ammonites
Jabal Safra, Block 4B, collection 109B (Triassic of Oman)

Where: Oman (22.9° N, 57.7° E: paleocoordinates 28.5° S, 53.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Smithian (251.3 - 247.2 Ma)

• Block 4B. Collection 109B.

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: slope; lithified limestone

• 'The Hallstatt facies is generally interpreted as a pelagic deposit laid down far from any source of terrigenous sediment. Close juxtaposition of ammonoid zones is the general rule and indicates very low rates of sedimentation. The depth at which Hallstatt rocks formed has long been debated. A summary of views up to about 1970 is given in Tozer (1971). In that account a deep water environment was suggested but the arguments favouring deposition at about 200 m, as on seamounts, seem to be strongest (e.g. Jenkyns 1970).'
• 'The Early and Middle Triassic ammonoids occur in great abundance in very fine-grained limestone, mostly red, but in part grey or green. The colour, nature of the matrix, and abundance of ammonoids is the facies of the Hallstatt limestone.'

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: The Jabal Safra locality was discovered by T. J. Calon and C. Lee in 1983. In 1984 the writers spent three days studying Jabal Safra. Only ammonoids. No other macrofossils are present.

Primary reference: E. T. Tozer and T. J. Calon. 1990. Triassic ammonoids from Jabal Safra and Wadi Alwa, Oman, and their significance. In: Robertson, A. H. F., Searle, M. P. & Ries, A. C. (eds) The Geology and Tectonics of the oman Region Geological Society, London, Special Publication (49)203-211 [M. Aberhan/S. Nurnberg] more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 73233: authorized by Martin Aberhan, entered by Sabine Nürnberg on 07.06.2007