Geological Stages in the United Kingdom
The Geology of the United Kingdom is complex and most of the Cretaceous sediments are across The Midlands and Southern England. The Stages and representative sediments are given - for simplicity, much has been omitted. This chart only covers the pterosaur fossil sediments.
MESOZOIC ERA
EPOC | STAGE | MAIN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS |
Late Cretaceous 100 - 65 Ma |
Maastrichtian | Trimmingham Chalk (Late Chalk). |
Senonian | Norwich Chalk (Late Chalk). | |
Turonian | Middle Chalk. | |
Late Cenomanian | Plenus Marls and Melbourne Rock, Early Chalk. | |
Middle Cenomanian | Early Chalk. | |
Early Cenomanian | Chalk Marl, Warminster beds. | |
Early Cretaceous (Albian and
Aptian) 118 -100 Ma |
Late Albian | Late Gault and Late Greensand, Red Chalk. |
Middle Albian | Early Gault, top of Late Greensand, Speeton Clay. | |
Early Albian | Early Greensand, top of Folkston Beds, Shenelly Limestone. | |
Late Aptian | Early Greensand, Folkston Beds, Ferruginous Sands. | |
Early Aptian | Early Greensand, Atherfield Clays. | |
Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) 135 - 118 Ma |
Barremian | Weald Clay, Late Wealden Beds. |
Hauterivian | Hastings Series, Middle Wealden Beds. | |
Valangnian | Ashdown Sands, Early Wealden Beds. | |
Berrisian / Ryazanian | Durlston Beds / Late Purbeck Beds | |
Late Jurassic -135 Ma |
Portlandian / Volgian | Lulworth Beds / Purbeck Beds, Portland Beds. |
Late Kimmeridgian | Hartwell Clay and Late Kimmeridge Clays | |
early Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Bay Shales and Early Kimmeridge Clays. | |
Oxfordian | Corallian Beds - Ampthill Clay and Late Oxford Clay. | |
Callovian | Oxford Clays, Kellaway Rock, Kellaway Clay and Late Cornbrash. | |
Middle Jurassic | Bathonian | Early Cornbrash, Great Oolite and Inferior Oolite (Late Deltic Series), Stonesfield Slate. |
Bajocian | Inferior Oolite (Early Deltic Series). | |
Early Jurassic 200 - Ma |
Late Lias | Bridport Sands, Peak Shales, Allum Shales / Cotswold Sands, Jet Rock and Grey Shale. |
Middle Lias | Marlstone Rock Beds, Sands and Clays. | |
Early Lias | Green Ammonite Beds, Belemnite Marls, Black Marl, Blue Lias. | |
Triassic 240 - 200 Ma |
Rheatic | Langport Beds and Late White Lias, Cotham Beds, Westbury beds and Contorta Shales. Bone Beds at base contain few pterosaur fragments. |
Keuper | Marls and sandstones. | |
Bunter | Sandstones with few fossils. |