PBDB Collection

Abbey Wood: Ypresian, United Kingdom

List of taxa

Where & when

Geology

Taphonomy & methods

Metadata & references

Taxonomic list

Actinopteri

	Teleostei indet. Müller 1846	Kühne 1969
	2 species
Reptilia - Marinavidae

	Marinavis longirostris n. gen., n. sp. Harrison and Walker 1977	Harrison and Walker 1977
Reptilia - Testudines - Trionychidae

	Trionyx silvestris n. sp. Walker and Moody 1974	Walker and Moody 1974	1 specimen
	almost complete skull
Mammalia - Multituberculata - Neoplagiaulacidae

	Ectypodus cf. tardus (Jepsen 1940)	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60309

	Charlesmooria childei n. gen., n. sp. Kühne 1969	Kühne 1969	1 specimen
	recombined as Ectypodus childei
	NHMUK M26617 - type; referred material: M15131
Mammalia

	Peradectes sp. Matthew and Granger 1921	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44991

	Amphiperatherium informal sp. 1 Filhol 1879	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60004, 63695, 60005, 44963; previously listed as Amphiperatherium brabantense

	Amphiperatherium informal sp. 2 Filhol 1879	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60002; previously listed as Amphiperatherium maximum
Mammalia - Macroscelidea - Amphilemuridae

	? Amphilemuridae indet. Hill 1953	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M45500 and 45614

	Macrocranion sp. Weitzel 1949	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44893, 44904, 51702, 45618, 44903, 44956 and 60058

	Neomatronella gassoni n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60070 - type; paratypes: NHMUK M44953, 29365 and 51701; referred material: NHMUK M44952
Mammalia - Condylarthra - Hyopsodontidae

	Lessnessina packmani n. gen., n. sp. Hooker 1979	Hooker 1979	4 specimens
	left maxilla with P3-M3 and isolated teeth

	Hyopsodus wardi n. sp. Hooker 1979	Hooker 1979	25 specimens
	jaw fragments and isolated teeth
Mammalia - Phenacodontidae

	Phenacodus lemoinei	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44926, 45661, 29723 and 29724
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Lophiodontidae

	Coryphodon eocaenicus	Cooper 1932	1 specimen
	NHMUK M13775, 83063, 29232, 44887, 29234, 83056, 34863, 21819, 44911, 20229, 29746, 26788, 29748, 63572, 15144, 29749 and 44981
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae

	Hyracotherium sp. Owen 1841	Cooper 1932
	author notes that this is being described elsewhere
	= Pliolophus barnesi n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44910 - type

	Hyracotherium aff. vulpiceps (Owen 1858)	Hooker 1980
	original and current combination Pliolophus vulpiceps
Mammalia - Diacodexeidae

	Diacodexis morrisi n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M83071 - type; paratypes: NHMUK M44943, 83065, 15141, 44919 and 60060; referred material: NHMUK M45485, 45647, 60794, 45515, 45619, 63702, 26897, 45638, 63697 and 63703
Mammalia - Procreodi - Arctocyonidae

	Arctocyonides jefferyi n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M45650 - type; paratypes: NHMUK M31876, 29235 and 51526
Mammalia - Creodonta

	Creodonta indet. (Cope 1875)	Cooper 1932	1 specimen
Mammalia - Creodonta - Oxyaenidae

	Oxyaena sp. Cope 1874	Smith and Smith 2001
	NHMUK 13778, 15128 and 31877
	= Oxyaena gulo Matthew and Granger 1915	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK 44915, 44882, 44942, 31877, 45659, 29412, 51706, 83064, 13778, 29429 and 29499

	Palaeonictis gigantea de Blainville 1842	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44983, 15125, 45517, 63811, 60024, 15128, 60092, 29410, 60026, 29233, 29359
Mammalia - Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae

	Prototomus minimus Smith and Smith 2001	Solé et al. 2013
	NHMUK M44936 and 45672

	Prototomus girardoti Smith and Smith 2001	Solé et al. 2013
	NHMUK M45651, 20212 and 63696
Mammalia - Viverravidae

	Viverravus lawsoni n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M51700 - type; paratypes: NHMUK 45487, 63196 and 44930
Mammalia

	Miacis rundlei n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M26248 - type; paratypes: NHMUK M44902, 29725, 60008, 29726, 44890, 44955, 44974, 26785, 60081, 44962 and 45245; referred material: NHMUK M45554

	Uintacyon cf. rudis Rose 1981	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M26246
Mammalia - Acreodi - Mesonychidae

	Pachyaena cf. ossifraga Cope 1874	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44984
Mammalia - Nyctitheriidae

	? Wyonycteris sp. Gingerich 1987	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M63198

	Wyonycteris richardi Smith 1995	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44900, 44901 and 83068

	? Remiculus sp. Russell 1964	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60003

	Leptacodon sp. Matthew and Granger 1921	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M50384
Mammalia - Pantolestidae

	Palaeosinopa cf. osborni	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M29761, 60665
Mammalia - Rodentia

	Rodentia indet. Bowdich 1821	Cooper 1932
	NHMUK M44899
Mammalia - Rodentia - Ischyromyidae

	Ailuravinae indet. Michaux 1968	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44937

	Ailuravus mitchelli n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M31909 - type; paratyps: NHMUK M45258, 63195, 45493, 44905, 45390 and 44892

	cf. Meldimys sp. Michaux 1968	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M45391

	Pantrogna cf. russelli (Michaux 1964)	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M26898 and 45643

	? Sparnacomys sp. Hartenberger 1971	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44909

	Sparnacomys georgei n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M29364 - type; paratype: NHMUK M26899; previously identified as Microparamys
Mammalia - Rodentia

	Pseudoparamys sp. Michaux 1964	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44950, 44938, 45494 and 45640
Mammalia - Primates - Plesiadapidae

	Platychoerops sp. Charlesworth 1855	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M45623
Mammalia - Primates - Paromomyidae

	Arcius lapparenti (Russell et al. 1967)	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M44945
	= Arcius hookeri n. sp. López-Torres and Silcox 2018	López-Torres and Silcox 2018
Mammalia - Primates - Notharctidae

	Protoadapis eppsi n. sp. Cooper 1932	Cooper 1932	1 specimen
	recombined as Cantius eppsi
	NHMUK M13773 - type; referred material: NHMUK M15145, 60055, 29641, 63691, 45637, 60007, 60022, 51750, 15147, 29639, 60795, 45616, 29753, 45491, 29638, 60799 and 45555
Mammalia - Primates - Omomyidae

	Melaneremia bryanti n. gen., n. sp. Hooker 2007	Hooker 2007
	NHMUK M60001 - holotype; Teilhardina sp. of Hooker 1980, Nannopithex sp. of Collinson and Hooker 1987, and Omomyidae indet. of Hooker 1998
Mammalia - Chiroptera

	Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60045
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Emballonuridae

	? Adapisorex anglicus n. sp. Cooper 1932	Cooper 1932	1 specimen
	recombined as Eppsinycteris anglica
	n. sp., portion of right maxilla

	Eppsinycteris anglica n. gen., n. sp. (Cooper 1932)	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M13776 - holotye
Mammalia - Insectivora

	Insectivora indet. Bowdich 1821	Cooper 1932
Mammalia - Pseudorhyncocyonidae

	Leptictidium prouti n. sp. Hooker 2013	Hooker 2013
	NHMUK.M65382 - type (LM3)

	Fordonia lawsoni Hooker 2013	Hooker 2013
	NHMUK.M45247 (LP3)
Mammalia - Leptictidae

	? Leptictidae indet. Gill 1872	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M45247

	Didelphodus sp. Cope 1882	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M60071, 26140, 29733, 15124 and 44954
Mammalia - Proteutheria - Palaeoryctidae

	Didelphodontinae indet. Simpson 1927	Hooker 1980
Mammalia - Apatemyidae

	Eochiromys ? sp. Teilhard de Chardin 1927	Hooker 1980

	Apatemys prouti n. sp. Hooker 2010	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M51704 - type; paratypes: NHMUK M44880, 44948 and 13772
Mammalia - Esthonychidae

	Plesiesthonyx minimus (Baudry 1992)	Hooker 2010
	NHMUK M34580, 29363 and 26787
Acipenseriformes - Acipenseridae

	Acipenser sp. Linnaeus 1758	Kühne 1969
Chondrichthyes - Myliobatiformes

	Myliobatiformes indet. Compagno 1973	Kühne 1969
	"rayid"
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Lamnidae

	Lamnidae indet. Müller and Henle 1838	Kühne 1969
Gastropoda - Neotaenioglossa - Calyptraeidae

	Calyptraea sp. Lamarck 1799
Gastropoda - Pachychilidae

	Paludomus sincenyensis
	rare

	Melanatria inquinata
	common
Gastropoda - Melanopsidae

	Melanopsis buccinoidea
	abundant (in thousands)
Gastropoda - Cerithiidae

	Tympanotonus funatus
	spelled with current rank as Cerithium (Tympanotonus)
	common
Gastropoda - Thiaridae

	"Bayania" triticea
	common
Gastropoda - Epitoniidae

	Epitonium cf. stueri (de Boury 1890)
	recombined as Cirsotrema (Gyroscala) stueri
	rare

	Acirsa sp. Mörch 1857
	rare and corroded
Gastropoda - Neogastropoda - Muricidae

	Murex abbatiae
	rare
Gastropoda - Neogastropoda - Buccinidae

	Siphonalia mariae

	Tritonidea lata
	common and very variable

	Tritonidea sp. Sowerby 1842
	rare

	Pseudoliva fissurata
	common

	"Parvisipho" cf. infraeocenica
	original and current combination Sipho (Parvisipho)
Gastropoda - Neogastropoda - Turridae

	Hemipleurotoma spp.
	synonym of Gemmula
	3 species, rare
Gastropoda - Neogastropoda - Terebridae

	Terebra plicatula Lamarck 1803
	recombined as Mirula plicatula
	common
Gastropoda - Naticidae

	Natica glaucinoides Sowerby 1812
	recombined as Euspira glaucinoides
	common

	Natica abducta
	common
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Planorbidae

	Planorbis hemistoma
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Pyramidellidae

	Odontostomia regularis
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Ringiculidae

	Ringicula lignitarium
	rare
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Acteonidae

	Tornatellaea sp. Conrad 1860
	one imperfect example

	Actaeon cf. granum
	replaced by Acteon
	one corroded specimen
Gastropoda - Neritidae

	Theodoxus globulus
	common

	Theodoxus subornatus
	common

	Nerita semilugubris
	rare
Bivalvia - Nuculida - Nuculidae

	Nucula fragilis Deshayes 1829
	recombined as Nucula (Nucula) fragilis
	common
Bivalvia - Hiatellida - Hiatellidae

	Cyrtodaria rutupiensis (Morris 1852)
	rare
Bivalvia - Pholadida - Pholadidae

	Barnea levesquei
	rare
Bivalvia - Pholadida - Teredinidae

	Teredo sp. Linnaeus 1758
Bivalvia - Pholadida - Corbulidae

	Corbulomya antiqua
	common

	Corbula morrisi
	common

	Corbula arnouldi
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Cyrenidae

	Cyrena cuneiformis
	abundant (in thousands)

	Cyrena tellinella
	abundant (in thousands)
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Veneridae

	Dosiniopsis bellovacensis (Deshayes 1825)
	recombined as Dosiniopsis bellovacina
	rare
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Mactridae

	Mactra semisulcata Lamarck 1805
	recombined as Spisula semisulcata
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Cardiidae

	Protocardium plumsteadianum (Sowerby 1813)
	recombined as Nemocardium plumsteadianum
Bivalvia - Mytilida - Mytilidae

	Modiola sp. Lamarck 1801
	corrected as Modiolus
	rare
Bivalvia - Arcida - Glycymerididae

	Glycymeris plumsteadiensis
	common
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Ostreidae

	Ostrea sp. Linnaeus 1758
	fragmentary, "several indubitable pearls have been found. These probably originated in oysters rather than in Pinnae which are not known at this horizon.
see common names

Geography

Country:	United Kingdom	State/province:	England
Coordinates:	51.4° North, 0.2° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:	46.9° North, 2.3° West
Basis of coordinate:	based on nearby landmark
Altitude:	28 meters
Geographic resolution:	outcrop

Time

Period:	Paleogene	Epoch:	Eocene
Stage:	Ypresian	10 m.y. bin:	Cenozoic 2
Key time interval:	Ypresian
Age range of interval:	56.00000 - 47.80000 m.y. ago

Stratigraphy

Formation:	Blackheath Beds	Member:	Abbey Wood
Stratigraphic resolution:	bed
Stratigraphy comments: Blackheath Beds is an informal formation name. Lessness Shell Bed (Sparnacian) is within the lower sandy Abbey Wood Member of the Blackheath Beds. JA: assigned to the early Ypresian and Hooker zone PE III by Hooker 2007

Lithology and environment

Primary lithology:	sandstone
Lithology description: from the lower sandy member
Environment:	marine indet.

Taphonomy

Modes of preservation:	body
Size of fossils:	macrofossils,mesofossils
Disassociated major elements:	some
Disassociated minor elements:	many

Collection methods and comments

Collection excludes:	some macrofossils
Collection methods:	bulk,chemical,sieve,field collection,survey of museum collection
Reason for describing collection:	taxonomic analysis
Collection method comments: Wrigley cites Mr. St. John Marriott (1925) as the first to publish on this locality in "British Woodlands as illustrated by Lessness Abbey Woods", which I couldn't get my hands on
Taxonomic list comments:Cooper doesn't specify the level at Abbey Wood from which his fossils were found. He calls the unit London Clay and gives the age as Sparnacian-Ypresian, based on the fossils.

Metadata

Also known as:	The Sandpit, Lessness Shell Bed, Blackheath Beds
Database number:	38868
Authorizer:	J. Alroy, M. Uhen, M. Carrano, R. Butler, P. Mannion	Enterer:	E. Leckey, J. Alroy, M. Carrano, M. Uhen, P. Mannion, J. Benito Moreno
Modifier:	P. Mannion	Research group:	marine invertebrate,vertebrate
Created:	2004-05-11 17:31:12	Last modified:	2016-11-18 07:37:21
Access level:	the public	Released:	2004-05-11 17:31:12
Creative Commons license:	CC BY

Reference information

Primary reference:

10796.

A. Wrigley. 1931. The Lower Eocene Mollusca of Abbey Wood and of High Halstow. The Vertebrate Faunas of the English Eocene 1:110-112 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Leckey]

Secondary references:

61794		M. J. Benton, E. Cook, and J. J. Hooker. 2005. Mesozoic and Tertiary Fossil Mammals and Birds of Great Britain. Geological Conservation Review Series 32:215 [R. Butler/J. Benito Moreno]
10844		C. F. Cooper. 1932. On some mammalian remains from the Lower Eocene of the London Clay. Annals of Natural History 10(9):458-467 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Leckey]
74648		C. J. O. Harrison and C. A. Walker. 1977. Birds of the British Lower Eocene. Tertiary Research Group 3:1-52 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
10495		J. J. Hooker. 1979. Two new condylarths (Mammalia) from the early Eocene of southern England. Bulletin of the British Museum. Natural History. Geology Series 32(1):43-56 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Leckey]
61573		J. J. Hooker. 1980. The succession of Hyracotherium (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) in the English early Eocene. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology) 22(2):101-114 [R. Butler/J. Benito Moreno]
10564		J. J. Hooker. 1996. A primitive emballonurid bat (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from the earliest Eocene of England. Palaeovertebrata 25(2-4):284-300 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Leckey]
24414		J. J. Hooker. 2007. A new microchoerine omomyid (Primates, Mammalia) from the English Early Eocene and its palaeobiogeographical implications. Palaeontology 50(3):739-756 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
60859		J. J. Hooker. 2010. The mammal fauna of the early Eocene Blackheath Formation of Abbey Wood, London. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society 165:1-162 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
56880		J. J. Hooker. 2013. Origin and evolution of the Pseudorhyncocyonidae, a European Paleogene family of insectivorous placental mammals. Palaeontology 56(4):807-835 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
23360	ETE	W. G. Kühne. 1969. A multituberculate from the Eocene of the London Basin. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 1658:199-202 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
66265		S. López-Torres and M. T. Silcox. 2018. The European Paromomyidae (Primates, Mammalia): taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeographic implications. Journal of Paleontology [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
10612		J. C. Rage and R. L. E. Ford. 1980. Amphibians and Squamates from the Upper Eocene of the Isle of Wight. Tertiary Research 3(2):47-60 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Leckey]
57023		T. Smith and R. Smith. 2001. The creodonts (Mammalia, Ferae) from the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Belgium (Tienen Formation, MP7). Belgian Journal of Zoology 131(2):117-135 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
60841		F. Solé, E. Gheerbrant, and M. Godinot. 2011. New data on the Oxyaenidae from the Early Eocene of Europe; biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic and paleoecologic implications. Palaeontologia Electronica 14(2):13A:1-41 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
60840		F. Solé, E. Gheerbrant, and M. Godinot. 2013. Sinopaninae and Arfianinae (Hyaenodontida, Mammalia) from the Early Eocene of Europe and Asia; evidence for dispersal in Laurasia around the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and for an unnoticed faunal turnover in Europe. Geobios 46:313-327 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
10629		C. A. Walker and R. T. J. Moody. 1974. A new trionychid turtle from the Lower Eocene of Kent. Palaeontology 17(4):901-907 [J. Alroy/E. Leckey/E. Vlachos]