Derived fossils in the southern English Wealden (non-marine early Cretaceous): a review

Derived fossils occur in all the principal facies associations of the southern English Wealden succession (non-marine early Cretaceous). They confirm the presence of Palaeozoic and early–mid Mesozoic source massifs surrounding the Weald and Wessex depocentres, fringed by scarps and intrabasinal highs of Jurassic strata. The derived macrofossil material is largely siliceous and phosphatic. It gains abundance in lake strandline gravels but also occurs as scattered reptilian gastroliths and among lagoonal shell concentrations. Calcareous fossils are abundant at one site, reflecting proximity to source. Jurassic dinoflagellate cysts are widespread among finer-grained facies.