Eumeralla Formation

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Eumeralla Formation
Stratigraphic range: Aptian–Albian
ETRW vertebrate deposit.jpg
Eric the Red West fossil locality, with AS and ES representing Anchor Sandstone and ETRW Sandstone respectively
Type Geological formation
Unit of Otway Group
Sub-unitsWindermere Sandstone Member, Heathfield Sandstone Member
Underlies Sherbrook Group
Overlies Katnook Sandstone, Laira Formation (Crayfish Subgroup)
ThicknessUp to 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
Lithology
Primary Volcanilithic sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates 38°48′S143°18′E / 38.8°S 143.3°E / -38.8; 143.3
Approximate paleocoordinates 74°48′S115°48′E / 74.8°S 115.8°E / -74.8; 115.8
RegionFlag of Victoria (Australia).svg  Victoria
CountryFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Extent Otway Basin
Type section
Named for Eumeralla River
Named byReynolds, M.A
Year defined1971
Eumeralla and Wonthaggi locations.jpeg
Exposure of the Eumeralla Formation in green at the bottom-left

The Eumeralla Formation is a geological formation in Victoria, Australia whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. It is Aptian to Albian in age. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, particularly from the Dinosaur Cove locality. [1]

Contents

Geology

The Eumeralla Formation was deposited within the Otway Basin, which at the time of deposition was part of an extensional rift valley system formed between Australia and Antarctica. The lithology primarily consists of fluvially deposited siliciclastics derived from volcanic material. The strata of the Eumeralla Formation are folded as a result of northwest–southeast crustal compression during the Neogene, which also reactivated some Cretaceous aged normal faults. [2] It is one of three major fossiliferous deposits in Victoria dating to the Early Cretaceous, including the older Wonthaggi Formation and the Koonwarra fossil bed (which some authors have considered part of the Eumeralla Formation). [3]

Paleobiota

Invertebrate traces named as Skolithos sp. and Arenicolites sp. , [4] as well as indeterminate ornithischian tracks are present in Victoria, Australia. [1] Indeterminate ornithopod remains are present at Eric the Red West locality and Elliot River, including material that possibly belongs to a new taxon. [5] Indeterminate theropod and possible indeterminate dromaeosaurid remains are present in Victoria, Australia. [1] An indeterminate unenlagiine is known from the formation. [6] [7]

Dinosaurs

Ornithischians

Ornithischians of the Eumeralla Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
Ankylosauria [8] IndeterminateDinosaur CoveDorsal vertebra

Atlascopcosaurus [1]

A. loadsi [1]

  • Dinosaur Cove
  • Eric the Red West locality [5]

"Maxilla [and] teeth." [9]

Elasmarian ornithopod
Atlascopcosaurus loadsi.JPG

Diluvicursor [2]

D. pickeringi [2] Eric the Red West localityPartial postcranial skeleton. [2] Elasmarian ornithopod
Diluvicursor life restoration.png
cf. Galleonosaurus G. dorisae [5] Eric the Red West localityMaxillaeElasmarian ornithopod
Leaellynasaura [1] L. amicagraphica [1]
  • Dinosaur Cove
  • Eric the Red West locality [5]
Skull fragments, teeth, maxillae. Postcranial remains associated with the taxon cannot be confidently referred to itElasmarian ornithopod
Leaellynasaura BW.jpg

Theropods

Dinosaurs of the Eumeralla Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
cf. Australovenator [10] cf. A. wintonensisEric the Red West locality"two teeth, two manual unguals, and a right astragalus" Megaraptoran theropod
Australovenator reconstruction.jpg

Aves [11]

Indeterminate

Footprints belonging to a crane-sized bird, determined to be an ornithurine or enantiornithe.

Possibly from a species also found at the Wonthaggi Formation (single furcula).
Elaphrosaurinae [12] IndeterminateEric the Red West localitySingle cervical vertebra

Megaraptora [13] [14]

IndeterminateDinosaur Cove

Known from a left ulna.

Probably a megaraptorid. Previously referred to Megaraptor. [15]
Megaraptoridae [10]

Indeterminate

Eric the Red West localityKnown from a single cervical vertebra.Previously thought to be a Baryonyx -related spinosaurid. [16]
Australian Spinosaurid.png
Timimus [1] T. hermani [1] Dinosaur CoveFemurPossible tyrannosauroid theropod

Fish

Fish of the Eumeralla Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
Ceratodus C. nargunA lungfish
Ceratodus Ceratodus.jpg
Ceratodus

Mammals

Mammals of the Eumeralla Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
Kryoryctes K. cadburyiDinosaur CoveA monotreme
Sundrius S. ziegleriA monotreme


Reptiles

Reptiles of the Eumeralla Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
Otwayemys O. cuniculariusDinosaur CoveA meiolaniform turtle
Pterosauria IndeterminateDinosaur Cove
Plesiosauria IndeterminateDinosaur Cove
Mesoeucrocodylia IndeterminateDinosaur Cove [17] Distinct from other known Australian crocodilians

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Atlascopcosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonthaggi Formation</span>

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<i>Australovenator</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Australovenator is a genus of megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from Cenomanian -age Winton Formation of Australia. Some specimens from the Albian-aged Eumeralla Formation as well as the Wonthaggi Formation may belong to Australovenator. It is known from partial cranial and postcranial remains which were described in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues, although additional descriptions and analyses continue to be published. It is the most complete predatory dinosaur discovered in Australia. It has been suggested that Australovenator is a sister taxon to Fukuiraptor, although some phylogenetic analyses find it to be a more derived member of the Megaraptora, possibly being part of the main Megaraptoridae family itself.

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Herne, M. C.; Tait, A. M.; Weisbecker, V.; Hall, M.; Nair, J. P.; Cleeland, M.; Salisbury, S. W. (2018-01-11). "A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian–Antarctic rift system". PeerJ. 5: e4113. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4113 . PMC   5767335 . PMID   29340228.
  3. McLoughlin, Stephen; Pott, Christian (February 2019). "Plant mobility in the Mesozoic: Disseminule dispersal strategies of Chinese and Australian Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous plants". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 515: 47–69. Bibcode:2019PPP...515...47M. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.036.
  4. Milanesia Beach tracksite at Fossilworks.org
  5. 1 2 3 4 Duncan, Ruairidh J.; Evans, Alistair R.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H.; Poropat, Stephen F. (2021-05-04). "Ornithopod jaws from the Lower Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation, Victoria, Australia, and their implications for polar neornithischian dinosaur diversity". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (3). Bibcode:2021JVPal..41E6551D. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1946551. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   238672791.
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  8. Barrett, Paul M.; Rich, Thomas H.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Tumanova, Tat'yana A.; Inglis, Matthew; Pickering, David; Kool, Lesley; Kear, Benjamin P. (September 2010). "Ankylosaurian dinosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous of southeastern Australia". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 34 (3): 205–217. Bibcode:2010Alch...34..205B. doi:10.1080/03115511003655430. ISSN   0311-5518. S2CID   128882257.
  9. "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 394.
  10. 1 2 Poropat, Stephen F.; White, Matt A.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H. (2019-07-04). "New megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) remains from the Lower Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (4): e1666273. Bibcode:2019JVPal..39E6273P. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1666273. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   208603798.
  11. Martin, Anthony J.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H.; Hall, Michael (2013). "Oldest known avian footprints from Australia: Eumeralla Formation (Albian), Dinosaur Cove, Victoria". Palaeontology. 57: 7–19. doi: 10.1111/pala.12082 .
  12. Poropat, Stephen F.; Pentland, Adele H.; Duncan, Ruairidh J.; Bevitt, Joseph J.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H. (2020-08-01). "First elaphrosaurine theropod dinosaur (Ceratosauria: Noasauridae) from Australia — A cervical vertebra from the Early Cretaceous of Victoria". Gondwana Research. 84: 284–295. Bibcode:2020GondR..84..284P. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2020.03.009. ISSN   1342-937X. S2CID   218930877.
  13. Smith, Nathan D; Makovicky, Peter J; Agnolin, Federico L; Ezcurra, Martín D; Pais, Diego F; Salisbury, Steven W (2008-06-10). "A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 275 (1647): 2085–2093. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0504. ISSN   0962-8452. PMC   2603215 . PMID   18544511.
  14. Benson, Roger B. J.; Carrano, Matthew T.; Brusatte, Stephen L. (2009-10-14). "A new clade of archaic large-bodied predatory dinosaurs (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) that survived to the latest Mesozoic". Naturwissenschaften. 97 (1): 71–8. doi:10.1007/s00114-009-0614-x. ISSN   1432-1904. PMID   19826771. S2CID   22646156.
  15. Smith, Nathan D; Makovicky, Peter J; Agnolin, Federico L; Ezcurra, Martín D; Pais, Diego F; Salisbury, Steven W (2008-09-22). "A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 275 (1647): 2085–2093. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0504. ISSN   0962-8452. PMC   2603215 . PMID   18544511.
  16. Theropod Fauna from Southern Australia Indicates High Polar Diversity and Climate-Driven Dinosaur Provinciality Roger B. J. Benson, Thomas H. Rich, Patricia Vickers-Rich, Mike Hall 2012
  17. AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST AND HIGHEST PALEOLATITUDE CROCODYLOMORPHS FROM THE LOWER CRETACEOUS EUMERALLA FORMATION (UPPER APTIAN–LOWER ALBIAN) OF DINOSAUR COVE, VICTORIA [ permanent dead link ] PARAGNANI, Cassia P., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; POROPAT, Stephen F., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; VICKERS-RICH, Patricia, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; RICH, Thomas H., Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia SVP conference abstracts 2019