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Fram Formation
Geologic formation in Nunavut, Canada

The Fram Formation is an Upper Devonian (Frasnian) sequence of rock strata on Ellesmere Island that came into prominence in 2006 with the discovery in its rocks of examples of the transitional fossil, Tiktaalik, a sarcopterygian or lobe-finned fish showing many tetrapod characteristics. Fossils of Laccognathus embryi, a porolepiform lobe-finned fish, and Qikiqtania, a close relative of Tiktaalik, were also found in the formation. The Fram Formation is a Middle to Upper Devonian clastic wedge forming an extensive continental facies consisting of sediments derived from deposits laid down in braided stream systems that formed some 375 million years ago, at a time when the North American craton ("Laurentia") was straddling the equator.

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Paleobiota

Vertebrates

GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImages
AsterolepidoideiIndeterminateNV0207 locality, near the mouth of Vendom Fiord.2A placoderm.
AsterolepisA. alticristataNV2K17 locality.3Numerous specimens.4A placoderm.
A. cf. radiataNV2K17 locality.5Multiple plates.6A placoderm.
A. sp. indet.Locality NV0205.7Anterior median dorsal plate (NUFV 1287).8A placoderm.
BothriolepididaeSp. indet.NV0402, NV2K15, NV2K05, NV2K01 & NV2K07 localities.9Partial cephalic skeleton (NUFV 1292) & several plates.10A placoderm.
BothriolepisB. sp. indet.NV2K17 & NV0402 localities.11Anterior median dorsal plate (NUFV 847), visceral impressions of a partial thoracic skeleton (NUFV 1294) and of a posterior median dorsal plate (NUFV 1293).12A placoderm.
EusthenopteronE. jenkinsiNV2K17 locality.13A tristichopterid.
HoloptychiusH. bergmanniNV2K17 locality (77º09.895’N, 86º16.157’W) near the eastern arm of Bird Fiord.14A holoptychiid.
LaccognathusL. embryiSpecimens from at least 22 individuals known.15A holoptychiid.
QikiqtaniaQ. wakeiSite NV0401 (77° 10.235′ N, 86° 11.279′ W)16Specimen preserving the "lower jaws, partial left upper jaw and palate in articulation, gulars, ceratohyals, an articulated left pectoral fin and articulated scales from the dorsal midline, flank and lateral line series"17An elpistostegalian.
TiktaalikT. roseaeSite NV2K17, southern Ellesmere Island18"Based on a suite of specimens (NUFV 108–135) from a single locality (NV2K17). Three specimens (NUFV 108–110) preserve skulls, pectoral girdles and fins in articulation."19A stegocephalian.

See also

  • Earth sciences portal
  • Paleontology portal
  • Canada portal

References

  1. Fossil pollen suggest that these rocks lie within the early and middle Frasnian Stage of the Devonian. /wiki/Palynology ↩

  2. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  3. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  4. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  5. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  6. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  7. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  8. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  9. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  10. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  11. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  12. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Lo, Nathanael; Carey, Emily N.; Shubin, Neil H. (October 2019). "Asterolepis alticristata n. sp. (Antiarchi) from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Nunavut, Canada, and a report on the antiarch diversity of the Fram Formation". Geodiversitas. 41 (1): 679–698. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a19. ISSN 1280-9659. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336671612 ↩

  13. Jason P. Downs; Edward B. Daeschler; Alison M. Long; Neil H. Shubin (2018). "Eusthenopteron jenkinsi sp. nov. (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Upper Devonian of Nunavut, Canada, and a review of Eusthenopteron taxonomy" (PDF). Breviora. 562: 1–24. doi:10.3099/MCZ44.1. S2CID 51883892. https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/specimen_images/publications/Breviora_562.pdf ↩

  14. Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Jenkins, Farish A.; Shubin, Neil H. (2013-03). "Holoptychius bergmannisp. nov. (Sarcopterygii, Porolepiformes) from the Upper Devonian of Nunavut, Canada, and a Review of Holoptychius Taxonomy". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 162 (1): 47–59. doi:10.1635/053.162.0104. ISSN 0097-3157. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262376306_Holoptychius_bergmanni_sp_nov_Sarcopterygii_Porolepiformes_from_the_Upper_Devonian_of_Nunavut_Canada_and_a_Review_of_Holoptychius_Taxonomy ↩

  15. Jason P. Downs; Edward B. Daeschler; Farish A. Jenkins Jr.; Neil H. Shubin (2011). "A new species of Laccognathus (Sarcopterygii, Porolepiformes) from the Late Devonian of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (5): 981–996. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.599462 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2011.599462 ↩

  16. Stewart, Thomas A.; Lemberg, Justin B.; Daly, Ailis; Daeschler, Edward B.; Shubin, Neil H. (2022-07-20). "A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic". Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04990-w. ISSN 0028-0836. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04990-w ↩

  17. Stewart, Thomas A.; Lemberg, Justin B.; Daly, Ailis; Daeschler, Edward B.; Shubin, Neil H. (2022-07-20). "A new elpistostegalian from the Late Devonian of the Canadian Arctic". Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04990-w. ISSN 0028-0836. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04990-w ↩

  18. Edward B. Daeschler, Neil H. Shubin and Farish A. Jenkins Jr, 2006. "A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan" Nature, April 2006, pp 757ff (pdf file) https://www.nature.com/articles/nature04639 ↩

  19. Edward B. Daeschler, Neil H. Shubin and Farish A. Jenkins Jr, 2006. "A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan" Nature, April 2006, pp 757ff (pdf file) https://www.nature.com/articles/nature04639 ↩