Flowerpot Formation Explained

Flowerpot Formation
Type:Formation
Period:Permian
Prilithology:Shale
Otherlithology:Gypsum, Conglomerate
Region:Texas, Oklahoma
Unitof:Pease River Group
Overlies:Duncan Formation
Underlies:Blaine Formation

Flowerpot Formation (also referred to as the Flower Pot Formation) is a geologic formation in Texas and Oklahoma preserving fossils dated to the Early Permian.

Description

The Flowerpot formation is very similar in geology to and was once thought to overlie the San Angelo formation, sometimes only being able to be differentiated by what layer underlie the unit in the area of study, both being mostly made up of red shales. Though unlike San Angelo, the depositional environment of the terrestrial shales of the Flowerpot formation seemed to be immediately adjacent along with the formation of deltas and floodplains being present. Due to this, stream deposits from the formation can directly be traces to the nearby basin. The formation lacks plant fossils, however there are records of carbonaceous streaks.[1]

Paleobiota

Eureptilia

GenusSpeciesNotesImage
KahneriaK. seltinaA large captorhinid common in the Flower Pot formation, the animal's dentition contained a diastema at the pterygoid. It was overall similar to other captorhinids such as Captorhinus.
Rothianiscus [3] R. multidontaA large captorhinid originally described as the genus Rothia, it had a skull length of around 26 cm. Based on the dentition, it would have been either herbivorous or omnivorous.

Synapsida

GenusSpeciesNotesImage
AngelosaurusA. dolaniA caseid that lacks the development of the large proximal end of the tibia seen in other members of the family. A. romeri has shorter and wider crowns than what is seen in the other two species.
A. greeni
A. romeri
CaseopsisC. agilisA medium-sized caseid with a light build and long limbs, though the articular surfaces on the limb bones are small for the size of the animal.
C. cf. agilisA caseid very similar to C. agilis though due to poor preservation it can't be confidentially attributed to the species. It also has a slightly more robust tibia than what is seen in other specimens of C. agilis.
CotylorhynchusC. bransoniA large caseid though the smallest species within the genus.
SteppesaurusS. gurleyiA potential sphenacodontid that was originally though to be from the San Angelo formation before some geological revisions. The animal shows a large reduction in its dentition on the maxilla and premaxilla along with a slightly longer face than what is seen in Dimetrodon.

Plants

References

  1. Romer . Alfred S. . Olson . Everett C. . 1964-03-26 . Late Permian Terrestrial Vertebrates, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. . Copeia . 1964 . 1 . 250 . 10.2307/1440885 . 0045-8511.
  2. Olson . Everett C. . Barghusen . Herbert . 1962 . Vertebrates from the Flowerpot Formation, Permian of Oklahoma . Oklahoma Geological Survey . 59.
  3. La faune de vertébrés du Permien supérieur du Nigér I