| Tiki Formation | |
| Type: | Geological formation |
| Period: | Norian |
| Prilithology: | Mudstone |
| Otherlithology: | Claystone, sandstone |
| Namedfor: | Tiki village |
| Region: | Madhya Pradesh |
| Coordinates: | 23.9°N 81.4°W |
| Paleocoordinates: | -42.6°N 51.1°W |
| Unitof: | Gondwana Group |
| Subunits: | Lower & Upper members |
The Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic (Carnian to Norian) geologic formation in Madhya Pradesh, northern India. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus. Phytosaur remains attributable to the genus Volcanosuchus have also been found in the Tiki Formation.[1]
The genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium and Tikisuchus and species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis and Parvodus tikiensis have been named after the Tiki Formation.
| Cynodonts of the Tiki Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | |
| Gondwanadon[2] | G. tapani | A single molar | A morganucodont | |
| Inditherium[3] | I. floris | Three postcanine teeth | A dromatheriid | |
| Rewaconodon | R. indicus | A partial jaw and three postcanine teeth | A dromatheriid | |
| R. tikiensis | ||||
| Ruberodon | R. roychowdhurii | Five partial jaws | A traversodontid | |
| Tikiodon | T. cromptoni | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliamorph | |
| Tikitherium | T. copei | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliaform. Initially described as a basal mammaliaform related to Docodonta, but later redescribed as a Neogene shrew fossil that was reworked into the older deposit.[4] | |
| Cynodontia indet. | ||||
| Reptiles of the Tiki Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus / Taxon | Species | Material | Notes | |
| Colossosuchus[5] | C. techniensis | Known from multiple skeletons, all likely died together | A very large mystriosuchine phytosaur | |
| Hyperodapedon[6] | H. huxleyi | A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur | ||
| H.tikiensis[7] | Various cranial and postcranial elements | |||
| Parasuchus | P. hislopi | Two articulate skeletons and isolated skulls | A basal (non-mystriosuchine) phytosaur | |
| Tikisuchus | T. romeri | The skull and some postcranial elements of a young individual | A putative rauisuchid | |
| Volcanosuchus[8] | V. statisticae | A skull | A mystriosuchine phytosaur | |
| Ornithischia indet.[9] | ||||
| Phytosauria indet.[10] | ||||
| Pseudosuchia indet.[11] | ||||
| Sphenodontia indet. | ||||
| Theropoda indet. | ||||
| Amphibians of the Tiki Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | |
| Eodiscoglossus | E. sp | Prehistoric frog | ||
| Compsocerops | C. tikiensis | A Chigutisaurid Temnospondyl | ||
| Metoposaurus[12] | M. sp. | A Temnospondyl | ||
| Fishes of the Tiki Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | |
| Cladodus[13] | C. sp. | An isolated tooth | A Cladoselachid | |
| Lissodus | L. duffini | An isolated tooth | ||
| Parvodus | P. tikiensis | Teeth | A Hybodontid | |
| Actinopterygii indet. | ||||
| Coelacanthidae indet. | ||||
The Tiki Formation is considered a temporal equivalent of the Lower Maleri Formation. The majority of the Tiki Formation correlates with the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, the upper part of the Santa Maria Formation, and the overlying lower Caturrita Formation of Brazil, the Isalo II Beds of Madagascar, Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland, and the lower Tecovas Formation of the Chinle Group of North America.