Werfen Formation

Werfen Formation
Werfen Formation
Stratigraphic range: Changhsingian-Ladinian; ~254–235 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Unit of	Costabella Group
Sub-units	Campil, Cencenighe, Gastropod Oolite, Tesero Oolite, Mazzin, Siusi, Val Badia Members
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, lime mudstone, limestone
Other	Siltstone, sandstone, marl
Location
Coordinates	46°48′N 12°06′E / 46.8°N 12.1°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	7°24′N 22°54′E / 7.4°N 22.9°E
Region	Upper Austria, ; Bolzano, South Tyrol, Trentino, Veneto
Country	Austria; Italy; Bosnia and Herzegovina
Extent	Dinaric, Southern Limestone & Salzburg Slate Alps, Tennen Mountains
Type section
Named for	Werfen
	Werfen Formation (Mediterranean)

Fossil content[edit]

The formation has provided numerous fossils typical of a shallow lagoon environment, including:

Griesbachian aged layers of the formation also preserve an unexpectedly diverse ichnotaxon assemblage, including the ichnogenera Catenichnus, Helminthopsis, Lockeia, Palaeophycus, Planolites, Rhizocorallium, Spongeliomorpha, Taenidium and Thalassinoides.^[3]

^ Werfen Formation at Fossilworks.org
^ ^a ^b ^c Thompson, Jeffrey R.; Posenato, Renato; Bottjer, David J.; Petsios, Elizabeth (2019). "Echinoids from the Tesero Member (Werfen Formation) of the Dolomites (Italy): implications for extinction and survival of echinoids in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction". PeerJ. 7: e7361. doi:10.7717/peerj.7361. PMC 6718154. PMID 31531267.
^ Hofmann, Richard; Goudemand, Nicolas; Wasmer, Martin; Bucher, Hugo; Hautmann, Michael (2011). "New trace fossil evidence for an early recovery signal in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 310 (3–4): 216–226. Bibcode:2011PPP...310..216H. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.07.014.

Thompson, Jeffrey R.; Renato Posenato; David J. Bottjer, and Elizabeth Petsios. 2019. Echinoids from the Tesero Member (Werfen Formation) of the Dolomites (Italy): implications for extinction and survival of echinoids in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction. PeerJ 7. e7361. . doi:10.7717/peerj.7361 PMID 31531267 PMC 6718154
Foster, William J.; Silvia Danise; Gregory D. Price, and Richard J. Twitchett. 2017. Subsequent biotic crises delayed marine recovery following the late Permian mass extinction event in northern Italy. PLOS ONE 12(3). e0172321. . doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172321 PMID 28296886 PMC 5351997 Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1272321F

E. Farabegoli, M. C. Perri, and R. Posenato. 2007. Environmental and biotic changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary in western Tethys: The Bulla parastratotype, Italy. Global and Planetary Change 55:109-135
E. Kustatscher, M. Wachtler, and J.H.A. Konijnenburg-van Cittert. 2004. A number of additional and revised taxa from the Ladinian flora of the Dolomites, Northern Italy. Geo.Alp 1:57-69
R. Posenato. 2009. Survival patterns of macrobenthic marine assemblages during the end-Permian mass extinction in the western Tethys (Dolomites, Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 280:150-167
A. Bittner. 1890. Brachiopoden der alpinen Trias. Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt 14:1-325