Partnach Formation

The Partnach Formation is a Middle Triassic geologic formation in the eastern Northern Limestone Alps and Western Carpathians, within Austria and Slovakia, Central Europe.^[1] The formation consists of alternating grey and green marls and shales (Partnach shales) and grey limestones (Partnach Limestone), often brecciated, oncolithic and containing clay intraclasts.^[2] The formation is gradually evolving from the Reifling Formation. It is usually overlain by the Lunz/Reibl Formation or Wetterstein Formation. Sediments of the Partnach Formation were deposited in intrashelf basins.

Partnach Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ladinian (Longobardian) ~242–235 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Outcrop of Partnach marl west of the Partnach Gorge
Type	Geologic formation
Underlies	Wetterstein Formation
Overlies	Reifling Formation
Lithology
Primary	Clayey shales (marls) and limestone
Location
Coordinates	47.1°N 9.9°E / 47.1; 9.9
Approximate paleocoordinates	8.6°N 21.9°E / 8.6; 21.9
Region	Carinthia, Vorarlberg
Country	Austria Slovakia
Extent	Northern Limestone Alps
Type section
Named for	Partnach
Named by	Wilhelm von Gümbel
Partnach Formation (Austria)

The rock unit was originally defined as Partnachschichten by Wilhelm von Gümbel in 1858.

It preserves fossils dated to the Ladinian age of the Middle Triassic Epoch of the Triassic Period.^[1][3]

Fossil content

• Sauropterygia
  • Lariosaurus cf. balsami
  • Neusticosaurus toeplitschi
  • Microleptosaurus schlosseri
  • Simosaurus gaillardoti
• Temnospondyls
  • Tatrasuchus sp.

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Austria