Ives Head Formation


The Ives Head Formation is a geologic formation in Leicestershire, England. It forms part of the Blackbrook Group within the Charnwood Forest succession. The unit preserves rocks of Lower Ediacaran age and is named after the locality of Ives Head.

Paleobiota

The Ives Head Formation contains the oldest known fossils within the Charnian Supergroup, occurring on the Lubcloud surface. Preliminary zircon ages suggest that these fossils may be older than the Gaskiers glaciation if the proposed dating is confirmed, with the base of the formation lying just below c. 611 Ma. This would place them among the oldest currently recognised Ediacaran assemblages; however, comparisons with units such as the c. 580 Ma Rocky Harbour Formation in Newfoundland and Labrador and the c. 602 Ma Lantian Formation in China remain tentative, as the dating of the Charnian succession requires further refinement.

Ivesheadiomorph

GenusSpeciesNotesImages
Blackbrookia
  • B. oaksi
Poorly preserved organism, possibly of a petalonamid.
Ivesheadia
  • I. lobata
    		• Poorly preserved organism.
    Shepshedia
  • S. palmata
    		• Poorly preserved organism.