Hall Lake Formation

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Hall Lake Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous, CampanianMaastrichtian
~83.5–66.0  Ma
Type Geological formation
Unit of McRae Group
Underlies Jose Creek Member [1]
Overlies"Quaternary-Tertiary basalt flows and alluvium"
Lithology
Primary Mudstone, "shale", sandstone
Location
Coordinates 33°12′N107°06′W / 33.2°N 107.1°W / 33.2; -107.1
Approximate paleocoordinates 40°30′N81°06′W / 40.5°N 81.1°W / 40.5; -81.1
Region New Mexico
CountryUnited States
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Green-orange pog.svg
Green-orange pog.svg
Hall Lake Formation (the United States)
USA New Mexico relief location map.svg
Green-orange pog.svg
Green-orange pog.svg
Hall Lake Formation (New Mexico)

The Hall Lake Formation, formerly called the Hall Lake Member, is a geological formation in Sierra County, New Mexico preserving Lancian fauna, most notably dinosaurs. It is regarded as a member of the McRae Group, including the Elephant Butte and Staton-LaPoint locales. [2]

Contents

Description

While most estimates place it firmly within the Lancian fauna, specifically using taxa such as Compsemys as index fossils to recover a Campanian-Maastrichtian age, [3] Lozinsky et al. (1984) note the presence of basalt flows and alluvium dating to the Quaternary-Tertiary.

It overlooks the Jose Creek Member and is composed of purple and maroon shales. When they meet, it is marked by a basal conglomerate or a color distinction where conglomerate is absent. Various Cenozoic units overly the formation. Where some choose to classify these layers as a member of the McRae Formation, [4] others classify it as a distinct formation in a group of formations. [5]

Fossil content

Dinosaurs

Saurischians

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
GenusSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesReferencesImages
Tyrannosauridae indet.Staton-LaPoint
  • TKM001, dorsal vertebral centrum
Lozinsky et al. (1984) call it indeterminate [4]
Tyrannosaurus T. mcraeensisElephant Butte (upper)
  • NMMNH P-3698, a partial skull, lower jaw bones, teeth, and chevrons
[6]
Alamosaurus sp.upper
  • TKM007, a damaged humerus
Tentative referral [5] [4]
Sauropoda Possibly from the Jose Creek Member [7]
Theropoda

Ornithischians

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
TaxonLocalityMaterialNotesReferencesImages
Triceratops sp.2 miles south of Elephant Butte
  • USNM 243, dorsal vertebral centrum
This genus, Torosaurus or a novel taxon [2] [4]
202007 Triceratops horridus.svg
Sierraceratops turneri Elephant Butte (lower)
  • Partial skeleton with skull
[5]
Sierraceratops.jpg
Ceratopsidae Elephant Butte (upper)
  • TKM002, a coranoid
  • TKM020, crest fragment [4]
A new genus similar to Torosaurus is said to exist above the base of the formation [3]
Elephant Butte (lower)Indeterminate, in abundance
Torosaurus sp.Elephant Butte (upper)?
Hadrosauridae cannot be determinedIndeterminate and of unknown origins due to faulting or Quaternary cover
Ankylosauria
  • TKM011, pyramidal bone fragment
Possibly from the Jose Creek Member, near identical from UNM-FKK-001P of the Kirtland Formation [7] [4]

Reptiles

TaxonLocalityMaterialNotesReferences
TestudinataElephant Butte (upper) [2]
Crocodylia
Compsemys Index fossils suggesting a Lancian age [3]
Bothremydidae

Plants

GenusSpeciesLocalityNotesReferences
Tracheophytaindet.2 miles south of Elephant Butte [2]
Sabalites sp.Possibly from the Jose Creek Member [7]
Sequoia
Sabal
Araucarites
Viburnum
Cinnamomum
Exnelumbites
Phyllites
Ficus
Salix

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References

  1. Amato, Jeffrey M.; Mack, Greg H.; Jonell, Tara N.; Seager, William R.; Upchurch, Garland R. (2017-05-11). "Onset of the Laramide orogeny and associated magmatism in southern New Mexico based on U-Pb geochronology". Geological Society of America Bulletin: B31629.1. doi:10.1130/B31629.1. ISSN   0016-7606.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vigla Formation at Paleobiodb.org
  3. 1 2 3 Lucas, Spencer G.; Dalman, Sebastian; Lichtig, Asher J.; Elrick, Scott; Nelson, W. John; Krainer, Karl (2017). "Stratigraphy and Age of the Dinosaur-Dominated Fossil Assemblage of the Upper Cretaceous Hall Lake Member of the Mcrae Formation, Sierra County, New Mexico". New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting. doi: 10.56577/SM-2017.479 .
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lozinsky, Richard P.; Hunt, Adrian P.; Wolberg, Donald L.; Lucas, Spencer G. (1984). "Late Cretaceous (Lancian) dinosaurs from the McRae Formation, Sierra County, New Mexico". New Mexico Geology. 6 (4): 72–77. doi:10.58799/NMG-v6n4.72. ISSN   2837-6420.
  5. 1 2 3 Dalman, Sebastian G.; Lucas, Spencer G.; Jasinski, Steven E.; Longrich, Nicholas R. (2022). "Sierraceratops turneri, a new chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the Hall Lake Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of south-central New Mexico". Cretaceous Research. 130: 105034. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105034.
  6. Dalman, Sebastian G.; Loewen, Mark A.; Pyron, R. Alexander; Jasinski, Steven E.; Malinzak, D. Edward; Lucas, Spencer G.; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Currie, Philip J.; Longrich, Nicholas R. (2024-01-11). "A giant tyrannosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism". Scientific Reports. 13 (1). doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0. ISSN   2045-2322.
  7. 1 2 3 "McRae, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA" at mindat.org