Tiki Formation

The Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic (Carnian to Norian) geologic formation in Madhya Pradesh, northern India. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.^[1] Phytosaur remains attributable to the genus Volcanosuchus have also been found in the Tiki Formation.^[2]

Tiki Formation
Stratigraphic range: Carnian-Norian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Gondwana Group
Sub-units	Lower & Upper members
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone
Other	Claystone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates	23.9°N 81.4°E / 23.9; 81.4
Approximate paleocoordinates	42.6°S 51.1°E / -42.6; 51.1
Region	Madhya Pradesh
Country	India
Type section
Named for	Tiki village
Tiki Formation (India) Show map of India Tiki Formation (Madhya Pradesh) Show map of Madhya Pradesh

The genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium and Tikisuchus and species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis and Parvodus tikiensis have been named after the Tiki Formation.

Paleobiota

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.

Cynodonts

Cynodonts of the Tiki Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Gondwanadon[3][4]	G. tapani	A single molar	A morganucodont
Inditherium[5]	I. floris[5]	Three postcanine teeth	A dromatheriid
Rewaconodon[3]	R. indicus[5]	A partial jaw and three postcanine teeth	A dromatheriid
	R. tikiensis[6]
Ruberodon[3][7]	R. roychowdhurii	Five partial jaws	A traversodontid
Tikiodon[3]	T. cromptoni	A single postcanine tooth	A mammaliamorph
Tikitherium[3][8]	T. copei	A single postcanine tooth	A mammaliaform. Initially described as a basal mammaliaform related to Docodonta, but later redescribed as a Neogene shrew fossil that was reworked into the older deposit.[9]
Cynodontia indet.

Reptiles

Teeth similar to Galtonia, Protecovasaurus,^[10] and Azendohsaurus^[11] are known from the formation. Claws similar to shuvosaurids and dinosaurs^[12] have also been reported, though their exact identification is questionable. Saurischian dinosaurs may have been present based on vertebrae and limb fragments.^[13]

Reptiles of the Tiki Formation
Genus / Taxon	Species	Material	Notes
Clevosaurus[14]	C. nicholsi	Jaw fragments	A clevosaurid sphenodont
Colossosuchus[15]	C. techniensis[15]	Known from multiple skeletons, all likely died together	A very large mystriosuchine phytosaur
Desmatosuchnae Indet.[16]		osteoderms	A stagonolepidid aetosaur
Hyperodapedon[6]	H. huxleyi	Rare maxillary tooth plates[6]	A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur, also known as Paradapedon.[17] This species is far more common in the coeval Lower Maleri Formation of central India.
	H.tikiensis[18]	Various cranial and postcranial elements	A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur
Parasuchus[19][6]	P. hislopi	Skulls	A basal (non-mystriosuchine) phytosaur
Tikisuchus[19]	T. romeri	The skull and some postcranial elements of a young individual	A putative rauisuchid
Volcanosuchus[20]	V. statisticae[20]	A skull	A mystriosuchine phytosaur
Ornithischia indet.[21][6]
Phytosauria indet.[21][22]
Pseudosuchia indet.[23]
Sphenodontia indet.[11][21][6]
Theropoda indet.[19]

Amphibians

Amphibians of the Tiki Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Eodiscoglossus[6]	E. sp	An incomplete jaw	A discoglossid frog
Compsocerops[24]	C. tikiensis		A chigutisaurid temnospondyl
Metoposaurus[19]	M. sp.		A metoposaurid temnospondyl
Panthasaurus	P. maleriensis		A metoposaurid temnospondyl

Fish

Fishes of the Tiki Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes
Cladodus[6]	C. sp.	Teeth	A ctenacanth
Gnathorhiza	G. sp.[25]	Teeth	A gnathorhizid lungfish
Lonchidion	L. estesi		A hybodont
	L. encumbens		A hybodont
Mooreodontus[11]	M. indicus[26]	Teeth	A xenacanthid
	M. jaini[26]	Teeth
Pristrisodus[27]	P. tikiensis[27]	Teeth	A hybodont, formerly known as Parvodus tikiensis and Lissodus duffini.[6]
Ptychoceratodus	P. oldhami[25]	Teeth	A ptychoceratodontid lungfish
Tikiodontus[26]	T. asymmetricus[26]	Teeth	A xenacanthid
Actinopterygii indet.[6]
Coelacanthidae indet.[6]

Flora

• Baiera sp.^[28]
• Dicroidium sp.^[28]
• Elatocladus sp.^[28]
• Lepidopteris sp.^[28]
• Pagiophyllum sp.^[28]
• Sphenobaiera sp.^[28]
• Xylopteris sp.^[28]
• Yabeiella sp.^[28]

Correlations

The Tiki Formation is considered a temporal equivalent of the Lower Maleri Formation. The majority of the Tiki Formation correlates with the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, the upper part of the Santa Maria Formation, and the overlying lower Caturrita Formation of Brazil, the Isalo II Beds of Madagascar, Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland, and the lower Tecovas Formation of the Chinle Group of North America.

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
  • List of stratigraphic units with indeterminate dinosaur fossils