Arcillas de Morella Formation

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Arcillas de Morella Formation
Stratigraphic range: Barremian
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Type Geological formation
Underlies Xert Formation
Overlies Artoles Formation
Lithology
Primary Sandstone, clay
Other Marl, limestone, siltstone, conglomerate
Location
Region Europe
CountryFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
Type section
Named for Morella, Castellón
Named byCanérot et al.
Year defined1982
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Arcillas de Morella Formation (Spain)
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Arcillas de Morella Formation (Aragon)

The Arcillas de Morella Formation is a geological formation in Spain whose strata date back to the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous. [1] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. [2]

Contents

Geology

The formation was formally named and defined by Canérot and colleagues in 1982. [3] The formation predominantly consists of red clays and continental sandstones, with some marine intercalations. [4]

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaurs of the Arcillas de Morella Formation
TaxaSpeciesNotesImages
Hypsilophodon [2]
Hypsilophodon Hypsilophodon.jpg
Hypsilophodon
Iguanodon Iguanodon new NT.jpg
Iguanodon
Mantellisaurus Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis Steveoc.jpg
Mantellisaurus
Protathlitis Skeletal reconstruction of Protathlitis cinctorrensis.webp
Protathlitis
Vallibonavenatrix Vallibonavenatrix cani.jpg
Vallibonavenatrix
Iguanodon I. bernissartensis [5] An iguanodonian dinosaur
Mantellisaurus M. cf. atherfieldensis [5] An iguanodontian dinosaur
Morelladon Morelladon beltrani [6] An iguanodontian dinosaur
Vallibonavenatrix V. cani [4] A spinosaurid theropod
Protathlitis P. cinctorrensis [7] A spinosaurid theropod
Baryonychinae [2] Indeterminate remains. [2]
Garumbatitan G. morellensisA somphospondylan sauropod [8]
Titanosauriformes IndeterminateAt least two distinct taxa, including a somphospondylan [9]

Turtles

Turtles of the Arcillas de Morella Formation
TaxaSpeciesNotesImages
Brodiechelys B. royoi [10] A xinjiangchelyid turtle
Eodortoka E. morellana [11] A dortokid turtle

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs of the Arcillas de Morella Formation
TaxaPresenceNotesImages
Leptocleididae [12]

Correlation

Early Cretaceous stratigraphy of Iberia
Ma AgePaleomap \ Basins Cantabrian Olanyà Cameros Maestrazgo Oliete Galve Morella South Iberian Pre-betic Lusitanian
100 Cenomanian
Cenomanian-Coniacian Iberia.jpg
La Cabana Sopeira Utrillas Mosquerela Caranguejeira
Altamira Utrillas
Eguino
125 Albian Ullaga - Balmaseda Lluçà Traiguera
Monte Grande Escucha Escucha Jijona
Itxina - Miono
Aptian Valmaseda - Tellamendi Ol Gp. - Castrillo Benassal Benassal Olhos
Font En Gp. - Leza Morella /Oliete Oliete Villaroya Morella Capas
Rojas
Almargem
Patrocinio - Ernaga Senyús En Gp. - Jubela Forcall Villaroya Upper
Bedoulian
Figueira
Barremian Vega de Pas Cabó Abejar Xert Alacón Xert Huérguina Assises
Prada Artoles Collado Moutonianum Papo Seco
Rúbies Tera Gp. - Golmayo Alacón/Blesa Blesa Camarillas Mirambel
150 Hauterivian Iberia 120Ma Barremian zoom.tif Ur Gp. - Pinilla Llacova Castellar Tera Gp. - Pinilla Villares Porto da
Calada
hiatus
Huerva Gaita
Valanginian Villaro Ur Gp. - Larriba Ped Gp. - Hortigüela
Ped Gp. - Hortigüela Ped Gp. - Piedrahita
Peñacoba Galve Miravetes
Berriasian Iberia 150Ma Tithonian.jpg Cab Gp. - Arcera Valdeprado hiatus Alfambra
TdL Gp. - Rupelo Arzobispo hiatus Tollo
On Gp. - Huérteles
Sierra Matute
Tithonian Lastres Tera Gp. - Magaña Higuereles Tera Gp. - Magaña Lourinhã
Arzobispo
Ágreda
Legend Major fossiliferous , oofossiliferous , ichnofossiliferous , coproliferous , minor formation
Sources

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Vallibonavenatrix</i> Genus of spinosaurid theropod dinosaur

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baryonychinae</span> Subfamily of dinosaurs (fossil)

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Protathlitis is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Arcillas de Morella Formation of Castellón, Spain. The type and only species is Protathlitis cinctorrensis, known from a partial skeleton. It was a basal member of the Baryonychinae. Its discovery, as well as that of the spinosaurine Vallibonavenatrix shows that the Iberian Peninsula held a diverse assemblage of spinosaurids during the Early Cretaceous.

<i>Garumbatitan</i> Genus of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaurs

Garumbatitan is an extinct genus of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous Arcillas de Morella Formation of Spain. The genus contains a single species, G. morellensis, known from multiple partial skeletons.

References

  1. Villanueva-Amadoz, Uxue; Santisteban, Carlos; Santos-Cubedo, Andrés (2015-04-03). "Age determination of the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Maestrazgo Basin, Spain)". Historical Biology. 27 (3–4): 389–397. doi:10.1080/08912963.2013.874422. ISSN   0891-2963. S2CID   128775513.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 562. ISBN   0-520-24209-2.
  3. Villanueva-Amadoz, Uxue; Santisteban, Carlos; Santos-Cubedo, Andrés (2015-04-03). "Age determination of the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Maestrazgo Basin, Spain)". Historical Biology. 27 (3–4): 389–397. doi:10.1080/08912963.2013.874422. ISSN   0891-2963. S2CID   128775513.
  4. 1 2 Elisabete Malafaia; José Miguel Gasulla; Fernando Escaso; Iván Narváez; José Luis Sanz; Francisco Ortega (2019). "A new spinosaurid theropod (Dinosauria: Megalosauroidea) from the late Barremian of Vallibona, Spain: Implications for spinosaurid diversity in the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula". Cretaceous Research. in press: 104221. doi : 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104221.
  5. 1 2 Gasulla, José M.; Escaso, Fernando; Ortega, Francisco; Sanz, José L. (January 2014). "New hadrosauriform cranial remains from the Arcillas de Morella Formation (lower Aptian) of Morella, Spain". Cretaceous Research. 47: 19–24. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2013.10.004.
  6. Gasulla, José Miguel; Escaso, Fernando; Narváez, Iván; Ortega, Francisco; Sanz, José Luis (2015). "A New Sail-Backed Styracosternan (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Morella, Spain". PLOS ONE. 10 (12): e0144167. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1044167G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144167 . PMC   4691198 . PMID   26673161.
  7. Santos-Cubedo, A.; de Santisteban, C.; Poza, B.; Meseguer, S. (2023). "A new spinosaurid dinosaur species from the Early Cretaceous of Cinctorres (Spain)". Scientific Reports. 13 (1). 6471. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33418-2 .
  8. Mocho, Pedro; Escaso, Fernando; Gasulla, José M; Galobart, Àngel; Poza, Begoña; Santos-Cubedo, Andrés; Sanz, José L; Ortega, Francisco (2023-09-28). "New sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Morella (Spain) provides new insights on the evolutionary history of Iberian somphospondylan titanosauriforms". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad124. ISSN   0024-4082.
  9. Mocho, P.; Pérez-García, A.; Gasulla, J. M.; Ortega, F. (2017-06-01). "High sauropod diversity in the upper Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation (Maestrat Basin, Spain) revealed by a systematic review of historical material". Journal of Iberian Geology. 43 (2): 111–128. doi:10.1007/s41513-017-0012-8. ISSN   1886-7995. S2CID   134844724.
  10. Pérez-García, A.; Gasulla, J.M.; Ortega, F. (2014). "A new turtle species of Brodiechelys from the Early Cretaceous of Spain: Systematic and palaeobiogeographic implications" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 59 (2): 333–342.
  11. Pérez-García, A.; Gasulla, J.M.; Ortega, F. (2014-03-01). "Eodortoka morellana gen. et sp. nov., the first pan-pleurodiran turtle (Dortokidae) defined in the Lower Cretaceous of Europe". Cretaceous Research. 48: 130–138. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2013.12.004. ISSN   0195-6671.
  12. Quesada, Juan M.; Pérez-García, Adán; Gasulla, José Miguel; Ortega, Francisco (2019-02-01). "Plesiosauria remains from the Barremian of Morella (Castellón, Spain) and first identification of Leptocleididae in the Iberian record". Cretaceous Research. 94: 8–24. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.10.010. ISSN   0195-6671. S2CID   134139253.