ammonites

Cutties Hillock Millstone Quarry: Changhsingian, United Kingdom

Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Geography
Country:United Kingdom State/province:Scotland County:Moray
Coordinates: 57.7° North, 3.4° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:20.0° North, 11.6° East
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Permian Epoch:Lopingian
Stage:Changhsingian 10 m.y. bin:Permian 4
Key time interval:Changhsingian
Age range of interval:255.0 - 251.0 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Cutties Hillock Sandstone
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: This [i.e., the Cutties Hillock Quarry] exposes sections in predominently aeolian units of the Cutties Hillock Sandstone Formation, and is part of the type locality for this formation (sensu Benton and Walker, 1985, p. 215–26). Benton and Walker (1985) dated the formation as latest Permian (Tatarian) based on equivalent independently dated faunas in Russia and southern Africa." (Spencer & Lee, 2000). Since Benton & Walker (1985, Palaeontology 28(2)) stated that the Cutties Hillock Sst (referred to as "Elgin Sandstone" by Newton, 1893) is "lying at the extreme summit of the Permian" the collection is assigned to the Changhsingian stage of the current global timescale.
All specimens probably come from the lower main unit of the formation, consisting of pebbly sandstones.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:medium,coarse,pebbly,red sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Environment:fluvial indet.
Geology comments: The presence of pebbles in the lower unit suggests that it was deposited by water action, presumably a river. If the age assignment is correct, these beds may represent an onshore equivalent of the deposits of the Zechstein Sea.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:mold/impression
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Articulated whole bodies:none
Associated major elements:all
Temporal resolution:snapshot
Spatial resolution:autochthonous
Taphonomy comments: ELGNM 1978.560 is a natural mold of the posterior part of the skull, pectoral skeleton, and anterior vertebral column of a small reptile in a medium- to coarse-grained sandstone [...] The coarse-grained matrix obscures most finer details in the cast, but major features are clearly visible. The remains are preserved largely in articulation and consist of the posterior part of the skull roof, most presacral vertebrae and ribs, and shoulder girdle and forelimbs." (Spencer & Lee, 2000).
All the specimens described by Newton (1893) are natural moulds as well in which "the bones are only represented by cavities in the stone".
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:survey of museum collection,mechanical
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:BGS
Collection method comments: ELGNM = Elgin Museum
GSE = Geological Survey Museum, Edinburgh
Metadata
Also known as:Cuttie's Hillock, Cuttieshillock, New Spynie; Elgin
Database number:92323
Authorizer:J. Mueller Enterer:T. Liebrecht
Modifier:T. Liebrecht Research group:vertebrate
Created:2009-11-06 10:42:09 Last modified:2009-11-06 15:38:12
Access level:authorizer only Released:2012-11-06 10:42:09
Reference information
Primary reference:
31130 E. T. Newton. 1893. On some New Reptiles from the Elgin Sandstones. Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences 184:431-503 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht/T. Liebrecht]

Secondary references:

31128 P. S. Spencer and M. S. Y. Lee. 2000. A Juvenile Elginia and Early Growth in Pareiasaurs. Journal of Paleontology 74(6):1191-1195 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht]