtherSandstone
Location
Coordinates50°54′N 44°42′E / 50.9°N 44.7°E / 50.9; 44.7
Approximate paleocoordinates43°06′N 38°48′E / 43.1°N 38.8°E / 43.1; 38.8
RegionVolgograd Oblast
CountryRussia
ExtentSaratov
Type section
Named forMelovatka
Melovatka Formation is located in Russia
Melovatka Formation
Melovatka Formation (Russia)
Show map of Russia
Melovatka Formation is located in Volgograd Oblast
Melovatka Formation
Melovatka Formation (Volgograd Oblast)
Show map of Volgograd Oblast

The Melovatka or Melovatsskaya Formation is a Cenomanian geologic formation in Russia. Pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation.

Description

The two phosphorite horizons are separated in places by a yellowish sand interbed up to 1 m thick; however, they sometimes merge into a single horizon. The lower interbed or part of the integrated phosphorite horizon shows in places straight diagonal bedding, which is manifested in the orientation of almost flat pellets, pebbles, and pseudomorphs on bivalve shells. The phosphate concretions are irregular aggregates and rounded pebbles, ranging in size from several millimeters to 5–10 cm. They are dark brown or nearly black.[1]

Fossil content

The following vertebrate fossils were reported from the formation:[1][2]

Fish

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.

Chondrichthyes

Sharks
Sharks reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Archaeolamna A. cf. kopingensis
Anomotodon A. principalis
Cretolamna C. appendiculata
C. ex gr. borealis
Cretoxyrhina C. denticulata
C. vraconensis[3]
Cantioscyllium C. cf. decipiens
Carcharias C? sp. Possible may be teeth of representatives of Odontaspididae
Cretodus C. sp.[4] The material found by Pervush's team in 1999 is considered erroneous by some sources.
Dwardius D. woodwardi
Eostriatolamia E. subulata
Galeorhinus G. glickmani
Hybodontiformes indeterminate
Johnlongia J. allocotodon
"Megarhizodon" "M. cf. macrorhiza" At present, the genus Megarhizodon is a subjective synonym for Leptostyrax.
Meristodonoides M. sp.[5]
Paraorthacodus P. recurvus
"Pseudoisurus" "P. denticulatus" Possible relative of Dwardius
Pseudomegachasma P. casei
Pseudoscapanorhynchus P. cf. compressidens
Protolamna P. sokolovi
Ptychodus P. decurrens
P. mammillaris
Polyacrodus P. sp.
Scapanorhynchus S. raphiodon[6]
S. minimus
Squalicorax S. falcatus
S. curvatus
Squatina S. sp.
Synechodus S. dispar
Odontaspis O. sp.
Orectoloboides O. parvulus[7]
Palaeoanacorax P. obliquus
P. volgensis Not considered a valid taxon by some scientists
Other cartilaginous fish
Other cartilaginous fishs reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Chimaeridae Indeterminate
Elasmodectes E. kiprijanoffi
Edaphodon E. sedgwicki
Elasmodus E. sinzovi
Ischyodus I. latus

Bony fish

Osteichthyans reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Enchodontidae Indeterminate
Osteichthyes indeterminate

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Cerebavis C. cenomanica[8] An ornithuran
Ichthyornithidae Indeterminate [9][10]

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Lonchodectes L. sp.[11][12]
Saratovia S. glickmani[13]
Ornithocheiroidea Indeterminate [11]
Targaryendraconia indet.[14]

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Elasmosauridae indeterminate[15]
Plesiosauria indeterminate
Pliosauridae indeterminate

Icthyosaurs

Icthyosaurs reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Pervushovisaurus P. campylodon A partial skull A platypterygiine ichthyosaur, previously named Platypterygius kiprianoffi[16]
Platypterygius ?P. sp.

Turtles

Turtles reported from the Melovatka Formation
Taxon Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Chelonioidea indeterminate

See also

References

  1. Melovatka 3 at Fossilworks.org
  2. PBDB collection. https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?taxon_no=81365&max_interval=Cretaceous&country=Russian%20Federation&is_real_user=1&basic=yes&type=view&match_subgenera=1
  3. Бирюков А. В. ЭЛАСМОБРАНХИИ СЕНОМАНА ПОВОЛЖЬЯ: РАЗНООБРАЗИЕ,ПАЛЕОБИОГЕОГРАФИЯ И СТРАТИГРАФИЧЕСКОЕ ЗНАЧЕНИЕ (с.126 - 197) https://www.paleo.ru/upload/medialibrary/fb0/2e8uj17p680gn4xwqfpm0a68u4lchbnd.pdf
  4. https://www.ammonit.ru/tag/9476.htm%7C
  5. "Бирюков А.В. ЭЛАСМОБРАНХИИ СЕНОМАНА ПОВОЛЖЬЯ: РАЗНООБРАЗИЕ, ПАЛЕОБИОГЕОГРАФИЯ И СТРАТИГРАФИЧЕСКОЕ ЗНАЧЕНИЕ" (PDF). Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (in Russian). Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  6. Saratov (upper horizon): Cenomanian at Fossilworks.org
  7. Kurochkin, E. N.; Saveliev, S. V.; Postnov, A. A.; Pervushov, E. M.; Popov, E. V. (December 2006). "On the brain of a primitive bird from the upper Cretaceous of European Russia". Paleontological Journal. 40 (6): 655–667. doi:10.1134/S0031030106060086.
  8. Walsh, Stig A.; Milner, Angela C.; Bourdon, Estelle (August 2016). "A reappraisal of Cerebavis cenomanica (Aves, Ornithurae), from Melovatka, Russia". Journal of Anatomy. 229 (2): 215–227. doi:10.1111/joa.12406. PMC 4948046. PMID 26553244.
  9. Zelenkov, Nikita V.; Averianov, Alexander O.; Popov, Evgeny V. (July 2017). "An Ichthyornis-like bird from the earliest Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of European Russia". Cretaceous Research. 75: 94–100. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.03.011.
  10. Никита Зеленков, 2017. Elementy.ru https://elementy.ru/kartinka_dnya/307/Povolzhskiy_ikhtiornis
  11. Averianov, Alexander O.; Kurochkin, Evgeny N.; Pervushov, Evgeny M.; Ivanov, Alexei V. (2005). "Two bone fragments of ornithocheiroid pterosaurs from the Cenomanian of Volgograd Region, southern Russia". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 50 (2): 289–294.
  12. Alexander Averianov, E. N. Kurochkin, 2010. A new pterosaurian record from the Cenomanian of the Volga Region https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226217045_A_new_pterosaurian_record_from_the_Cenomanian_of_the_Volga_Region
  13. Averianov, A. O. (2025). "A new ornithocheiran pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Saratov, Russia". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 97 (Suppl. 1) e20241063. doi:10.1590/0001-3765202520241063. PMID 40298668.
  14. Averianov, A. O.; Gubarev, D. I. (2026). "A pterosaur cervical vertebra from the Cenomanian of Russia: first diagnostic postcranial material for Targaryendraconia". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology: 1–7. doi:10.1080/08912963.2026.2619532.
  15. Evgeniy Pervushov, Maxim Savvich Arkhangelsky, Ivanov A.V., 1999. https://undor-muz.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Pervushov.et_.alii_.1999.Katalog.mestonahozhdenij.morskih.reptilij.J-K.Povolzhja.pdf
  16. Mesozoic marine reptiles of Russia and other former Soviet Republics". The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 2000. pp. 187–210.