Danata Formation

The Danata Formation (or Danatinskaya, Danatinsk, Russian: Danata Svita) is an Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene sedimentary succession located in Turkmenistan. It is mostly famous for its fish-bearing horizons (Ichthyofauna).^[1] The formation for example crops out in the Kopet Dag mountain range in the border region of Turkmenistan and Iran.^[1]

Danata Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Paleocene-Mid Eocene ~58–45 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Location
Coordinates	38°38′N 55°48′E / 38.633°N 55.800°E / 38.633; 55.800^[1]
Approximate paleocoordinates	35°06′N 51°12′E / 35.1°N 51.2°E / 35.1; 51.2
Country	Turkmenistan
Danata Formation (Turkmenistan)

Fossil content

The Danata Formation is famous for its ichthyofauna. The fish are found in a 9 metres (30 ft) thick clay horizon in the middle of the succession, that has been dated as Upper Paleocene.^[1] This includes fossils of the family Turkmenidae. Luvarus necopinatus was first described in this formation. Other fossils of fish include the genera Eospinus, Danatinia, Exellia, Turkmene and Avitoluvarus. The snake species Archaeophis turkmenicus has also been described.^[2]

A similar fauna occurs in the Moler Formation in Denmark.^[1]

References

1. Prokofiev, Artém M. "The Late Paleocene fish fauna of Turkmenistan" (PDF). Retrieved 15 November 2013.
2. Head et al., 2005

Bibliography

• Head, Jason J.; Patricia A. Holroyd; J. Howard Hutchison, and Russell L. Ciochon. 2005. First report of snakes (Serpentes) from the Late Middle Eocene Pondaung Formation, Myanmar. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(1). 246–250. .