Coralline Oolite Formation

The Coralline Oolite Formation is a limestone formation of Oxfordian (Upper Jurassic) age, found in the Cleveland Basin of North Yorkshire, England.^[1]

Coralline Oolite Formation
Stratigraphic range: Oxfordian ~163–158 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Formation
Unit of	Corallian Group
Sub-units	Coral Rag, Yedmandale, Hambleton Oolite, Malton Oolite, Birdsall Calcareous Grit, Middle Calcareous Grit & Hildenley Limestone Members
Underlies	Upper Calcareous Grit, Ampthill Clay & Hunstanton Formations
Overlies	Lower Calcareous Grit Formation & Oxford Clay
Thickness	36–60 m (118–197 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Sandstone
Location
Region	North Yorkshire
Country	England
Extent	Cleveland Basin
Type section
Location	Filey Brigg, Filey

Coral Rag Member

Coral Rag as building stone: the Saxon tower of St Michael at the Northgate, Oxford

The rock forms some of the hills around Oxford and was once used as building stone. Coral rag can be seen in some of the oldest buildings in that city, including the Saxon tower of St Michael at the Northgate, St George's Tower of Oxford Castle and the mediaeval walls of the city.^[2]

Hambleton Oolite Member

This ooidal limestone lies above either the Yedmandale Member or the Lower Calcareous Grit Formation. It is overlain by either the Middle Calcareous Grit or Malton Oolite Members. It is distinguished from the latter by its smaller grain-size and poorer sorting.^[3]

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaurs

The following dinosaurs were reported from the formation, with many of them reidentified.^[4]

Taxa	Location	Description	Images
Dinosauria[4] Undescribed dinosaur genus.[4]	Berkshire, England[4]
Metriacanthosaurus M. parkeri	misidentified	Actually from the Weymouth Member.[5]
Sauropoda[4] Indeterminate remains.[4]	Oxfordshire, England[4]	"(=Cetiosaurus sp.)"[4]
Stegosauridae[4] Indeterminate remains.[4]	North Yorkshire, England.[4]	"(=Omosaurus phillipsi)"[4] "Juvenile femur."[6]
Theropoda[4] Indeterminate remains.[4] Indeterminate remains.[4] Possible indeterminate theropod remains.[4]	North Yorkshire & Oxfordshire, England[4]	"(=Megalosaurus bucklandii)"[4] "(=Megalosaurus sp.)"[4] "(=?Cryptodraco sp.)"[4]

References

1. British Geological Survey. "Coralline Oolite Formation". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units.
2. "Strategic Stone Study: A Building Stone Atlas of Oxfordshire". English Heritage. March 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
3. British Geological Survey. "Hambleton Oolite Member". BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
4. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 545–549. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
5. Benson, R.B.J. & Barrett, P. (2009). "Dinosaurs of Dorset: Part 1. The carnivorous dinosaurs (Saurischia;Theropoda)". Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 130: 133–147.
6. "Table 16.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 345.