{{short description|Geologic formation in India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox rockunit | name = Lower Dharmaram Formation | image = | caption = | type = [[Geological formation]] | age = [[Norian|Latest Norian]]–[[Rhaetian]]<br />~{{fossil range|211|202}} | period = Rhaetian | prilithology = [[Sandstone]], [[Mudstone]] | otherlithology = | namedfor = [[Dharmaram, Peddapalli district|Dharmaram]] | namedby = | region = [[Telangana]] | country = [[India]] | coordinates = {{coord|19.2|N|79.6|E|display=inline,title}} | paleocoordinates = {{coord|32.3|S|36.1|E|display=inline}} | unitof = [[Gondwana Group]] | subunits = | underlies = [[Upper Dharmaram Formation]] | overlies = [[Upper Maleri Formation]] | thickness = | extent = [[Pranhita–Godavari Basin]] | area = | map = {{Location map+ | India | relief = 1 | width = 250 | float = center | places = {{Location map~ | India | lat_deg = 19.2 | lon_deg = 79.6 | mark = Pink ff0080 pog.svg | marksize = 12 }} }} | map_caption = }}
The '''Lower Dharmaram Formation''' is a [[sedimentary]] [[geological formation|rock formation]] found in [[Telangana]], [[India]]. It is one of the formations of the [[Pranhita–Godavari Basin]]. It is of latest [[Norian]] and [[Rhaetian]] ages ([[Upper Triassic]]), and is notable for its [[fossil]]s of early [[dinosaur]]s.
== Vertebrate fauna == cf. ''[[Paratypothorax]]'', cf. ''[[Nicrosaurus]]'', fragmentary remains of [[sauropodomorph]]s ([[Indian Statistical Institute|ISI]] R279, 280, 281) and [[neotheropod]]s (ISI R283) have also been recovered from it.<ref name=Indiansaupo>Novas et al., 2011, p.345</ref>
{{paleobiota-key-compact}}
=== Saurischians === {| class="wikitable" align="center" |- ! colspan="7" align="center" | '''[[Saurischia|Saurischians]] reported from the Lower Dharmaram Formation''' |- ! Genus ! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |- | ''[[Jaklapallisaurus]]'' | ''J. assymetrica''<ref name=Indiansaupo/> | [[Telangana]] | | "ISI R279, distal end of right [[femur]]."<ref name=Indiansaupo/> | A [[Unaysauridae|unaysaurid]], also found in the [[Upper Maleri Formation]]. | |- | [[Sauropodomorpha]] | Indeterminate | [[Telangana]] | | "ISIR 280, astragalus." | An Indeterminate Sauropodomorpha. | |- | [[Neotheropoda]] | Indeterminate | [[Telangana]] | | "ISIR 283, incomplete femur." | An Indeterminate [[Neotheropod]]. | |- |}
=== Pseudosuchians === {| class="wikitable" align="center" |- ! colspan="7" align="center" | '''[[Pseudosuchia|Pseudosuchians]] reported from the Lower Dharmaram Formation''' |- ! Genus ! Species ! Location ! Stratigraphic position ! Material ! Notes ! Images |- | ''[[Kuttysuchus]]'' | ''K. minor''<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Haldar |first1=A. |last2=Ray |first2=S. |last3=Bandyopadhyay |first3=S. |year=2024 |title=A new paratypothoracin aetosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Upper Triassic Dharmaram Formation of India and its biostratigraphic implications |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |at=e2439533 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2024.2439533 }}</ref> | Telangana | | | A [[Typothoracinae|typothoracine]] [[Aetosauria|aetosaur]]. | |- | ''[[Venkatasuchus]]'' | ''V. armatus''<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Haldar |first1=A. |last2=Ray |first2=S. |last3=Bandyopadhyay |first3=S. |year=2023 |title=A new typothoracine aetosaur (Archosauria, Pseudosuchia) from the Upper Triassic of India with insights on biostratigraphy, diversification, and paleobiogeography |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |at=e2253292 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2023.2253292 }}</ref> | Telangana | | | A typothoracine aetosaur | [[File:Venkatasuchus reconstruction.png|frameless]] |- | cf. ''[[Paratypothorax]]'' | sp. | Telangana | | |A typothoracine aetosaur. | |- | cf. ''[[Nicrosaurus]]'' | sp. | Telangana | | |A [[Mystriosuchini|mystriosuchin]] [[Parasuchidae|parasuchid]]. | |- | cf. ''[[Desmatosuchus|Desmantosuchus]]''<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Haldar |first1=A. |last2=Ray |first2=S. |last3=Bandyopadhyay |first3=S. |title=First report of desmatosuchin aetosaurs (Diapsida, Archosauria) from the lower part of Dharmaram Formation and a biostratigraphic re-evaluation of the upper Triassic horizons of India |year=2025 |journal=Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology |pages=1–30 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2025.2569748 }}</ref> | sp. | Telangana | | | A typothoracine aetosaur. | |- | [[Desmatosuchinae]] indet.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | | Telangana | | | Indeterminate typothoracine aetosaurs. | |}
== Correlations == The formation has been correlated with the [[Elliot Formation|Lower Elliot Formation]] ([[Karoo Basin]]) and [[Forest Sandstone]] of Africa, the [[Caturrita Formation]] of the [[Paraná Basin]] in Brazil, the [[Laguna Colorada Formation|Laguna Colorada]] and [[Los Colorados Formation]]s ([[Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin]]) of Argentina, the [[Chinle Formation]] of North America, the [[Trossingen Formation]] of the [[Keuper]] of Germany, and the [[Nam Phong Formation]] of Thailand.<ref name=Novas2011_p343>Novas et al., 2011, p.343</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Geology|Paleontology}} * [[List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
=== Bibliography === * {{citation |last1=Novas |first1=Fernando E. |last2=Ezcurra |first2=Martín D. |author3-link=Sankar Chatterjee |last3=Chatterjee |first3=Sankar |last4=Kutty |first4=T.S. |year=2011 |title=New dinosaur species from the Upper Triassic Upper Maleri and Lower Dharmaram formations of central India |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231824148 |journal=[[Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]] |volume=101 |issue=3–4 |pages=333–349 |doi=10.1017/S1755691011020093 |bibcode=2010EESTR.101..333N |accessdate=2019-04-06 |author1-link=Fernando Novas }}{{doi|10.1017/S1755691011020093}}
== Further reading == * {{citation |last1=Weishampel |first1=David B. |author2-link=Peter Dodson |last2=Dodson |first2=Peter |author3-link=Halszka Osmólska |last3=Osmólska |first3=Halszka |year=2004 |title=The Dinosauria, 2nd edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZFDb_iw40C |publisher=Berkeley: University of California Press |pages=1–880 |accessdate=2019-02-21 |isbn=0-520-24209-2 |author1-link=David B. Weishampel }}
[[Category:Geologic formations of India]] [[Category:Triassic System of Asia]] [[Category:Norian Stage]] [[Category:Rhaetian Stage]] [[Category:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Asia]] [[Category:Paleontology in India]] [[Category:Geology of Andhra Pradesh]]
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