Bradgate Formation

The Bradgate Formation is a geologic formation in Leicestershire, and lies within the wider Bradgate Park area. It preserves fossils dating back to the Lower Ediacaran period.

Bradgate Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ediacaran 561–557 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Bradgate Park, which gave the name to the formation, which itself can be found here.
Type	Formation
Unit of	Maplewell Group
Sub-units	Hallgate and Sliding Stone Slump Breccia Members
Underlies	Hanging Rocks Formation[2]
Overlies	Beacon Hill Formation[2]
Thickness	649 m (2,129 ft)[2]
Lithology
Primary	Pelite
Other	Tuff, Graywacke, Breccia
Location
Region	Leicestershire
Country	United Kingdom
Type section
Named for	Bradgate Park

Paleobiota

The Bradgate Formation contains the richest fossil beds within the Charnian Supergroup, from frondose organisms like Bradgatia and Charnia, which when the latter was discovered, showed definitive proof that macroscopic life did indeed exist before the Cambrian,^[3] to discoid forms like Aspidella.

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.

Petalonamae

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Bradgatia[4]	B. linfordensis	Sessile frondose organism.
Charnia[3]	C. masoni	Sessile frondose organism, and first organism found within this formation.
Charniodiscus[3]	C. concentricus	Sessile frondose organism.
Hylaecullulus[5]	H. fordi	Sessile frondose organism.
Primocandelabrum[6]	P. aelfwynnia P. aethelflaedia P. boyntoni	Sessile frondose organism.
Vinlandia[7]	V. antecedens	Sessile frondose organism.

Cnidaria

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Auroralumina[8]	A. attenboroughii	Early sessile crown-group medusozoan cnidarian.

incertae sedis

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Aspidella[9]	Aspidella sp.	Enigmatic discoidal fossil.
Thectardis[9]	T. avalonensis	Discoid organism, possibly holdfasts of petalonamids.

Undescribed forms

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Gladius form[4]	???	Enigmatic fossil, described to be in the shape of a gladius sword.
Hemispherical form[4]	???	Enigmatic fossil, described to be hemispherical in shape, with bifurcating radial ribs.
Lanceolate frond[10]	???	Enigmatic frondose fossil, described to be in the shape of a lance head, which has collapsed in onto itself.

See also

• Earth sciences portal
• United Kingdom portal
• Paleontology portal

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in England