Spynie, quarry 2, near Elgin: Carnian - Norian, United Kingdom
collected by William Young 1851

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Procolophonidae
Telerpeton elginense n. gen., n. sp. Mantell 1852
2 individuals
synonym of Leptopleuron lacertinum
NMS 1891.92.528 (holotype; also the type of L. lacertinum), articulated skull and skeleton; additional BGS specimen
see common names

Geography
Country:United Kingdom State/province:Scotland County:Moray
Coordinates: 57.7° North, 3.3° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:34.0° North, 0.8° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Triassic Epoch:Late/Upper Triassic
Key time interval:Carnian - Norian
Age range of interval:237.00000 - 208.50000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Lossiemouth Sandstone
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: Age of the Lossiemouth Sandstone Formation is based upon vertebrate biostratigraphy, with comparisons made to the faunal assemblages from the lower part of the Maleri Formation (India), the upper part of the Santa Maria Formation (Brazil) and the Ischigualasto Formation (Argentina). This is suggestive of a late Carnian to early Norian age (Benton & Walker 2011).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: lithified sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: General description of Lossiemouth Sandstones: "The Lossiemouth Sandstones are white, buff, yellow, or pinkish. Grain size is usually uniform with grains well-rounded. The rock is composed of quartz, feldspar, and rare brownish chert and quartzite. Cements are usually overgrowths of secondary quartz and feldspar, but calcite and fluorspar may also occur. The sandstones may be finely laminated, but more usually they show large-scale cross-beds on well-weathered surfaces. These features, as well as the absence of pebbles, the rarity of micas and heavy minerals, strongly suggest aeolian deposition".
Environment:dune
Geology comments: "Foreset analysis indicates a prevailing south-westerly wind forming barchan dunes. Dunes up to 20 m high migrated across the flood plain during arid intervals"
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,mold/impression
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Articulated whole bodies:all
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:BGS
Collectors:William Young Collection dates:1851
Collection method comments: NMS (also RSM): National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Metadata
Also known as:Leptopleuron holotype site
Database number:89011
Authorizer:R. Butler Enterer:R. Butler
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2009-04-28 07:49:28 Last modified:2015-06-29 11:33:16
Access level:the public Released:2009-04-28 07:49:28
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

29845. G. A. Mantell. 1852. Description of the Telerpeton elginense and observations on supposed fossil ova of batrachians in the Lower Devonian strata of Forfarshire. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 8:100-109 [R. Butler/R. Butler]

Secondary references:

15587ETE M. J. Benton and P. S. Spencer. 1995. Fossil Reptiles of Great Britain. Chapman & Hall, London 1-386 [M. Carrano/K. Maguire/J. Tennant]
29840 M. J. Benton and A. D. Walker. 1985. Palaeoecology, taphonomy, and dating of Permo-Triassic reptiles from Elgin, north-east Scotland. Palaeontology 28:207-234 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
29846 R. Owen. 1851. Vertebrate air-breathing life in the Old Red Sandstone. Literary Gazette 1851:900 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
55639 R. L. Paton. 1975. A Catalogue of Fossil Vertebrates in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. Part Four / Amphibia & Reptilia. Royal Scottish Museum Information Series. Geology 5 1-38 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
34736 L. K. Saila. 2010. Osteology of Leptopleuron lacertinum Owen, a procolophonoid parareptile from the Upper Triassic of Scotland, with remarks on ontogeny, ecology and affinities. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 101:1-25 [R. Butler/R. Butler/R. Butler]