Melbourne Formation

The Melbourne Formation is a geologic formation in Victoria, Australia. It preserves fossils dating back to the Ludlow epoch of the Silurian period.

Melbourne Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ludlow epoch ~
Type	Formation
Unit of	Murrindindi Supergroup
Underlies	Humevale Formation
Overlies	Yan Yean & Anderson Creek Formations
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, siltstone
Other	Shale, mudstone
Location
Coordinates	37.8°S 145.0°E / -37.8; 145.0
Approximate paleocoordinates	2.1°S 174.9°E / -2.1; 174.9
Region	Victoria
Country	Australia
Extent	Lachlan Orogen
Type section
Named for	Melbourne
Named by	Schleiger
Year defined	1974
Melbourne Formation (Australia) Melbourne Formation (Victoria)

Description

Paleogeography of the Early Silurian, 435 Ma

The Melbourne Formation, part of the Murrindindi Supergroup, is conformably overlain by the Humevale Formation and overlies the Yan Yean and Anderson Creek Formations. The formation comprises mainly thin-bedded siltstone and sandstones. Most beds show undisturbed Bouma sequences.

Fossil content

The following fossils were reported from the formation:

Eurypterids

• Pterygotus australis

Trilobites

• Encrinurus simpliciculus
• Trilobita indet.

Brachiopods

• Aegiria thomasi
• ?Leptostrophia sp.
• cf. Phoenicitoechia sp.

Gastropods

• Bellerophontidae indet.

Bivalves

• Ctenodontella sp.
• cf. Ctenodonta spp.

Scyphozoa

• Conulariidae indet.

Corals

• Cladopora spp.
• cf. Alveolites sp.

Ophiuroidea

• Mausoleaster sugarloafensis
• Protaster sp.

Crinoids

• Dendrocrinus saundersi
• Kooptoonocrinus nutti
• Dimerocrinitidae indet.

See also

• Tumblagooda Sandstone, Silurian geologic formation in Western Australia
• Yea Flora Fossil Site, Silurian fossil site in Victoria

References

Bibliography

• Plotnick, R. E (1999), Habitat of Llandoverian-Lochkovian eurypterids, in A. J. Boucot, J. D. Lawson (eds.), Paleocommunities - a case study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian, pp. 106–136
• Jell, P. A.; Holloway, D. J. (1983), "Devonian and ?Late Silurian Palaeontology of the Winneke Reservoir Site, Christmas Hills, Victoria", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 95: 1–21
• Talent, J. A (1965), "The Silurian and Early Devonian Faunas of the Heathcote District, Victoria", Geological Survey of Victoria Memoir, 26: 1–55

Further reading

• Schleiger, N.W., 1974, Statistical methods for analysis and mapping of flysch-type sediments., Sedimentology, 21(2), p223-249