Obernkirchen Sandstein

The Obernkirchen Sandstein or Obernkirchen Sandstone is a geological unit in Lower Saxony, Germany whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. The remains of the dinosaur Stenopelix and numerous dinosaur tracks are known from the unit.^[1][2] The unit is a thin interval within the Bückeberg Formation As its name would suggest the lithology primarily consists of sandstone with thin intercalations of coal. This was deposited in a sandy barrier to lagoonal complex setting. The unit has historically been extensively quarried for its high quality building stone, which has been used as far away as Jakarta.

Obernkirchen Sandstein
Stratigraphic range: Late Berriasian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Bückeberg Formation (Obernkirchen Member)
Thickness	Up to 20 m (66 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Coal, mudstone
Location
Coordinates	52.3°N 9.1°E / 52.3; 9.1
Approximate paleocoordinates	43.5°N 17.6°E / 43.5; 17.6
Region	Niedersachsen
Country	Germany
Extent	Lower Saxony Basin
Obernkirchen Sandstein (Germany)

Vertebrate paleofauna

Ornithischians of the Obernkirchen Sandstein
Taxa	Presence	Notes	Images
Infraorder: Ankylosauria[2] Tracks[2]	Niedersachsen[2]
Genus: Euornithopoda[2] Tracks[2]	Niedersachsen[2]
Genus: Iguanodon[2] Iguanodon sp.[2]	Niedersachsen[2]
Order:  ?Ornithischia[2] Possible ornithischian tracks.[2]	Niedersachsen[2]
Genus: Stenopelix[2] S. valdensis.[2]	Niedersachsen[2]	"Partial skeleton, no skull."[3]
Suborder: Theropoda[2] Indeterminate remains.[2] Tracks[2]	Niedersachsen[2]	"(= Megalosaurus dunkeri)"[2]

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations

References

1. Hornung, Jahn J.; Böhme, Annina; van der Lubbe, Torsten; Reich, Mike; Richter, Annette (September 2012). "Vertebrate tracksites in the Obernkirchen Sandstone (late Berriasian, Early Cretaceous) of northwest Germany— their stratigraphical, palaeogeographical, palaeoecological, and historical context". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 86 (3): 231–267. Bibcode:2012PalZ...86..231H. doi:10.1007/s12542-012-0131-7. ISSN 0031-0220.
2. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 562. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
3. "Table 21.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 465.