Tiki Formation
Geologic formation in India
title: "Tiki Formation" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["geologic-formations-of-india", "triassic-system-of-asia", "triassic-india", "carnian-stage", "norian-stage", "mudstone-formations", "sandstone-formations", "fluvial-deposits", "lacustrine-deposits", "paleontology-in-india", "madhya-pradesh"] description: "Geologic formation in India" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_Formation" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Geologic formation in India ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox rockunit"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Tiki Formation |
| type | Geological formation |
| age | |
| period | Norian |
| prilithology | Mudstone |
| otherlithology | Claystone, sandstone |
| namedfor | Tiki village |
| region | Madhya Pradesh |
| country | India |
| coordinates | |
| paleocoordinates | |
| unitof | Gondwana Group |
| subunits | Lower & Upper members |
| map | {{Location map+ |
| relief | 1 |
| width | 250 |
| float | center |
| lat_deg | 23.9 |
| lon_deg | 81.4 |
| mark | Pink ff0080 pog.svg |
| marksize | 10 |
| :: |
| name = Tiki Formation | image = | caption = | type = Geological formation | age = | period = Norian | prilithology = Mudstone | otherlithology = Claystone, sandstone | namedfor = Tiki village | namedby = | region = Madhya Pradesh | country = India | coordinates = | paleocoordinates = | unitof = Gondwana Group | subunits = Lower & Upper members | underlies = | overlies = | thickness = | extent = | area = | map = {{Location map+ | India#India Madhya Pradesh | relief = 1 | width = 250 | float = center | places = | lat_deg = 23.9 | lon_deg = 81.4 | mark = Pink ff0080 pog.svg | marksize = 10 | map_caption = The Tiki Formation is a Late Triassic (Carnian to Norian) geologic formation in Madhya Pradesh, northern India. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus. Phytosaur remains attributable to the genus Volcanosuchus have also been found in the Tiki Formation.
The genera Tikiodon, Tikitherium and Tikisuchus and species Rewaconodon tikiensis, Hyperodapedon tikiensis and Parvodus tikiensis have been named after the Tiki Formation.
Paleobiota
Cynodonts
::data[format=table]
| Cynodonts of the Tiki Formation | Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gondwanadon | G. tapani | A single molar | A morganucodont | |
| last1=Bhat | first1=M. S. | last2=Ray | first2=S. | last3=Datta |
| Rewaconodon | R. indicus | A partial jaw and three postcanine teeth | A dromatheriid | |
| R. tikiensis | ||||
| Ruberodon | R. roychowdhurii | Five partial jaws | A traversodontid | |
| Tikiodon | T. cromptoni | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliamorph | |
| Tikitherium | T. copei | A single postcanine tooth | A mammaliaform. Initially described as a basal mammaliaform related to Docodonta, but later redescribed as a Neogene shrew fossil that was reworked into the older deposit. | |
| Cynodontia indet. | ||||
| :: |
Reptiles
Teeth similar to Galtonia, Protecovasaurus, and Azendohsaurus are known from the formation. Claws similar to shuvosaurids and dinosaurs have also been reported, though their exact identification is questionable. Saurischian dinosaurs may have been present based on vertebrae and limb fragments. ::data[format=table]
| Reptiles of the Tiki Formation | Genus / Taxon | Species | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clevosaurus | C. nicholsi | Jaw fragments | A clevosaurid sphenodont | |
| last1=Datta | first1=D. | last2=Ray | first2=S. | year=2023 |
| Desmatosuchnae Indet. | osteoderms | A stagonolepidid aetosaur | ||
| Hyperodapedon | H. huxleyi | Rare maxillary tooth plates | A hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur, also known as Paradapedon. This species is far more common in the coeval Lower Maleri Formation of central India. | |
| last1=Mukherjee | first1=Debarati | last2=Ray | first2=Sanghamitra | date=2014 |
| Parasuchus | P. hislopi | Skulls | A basal (non-mystriosuchine) phytosaur | |
| Tikisuchus | T. romeri | The skull and some postcranial elements of a young individual | A putative rauisuchid | |
| last1=Datta | first1=Debajit | last2=Ray | first2=Sanghamitra | last3=Bandyopadhyay |
| Ornithischia indet. | ||||
| Phytosauria indet. | ||||
| Pseudosuchia indet. | ||||
| Sphenodontia indet. | ||||
| Theropoda indet. | ||||
| :: |
Amphibians
::data[format=table]
| Amphibians of the Tiki Formation | Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eodiscoglossus | E. sp | An incomplete jaw | A discoglossid frog | |
| Compsocerops | C. tikiensis | A chigutisaurid temnospondyl | ||
| Metoposaurus | M. sp. | A metoposaurid temnospondyl | ||
| Panthasaurus | P. maleriensis | A metoposaurid temnospondyl | ||
| :: |
Fish
::data[format=table]
| Fishes of the Tiki Formation | Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cladodus | C. sp. | Teeth | A ctenacanth | |
| Gnathorhiza | last1=Bhat | first1=Mohd Shafi | last2=Ray | first2=Sanghamitra |
| Lonchidion | L. estesi | A hybodont | ||
| L. encumbens | A hybodont | |||
| Mooreodontus | last1=Bhat | first1=Mohd Shafi | last2=Ray | first2=Sanghamitra |
| M. jaini | Teeth | |||
| last1=Bhat | first1=Mohd Shafi | last2=Ray | first2=Sanghamitra | last3=Datta |
| Ptychoceratodus | P. oldhami | Teeth | A ptychoceratodontid lungfish | |
| Tikiodontus | T. asymmetricus | Teeth | A xenacanthid | |
| Actinopterygii indet. | ||||
| Coelacanthidae indet. | ||||
| :: |
Flora
- Baiera sp.
- Dicroidium sp.
- Elatocladus sp.
- Lepidopteris sp.
- Pagiophyllum sp.
- Sphenobaiera sp.
- Xylopteris sp.
- Yabeiella sp.
Correlations
The Tiki Formation is considered a temporal equivalent of the Lower Maleri Formation. The majority of the Tiki Formation correlates with the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, the upper part of the Santa Maria Formation, and the overlying lower Caturrita Formation of Brazil, the Isalo II Beds of Madagascar, Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland, and the lower Tecovas Formation of the Chinle Group of North America.
References
Bibliography
References
- Chatterjee, 1978
- Datta & Das, 1996
- (2020). "New cynodonts (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Late Triassic of India and their significances". Journal of Paleontology.
- (March 2024). "Putative Triassic stem mammal Tikitherium copei is a Neogene shrew". Journal of Mammalian Evolution.
- (2021-02-01). "First record of varied archosauriforms from the Upper Triassic of India based on isolated teeth, and their biostratigraphic implications". Historical Biology.
- (2018). "First report of dinosaurian claws from the Late Triassic of India". Palaeoworld.
- (2016-12-31). "Vertebrate fauna from the Late Triassic Tiki Formation of India: new finds and their biostratigraphic implications". Journal of Palaeosciences.
- (2023-01-02). "A new clevosaurid (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Upper Triassic of India". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
- (2023). "A giant phytosaur (Diapsida, Archosauria) from the Upper Triassic of India with new insights on phytosaur migration, endemism and extinction". Papers in Palaeontology.
- (2025). "First report of desmatosuchine aetosaur (Pseudosuchia, Aetosauriformes) osteoderms from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of India: Their complex internal vascular system, functional significance and biostratigraphy". Journal of Anatomy.
- Lydekker, 1885
- (2014). "A new ''Hyperodapedon'' (Archosauromorpha, Rhynchosauria) from the Upper Triassic of India: implications for rhynchosaur phylogeny". Palaeontology.
- (2021). "Cranial morphology of a new phytosaur (Diapsida, Archosauria) from the Upper Triassic of India: implications for phytosaur phylogeny and biostratigraphy". Papers in Palaeontology.
- Datta et al., 2005
- Mukherjee & Ray, 2012
- Huene, 1940
- (27 March 2023). "Lepidosauromorphs and associated vertebrate fauna from the Late Triassic Tiki Formation, South Rewa, Gondwana basin, India: implication for paleoenvironment and paleobiogeography". [[Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy]].
- (2023-03-06). "The first record of chigutisaurid amphibian from the Late Triassic Tiki Formation and the probable Carnian pluvial episode in central India". PeerJ.
- Chatterjee & Majumdar, 1987
- Kumar & Sharma, 2019
- (2020-03-15). "A record of new lungfishes (Osteichthyes: Dipnoi) from the Carnian (Upper Triassic) of India". Historical Biology.
- (2018). "A new assemblage of freshwater sharks (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Triassic of India". Geobios.
- (2018). "A new hybodont shark (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of India with remarks on its dental histology and biostratigraphy". Journal of Paleontology.
- Pal, 1984
- (2020). "New cynodonts (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Late Triassic of India and their significances". [[Journal of Paleontology]].
- (2005). "Earliest mammal with transversely expanded upper molar from the Late Triassic (Carnian) Tiki Formation, South Rewa Gondwana Basin, India". [[Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology]].
- Weishampel et al., 2004, "Dinosaur distribution", pp. 517-607
- (2015). "A new Late Triassic traversodontid cynodont (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from India". [[Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology]].
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