Klerf Formation

---

title: "Klerf Formation" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["devonian-germany", "devonian-system-of-europe", "devonian-southern-paleotemperate-deposits", "emsian-stage", "siltstone-formations", "shale-formations", "sandstone-formations", "deltaic-deposits", "geologic-formations-of-germany"] description: "Early Devonian formation with fossil Lagerstätte" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klerf_Formation" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Early Devonian formation with fossil Lagerstätte ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rockunit"]

Field	Value
name	Klerf Formation
period	Emsian
age	Emsian
~
type	Geological formation
prilithology	Siltstone, shale
otherlithology	Sandstone
subunits	Reifferscheid Mb.
Altenberg Mb.
Unterpreth Mb.
underlies	Heisdorf Formation
overlies	Schleiden Formation
thickness	1300 m
map	AVALONIA.svg
map_caption	Avalonia with the Proto-Tethys Ocean (3)
location	Eifel
coordinates
region	Rhineland-Palatinate
country	Germany
extent
namedby	Richter
year_ts	1919
location_ts	Willwerath near Prüm
coordinates_ts
paleocoordinates_ts
region_ts	Eifel
country_ts
::

| name = Klerf Formation | period = Emsian | age = Emsian ~ | image = | imagesize = | caption = | type = Geological formation | prilithology = Siltstone, shale | otherlithology = Sandstone | unitof = | subunits = Reifferscheid Mb. Altenberg Mb. Unterpreth Mb. | underlies = Heisdorf Formation | overlies = Schleiden Formation | thickness = 1300 m | area = | map = AVALONIA.svg | map_caption = Avalonia with the Proto-Tethys Ocean (3) | location = Eifel | coordinates = | region = Rhineland-Palatinate | country = Germany | extent = | namedfor = | namedby = Richter | year_ts = 1919 | location_ts = Willwerath near Prüm | coordinates_ts = | paleocoordinates_ts = | region_ts = Eifel | country_ts = | thickness_ts = The Klerf Formation is an Early Devonian (Emsian) formation that includes a Lagerstätte in the Northern Eifel hills, at Willwerath near Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In it Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, a giant eurypterid was discovered. The Klerf Formation, comprising greenish and reddish shales, siltstones and sandstones, was first described in 1919 by Rudolf Richter (1881-1957) and reaches a maximum thickness of about 1300 m. It is part of Alken quarry along with Nellenköpfchen Formation.

Depositional environment

The siltstone and sandstone formation was deposited in an estuarine to deltaic environment. This was located on the edge of Avalonia bordering the Proto-Tethys Ocean.

Fossil content

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/20210106_Jaekelopterus_rhenaniae.png" caption="Restoration of ''J. rhenaniae''"] ::

Apart from the largest arthropod, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, found in the formation, it also preserved other eurypterids (Adelophthalmus sievertsi, Parahughmilleria hefteri, Rhenopterus diensti, Pruemopterus salgadoi, Erieopterus sp.), possible xiphosuran (Willwerathia), terrestrial arachnids (Devonotarbus hombachensis, Xenarachne willwerathensis), some fish, bryozoa, brachiopod and ostracod remains, Mutationella indet. and flora.

References

References

1. [https://litholex.bgr.de/gesamt_ausgabe_neu.php?id=7016035 '' Lithostratigraphische Einheiten Deutschlands'': Klerf Formation]
2. (2010). "Eurypterid trackways from Early Devonian tidal facies of Alken an der Mosel (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments.
3. [https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=155775 Willwerath] at [[Fossilworks]].org
4. Poschmann, Markus J.. (2021-03-01). "A new sea scorpion (Arthropoda, Eurypterida) from the Early Devonian of Willwerath (Rhineland-Palatinate, SW Germany)". PalZ.
5. (1998). "On the Emsian (Lower Devonian) arthropods of the Rhenish Slate Mountains: 2. The synziphosurine ''Willwerathia''". Paläontologische Zeitschrift.
6. (1997-09-01). "On the Emsian (Lower Devonian) arthropods of the Rhenish Schiefergebirge: 1.Xenarachne, an enigmatic arachnid from Willwerath, Germany". Paläontologische Zeitschrift.
7. (2005). "Chelicerate Arthropods, including the Oldest Phalangiotarbid Arachnid, from the Early Devonian (Siegenian) of the Rhenish Massif, Germany". Journal of Paleontology.
8. [https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=24696 Klerf Formation] at [[Fossilworks]].org

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::