The Atherfield Clay Formation is a

Geological formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...

Southern England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes ...

. Part of the

Lower Greensand Group The Lower Greensand Group is a geological unit present across large areas of Southern England. It was deposited during the Aptian and Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. It predominantly consists of sandstone and unconsolidated sand that were ...

it dates to the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. The deposit is of marine origin largely consisting of massive yellowish brown to pale grey mudstones. The

pterosaur Pterosaurs (; from Greek ''pteron'' and ''sauros'', meaning "wing lizard") is an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order, Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 ...

Vectidraco ''Vectidraco'' (meaning "dragon from the Isle of Wight"), is a genus of azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of England. Discovery and naming In November 2008, Daisy Morris of Whitwell, Isle of Wight, a four-year-old avid natural hi ...

'' is known from the formation. As is the Sandownid turtle '' Sandownia.''

References

Cretaceous England Geologic formations of England Geologic formations of the United Kingdom Mudstone formations Aptian Stage {{England-geo-stub Lower Cretaceous Series of Europe