Lower Maleri Formation

Lower Maleri Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Carnianearly Norian
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofGondwana Group
UnderliesUpper Maleri Formation
OverliesBasement
Location
Coordinates19°12′N 79°42′E / 19.2°N 79.7°E / 19.2; 79.7
Approximate paleocoordinates36°24′S 38°12′E / 36.4°S 38.2°E / -36.4; 38.2
RegionAndhra Pradesh & Telangana
CountryIndia
ExtentPranhita–Godavari Basin
Lower Maleri Formation (India)

The Lower Maleri Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. It is the lowermost member of the Pranhita–Godavari Basin. It is of late Carnian to early Norian age (Upper Triassic), and is notable for its fossils of early archosaurs.[1]

Vertebrate fauna

cf. Angistorhinus and cf. Typothorax have also been recovered from it.[2][3]

Vertebrates from the Lower Maleri Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Alickmeron[4] A. maleriensis Partial distal femur An objective junior synonym of Alwalkeria maleriensis[5]
Alwalkeria[1] A. maleriensis[1] Andhra Pradesh "Partial skull and postcranial remains."[6] An avemetatarsalian[5]
Panthasaurus P. maleriensis A temnospondyl
Exaeretodon E. statisticae[2]
Hyperodapedon H. huxleyi[2]
Malerisaurus M. robinsonae[2]
Massospondylus M. hislopi Andhra Pradesh "Isolated vertebrae."[7] Later found to be indeterminate prosauropod remains
Parasuchus P. hislopi[2] A parasuchid phytosaur.
Plateosaurus Indeterminate Andhra Pradesh Later found to be indeterminate prosauropod remains
Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Correlations

The formation has been correlated with the Molteno Formation (Karoo Basin) and Pebbly Arkose Formation of Africa, the Santa Maria Formation of the Paraná Basin in Brazil, the Ischigualasto Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin of Argentina and the lowermost Chinle Formation of North America.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.525–527
  2. ^ a b c d e Novas et al, 2011
  3. ^ Kutty et al., 2007
  4. ^ Sen, Sulagna; Ray, Sanghamitra (2025). "Taxonomic reassessment of archosaurs with dinosaurian affinities from the lower fauna of the Upper Triassic Maleri Formation of India and their significance". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 45 (3) e2546434. doi:10.1080/02724634.2025.2546434.
  5. ^ a b McDavid, S.N.; Marchant, C.J.; Reid, I.J. (2 February 2026). "Alickmeron Sen & Ray, 2025 is an objective junior synonym of Alwalkeria Chatterjee & Creisler, 1994". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2025.2604088.
  6. ^ "Table 2.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 26.
  7. ^ "Table 12.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.236
  8. ^ Novas et al., 2011, p.343

Bibliography