A list of prehistoric and extant species whose fossils have been found in the London Clay , which underlies large areas of southeast England.
Fossil seed capsules of the genus Euphorbia , found in London Clay
Plant fossils, especially seeds and fruits, are found in abundance and have been collected from the London Clay for almost 300 years.[1] Some 350 named species of plant have been found, making the London Clay flora one of the world's most diverse for fossil seeds and fruits.[2] The flora includes plant types found today in tropical forests of Asia and demonstrates the much warmer climate of the Eocene epoch , with plants such as Nypa (Nipah palms) and other palms being frequently encountered. The following plants list is incomplete and is based on the research by Marjorie Chandler .[1] and research works done by the paleobotanist Steven R. Manchester[3] and by professor of plant palaeobiology Margaret Collinson.[4]
Pteridophytes
Diplazium sp. - similar to Diplazium smithianum
Gymnosperms
Agathis sp. - similar to Agathis dammara
†Araucarites spp.
†Doliostrobus stenbergi - fossils in the past named †Araucarites are said to be of this genus, it is now placed in its own family, †Doliostrobaceae.
Animal fossils include bivalves , gastropods , nautilus , worm tubes, brittle stars and starfish , crabs , lobsters , fish (including shark and ray teeth), reptiles (particularly turtles ), and a large diversity of birds . A few mammal remains have also been recorded. Preservation varies; articulated skeletons are generally rare. Of fish, isolated teeth are very frequent. Bird bones are not infrequently encountered compared to other lagerstätten , but usually occur as single bones and are often broken.
The following fauna species list follows Clouter (2007).[6]
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Crocodylians
Snakes
Turtles and tortoises
Turtle fossils from Sheppey
Bony fish
Acestrus elongatus , A. ornatus , Aglyptorhynchus sulcatus , A. venablasi , Xiphiorhynchus parvus and X priscus – swordfish relatives
Acipenser toliapicus – a true sturgeon
Albula oweni – a bonefish
Ampheristus toliapicus – a scorpionfish
Ardiodus marriotti – incertae sedis
Argillichthys toombsi – a lizardfish relative
Aulopopsis depressifrons , A. egertoni and Labrophagus esocinus – flagfins
Beerichthys ingens and B. sp. – Two species of luvar or luvar-like fish[7]
Bramoides brieni and Goniocranion arambourgi – pomfrets
Brychaetus muelleri – an arowana
Bucklandium diluvii – a naked catfish
Cylindracanthus rectus and Hemirhabdorhynchus elliotti – Blochiidae
Cymbium proosti , Eocoelopoma colei , E. curvatum , E. gigas , E. hopwoodi , Eothynnus salmoneus , Scombramphodon crassidens , S. sheppeyensis , Scombrinus macropomus , S. nuchalis , Sphyraenodus priscus , Tamesichthys decipiens , Wetherellus brevior , W. cristatus , W. longior and Woodwardella patellifrons – mackerel and tuna relatives
Diodon sp. – a porcupinefish
Egertonia isodonta and Phyllodus toliapicus – Phyllodontidae
Elops sp., Esocelops cavifrons , Megalops oblongus , M. priscus , Promegalops sheppeyensis and P. signeuxae – ladyfish
Enniskillenus radiatus – acanthomorph
Eutrichurides winkleri – a cutlassfish
Halecopsis insignis – Halecopsidae
Laparon alticeps – spadefish
Lehmanamia sheppeyensis – a bowfin
Myripristis toliapicus , Naupygus bucklandi and Paraberyx bowerbanki – soldierfish
Percostoma angustum , Plesioserranus cf. wemmeliensi and Serranopsis londinensis – groupers
Podocephalus curryi , P. nitidus , Sciaenuropsis turneri and Sciaenurus bowerbanki – porgies
Progempylus edwardsi – a snake mackerel
Pseudosphaerodon antiquus and P. navicularis – wrasses ?
Pycnodus bowerbanki and P. toliapicus – Pychnodontidae
Rhinocephalus planiceps and Trichurides sagittidens – hakes
Rhynchorhinus branchialis and R. major – Eccelidae
Tetratichthys antiquitatis – a jack mackerel
Whitephippus tamensis – a lampriform [8]
Cartilaginous fish
Abdounia beaugi , Carcharhinus sp.[Note 2] and Physogaleus secundus[Note 3] – requiem sharks
Aetobatis irregularis , Burnhamia daviesi ,[Note 4] Myliobatis dixoni , M. latidens , M. raouxi and M. toliapicus – eagle rays
Anomotodon sheppeyensis – a goblin shark
Carcharias hopei ,[Note 5] Jaekelotodus trigonalis , Odontaspis winkleri , Palaeohypotodus rutoti and Striatolamia macrota[Note 6] – sand sharks
Edaphodon bucklandi and Elasmodus hunteri – chimaeras
Dasyatis davisi and D. wochadunensis – stingrays
Galeorhinus lefevrei , G. minor , G. recticonus , G. ypresiensis , Mustelus whitei and Triakis wardi – hound sharks
Heterodontus vincenti , H. wardenensis and H. woodwardi – bullhead sharks
Hexanchus agassizi , H. collinsonae , H. hookeri , Notorhynchus serratissimus and Weltonia burnhamensis – cow sharks
Isisteus trituratus and Squalus minor[Note 7] – dogfish sharks
Isurolamna affinis , Isurus nova , I. praecursor , Lamna inflata , L. lerichei , Otodus obliquus , O. aksuaticus and Xiphodolamia eocaena[Note 8] – white sharks
Megascyliorhinus cooperi , Scyliorhinus casieri , S. gilberti , S. pattersoni and S. woodwardi – catsharks
Pararhincodon sp? – an indeterminate shark
Raja sp.? – an indeterminate ray
Squatina prima – an angel shark
Crustaceans
Exuvia of Hoploparia
Lobsters and shrimp
Barnacles
Arcoscapellum quadratum
Scalpellum minutum and S. quadratum
Crabs
Basinotopus lamarckii Desmarest
Campylostoma mutatiforme
Cyclocorystes pulchellus [Note 9]
Dromilites bucklandi & D. lamarki
Glyphthyreus wetherelli
Goniochela angulata Desmarest
Harpactoxanthopsis cf. quadrilo
Mithracia libinioides
Oediosoma ambigua
Portunites incerta & P. stintoni
Xanthilites bowerbanki
Zanthopsis bispinosa , Z. dufori , Z. leachei , Z. nodosa and Z. unispinosa
Mantis shrimp
Molluscs
Gastropods
Acrilla cymaea , Foratiscala perforata , Litoriniscala scalaroides and Undiscala primaeva[Note 21] – wentletraps
Aporrhais sowerbii[Note 22] and Eotibia lucida[Note 23] – true conchs
Bathytoma granata , B. turbida , Clavatula conica ,[Note 24] Cochlespira gyrata , Conolithus concinnus ,[Note 25] Endiatoma cerithiformis , Fusiturris selysi ,[Note 26] F. simillima , F. wetherelli ,[Note 27] Gemmula koninckii ,[Note 28] Hemipleurotoma fasciolata , H. prestwichi , Pseudotoma topleyi , Surculites errans ,[Note 29] S. velatus , Turricula crassa , T. helix , T. latimarginata ,[Note 30] T. nanodis ,[Note 31] T. symmetrica and T. teretrium – Conoidea
Bonellitia clathratum and B. laeviuscula – nutmeg shells
Bullinella sp., Crenilabium elongatum , ?Roxiana sp., Scaphander ?parisiensis and Tornatellaea simulata – opisthobranchs
Camptoceratops prisca , Spiratella mercinensis , S. taylori and S. tutelina – sea-butterflies
Cassis striata and Mambrina gallica[Note 32] – tun shells
Cepatia cepacea , Daphnobela juncea , Litiopa sulculosa , Orthochetus elongatus[Note 33] and Stellaxis pulcher[Note 34] – incertae sedis
Eocypraea oviformis – a cowrie
Euspira glaucinoides[Note 35] and Sinum clathratum – moon snails
Falsifusus londini ,[Note 36] Fusinus coniferus , F. wetherelli , Pseudoneptunea curta ,[Note 37] Siphonalia highgatensis , Streptolathyrus triliniatus , S. zonulatus , Wrigleya complanata[Note 38] and W. transversaria [Note 39] – true whelks
Ficopsis multiformis[Note 40] – a fig shell
Lacunella sp. – a periwinkle
Mathilda sororcula – Mathildidae
Murex subcristatus and Paziella argillacea[Note 41] – murex snails
Pachysyrnola sp. and Turbonilla subterranea[Note 42] – pyramid shells
Patella sp. – Patellidae
Ptychatractus aff. interuptus , Scaphella wetherelli[Note 43] and Volutospina nodosa – volutes
Rilla cf. tenuistriata – Streptaxidae
Ringicula turgida – Ringiculidae
Sassia morrisi – a triton shell
Sigapatella sp.[Note 44] – Calyptraeidae
Tornus sp.[Note 45] and Turboella cf. misera – Rissoidae
Xenophora extensum[Note 46] – a carrier shell
Echinoderms
Ophiura wetherelli from the London Clay of Bognor Regis
Cnidarians
Paracyathus brevis and P. caryophyllus – corals
Graphularia wetherelli – hydrozoan
Other invertebrates
Adenellopsis wetherelli , Aimulosia sp., Batopora clithridiata , Beisselina sp., Cribrilina sp., Didymosella sp., Dittosaria wetherelli , Entalophora sp., Idmonia sp., Lunulites sp., Nellia sp., Pachythecella incisa , Vibracellina sp. and Websteria crissioides – bryozoans
Hemiptera gen. et sp. indet. – true bug
Lingula tenuis , Terebratulina striatula and T. wardenensis – lampshells
Stelleta sp. – sponge
Includes "Primobucco" olsoni
Sometimes placed in Aprionodon
Sometimes placed in Physodon
Sometimes called Hypotodus robustus
Sometimes called Eugomphodus macrotus
Sometimes placed in Acanthius
Sometimes placed in Xendolamia
Sometimes called Necrozius bowerbanki
Sometimes placed in Eutrephoceras
Sometimes called Modiolus depressus
Sometimes placed in Cyprina
Sometimes called A. rugatus
Sometimes called Pitaria tenuistriata
Sometimes placed in Ledina
Sometimes called Amussium corneum
Sometimes placed in Protocardium
Sometimes placed in Pteria
Sometimes placed in Ostrea
Sometimes considered a variety of Scala undosa
Sometimes called A. sowerbyii
Sometimes placed in Tibia
Sometimes in Hemipleurotoma
Sometimes placed in Conospirus
Sometimes in Hemipleurotoma
Sometimes in Hemipleurotoma
Sometimes in Hemipleurotoma
Sometimes S. bifaci or S. bifacsi
Sometimes included in T. teretrium
Sometimes included in T. teretrium
Sometimes called Newtoniella charlsworthi
Sometimes called Solarium pulchrum
Sometimes called Fusinus unicarinatus
Sometimes placed in Bartonia
Sometimes called Euthriofusus complanatus
Sometimes called Euthriofusus transversarius
Sometimes placed in Ficus
Sometimes called Murex argillaceus
Sometimes placed in Aurinia
Sometimes called Onutusus extensa
Sometimes placed in Asteropecten
Sometimes placed in Rhizochrinus
Chandler, M.E.J. 1961. The lower Tertiary floras of southern England I. Palaeocene floras, London Clay flora. London: British Museum (Natural History).
Collinson, M. (1983). Fossil plants of the London Clay . The Palaeontological Association.
Poole, I., K.L. Davies and H.P. Wilkinson 2002. A review of the platanaceous woods from the Eocene paratropical rainforest of southeast England. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 139: 181–191.