Werfen Formation

The Werfen Formation is a geologic formation in the Southern Limestone Alps and Dinaric Alps of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Italy. It preserves fossils dating back to the Triassic period.^[1]

Werfen Formation
Stratigraphic range: Changhsingian-Ladinian ~254–235 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Unit of	Costabella Group
Sub-units	Campil, Cencenighe, Gastropod Oolite, Tesero Oolite, Mazzin, Siusi, Val Badia Members
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, lime mudstone, limestone
Other	Siltstone, sandstone, marl
Location
Coordinates	46.8°N 12.1°E / 46.8; 12.1
Approximate paleocoordinates	7.4°N 22.9°E / 7.4; 22.9
Region	Upper Austria, Bolzano, South Tyrol, Trentino, Veneto
Country	Austria Italy Bosnia and Herzegovina
Extent	Dinaric, Southern Limestone & Salzburg Slate Alps, Tennen Mountains
Type section
Named for	Werfen
Werfen Formation (Mediterranean)

Fossil content

The formation has provided numerous fossils typical of a shallow lagoon environment, including:

• Eotiaris teseroensis (a crown-group echinoid from Changhsingian aged beds of the Tesero Member)^[2]
• Orbicoelia sp. (a brachiopod)^[2]
• Teserina nerii (a brachiopod)^[2]

Griesbachian aged layers of the formation also preserve an unexpectedly diverse ichnotaxon assemblage, including the ichnogenera Catenichnus, Helminthopsis, Lockeia, Palaeophycus, Planolites, Rhizocorallium, Spongeliomorpha, Taenidium and Thalassinoides.^[3]

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Austria
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Italy