Kallakurichi Formation

The Kallakurichi Formation, alternatively spelled as Kallankurichchi or Kallankurichi Formation,^[1] is a geological formation of the Ariyalur Group in Tamil Nadu, southern India whose strata date back to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur eggs of Megaloolithus cylindricus are among the fossils that have been recovered from the sandy limestones of the formation.^[2]

Kallakurichi Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian ~72–69 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Ariyalur Group
Underlies	Ottakovil formation
Overlies	Sillakkudi formation
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Location
Coordinates	11.1°N 79.1°E / 11.1; 79.1
Approximate paleocoordinates	35.3°S 56.4°E / -35.3; 56.4
Region	Tamil Nadu
Country	India
Type section
Named for	Kallakurichi
Kallakurichi Formation (India) Show map of India Kallakurichi Formation (Tamil Nadu) Show map of Tamil Nadu

Fossil content

The following fossils were reported from the formation:^[1]

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.

Dinosaurs

Ornithischian

Ornithischians from the Kallakurichi Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Stegosauridae[3]	indet		A Stegosaurid.

Sauropods

Sauropods from the Kallakurichi Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
?Titanosaurus[3]	T. indicus		A titanosaurian sauropod.
Megaloolithus[4]	M. cylindricus	Fossilised Eggs	A Sauropod Oogenus.

Theropods

Theropods from the Kallakurichi Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Theropoda[3]	indet		A Theropod.

Molluscas

Molluscas from the Kallakurichi Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Inoceramus[5]	I. bulbus		A Clam.
	I. tamulicus
Pycnodonta[5]	P. vesicularis		A Clam.
Ostrea (Alectryonia)[5]	sp.		A Clam.
Anisomyon[5]	A. indicus		A snail.

Brachiopods from the Kallakurichi formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes	Member
Gyrodina	G. globosa[5]
Neobulimina	N. sp.[5]

Foraminiferans from the Kallakurichi formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes	Member
Textulariina	T. nacataensis[5]

Rhynchonellatans from the Kallakurichi formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes	Member
Rectithyris	R. subdepressa[5]
Rhynchonella	R. sp.[5]

Sea Urchins from the Kallakurichi formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes	Member
Hemipneustes	H. compressus[6]

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
  • List of stratigraphic units with dinosaur trace fossils
    • Dinosaur eggs