Menefee Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Mesaverde Group |
Sub-units | Cleary Coal Member, Allison Member |
Underlies | Cliff House Sandstone |
Overlies | Point Lookout Sandstone |
Thickness | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | sandstone, shale |
Other | coal< |
Location | |
Coordinates | 37°19′37″N108°14′56″W / 37.327°N 108.249°W |
Region | Colorado New Mexico |
Country | United States |
Type section | |
Named for | Menefee Mountain ( 37°19′37″N108°14′56″W / 37.3269726°N 108.2487721°W ) |
Named by | A.J.Collier |
Year defined | 1919 |
The Menefee Formation is a lower Campanian geologic formation found in Colorado and New Mexico, United States.
The Menefee Formation consists of fluvial sandstone, shale, and coal. Based on ammonite biostratigraphy, the age of the Menefee Formation can be constrained to 84.2-79 million years (Ma), based on the presence of Baculites perplexus in the overlying Cliff House Sandstone, and ammonites from the late Santonian in the underlying Point Lookout Sandstone. [1]
Named members include a lower Cleary Coal Member and an upper Allison Member. [2]
The Mesaverde Group in the San Juan Basin records a marine regression-transgression sequence of the western margin of the Western Interior Seaway. The Menefee Formation was deposited at the peak of the regression as coastal river delta and swamp sediments, and includes numerous coal beds. [2] [3]
The formation is exposed at Chaco Canyon National Park, where many of the coal beds have been burned to produce distinctive red cinder outcrops. [4]
The Menefee Formation includes fossils of turtles, fish and crocodiles and fragmentary evidence of hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs, and ceratopsian dinosaurs. Plant fossils include leaf impressions of palms, conifers, laurels, witchhazel, and camellia. The flora are suggestive of a moist subtropical environment. [5]
Several vertebrates have been recovered from the Menefee Formation, including intermediate remains of baenids, trionychids, and dromaeosaurids. [6]
Dinosaurs reported from the Menefee Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
Ankylosauria [7] | Indeterminate [7] |
| Numerous partial osteoderms. [7] | Indeterminate Ankylosaur remains. [7] | ||
Dynamoterror [8] | D. dynastes [8] |
| Frontals, fragmentary vertebral centra, fragments of dorsal ribs, metacarpal, supraacetabular crest of an ilium, unidentifiable fragments of long bones and phalanxes. [8] | A tyrannosaurid tyrannosaurine known from fragmentary remains. [8] | ||
Hadrosauridae [7] | Indeterminate [7] |
| A proximal femur, a distal metatarsal, jaw fragments, a radius, an ulna, caudal vertebrae and a distal tibia. [7] | Indeterminate hadrosaurid remains. [7] | ||
Invictarx [9] | I. zephyri [9] |
| Dorsal rib fragments, dorsal vertebrae, distal end of humerus, distal end of ulna, proximal ends of radii, incomplete metacarpal, and numerous incomplete and complete osteoderms. [9] | A nodosaurid, similar to Glyptodontopelta from the Ojo Alamo Formation. [9] | ||
Menefeeceratops [10] [6] | M. sealeyi [10] | A partial premaxilla, nearly complete postorbital horncore, squamosals, an incomplete parietal, jugal, predentary, dentary, a cervical vertebra, dorsal vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, dorsal ribs, ilium, radius, the proximal and distal portions of an ulna, metatarsal, femur, and the distal end of a fibula. [10] [6] | The oldest recognized centrosaurine ceratopsid. [10] [6] | |||
Ornatops [1] | O. incantatus [1] |
| A partial premaxilla, postorbital, squamosal, quadrates, skull roof, braincase, partial dorsal vertebrae, dorsal rib, ossified tendons, scapula, proximal end of a humerus, ulna lacking the proximal end, radius lacking the proximal end, metacarpals, and incomplete pubis and ischium. [1] | The first brachylophosaurin reported from New Mexico and the southernmost occurrence of the clade. [1] | ||
cf. Saurornitholestes [7] | cf. S. sp [7] |
| A fragmentary tooth. [7] | A saurornitholestine dromaeosaurid represented by a single, isolated tooth. [7] | ||
Tyrannosauridae [7] | Indeterminate [7] |
| A scapula, metatarsal, shaft of anterior thoracic rib, postorbital and lateral tooth. [7] | Indeterminate tyrannosaurid remains. [7] |
Crocodilians reported from the Menefee Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
Crocodylia [6] | Indeterminate [6] |
| A jaw fragment, teeth and scutes. [6] | Indeterminate crocodylian remains. [6] | ||
Brachychampsa [11] | B. sealeyi [11] |
| A partial skull, associated partial right mandible, partial ramus of the left mandible, and a nearly complete osteoderm. [11] | Mandible preserves bite marks which may have been inflicted by another alligatorioid. [11] | ||
Deinosuchus [12] | D. sp [12] |
| [Six] osteoderms, caudal vertebrae, and a fragmentary tooth. [12] | One of the earliest occurrences of the genus on the Laramidian continent and all of North America. [12] | ||
Turtles reported from the Menefee Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Species | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
Baenidae [7] | Indeterminate [7] |
| Carapace fragments and plastron fragments. [7] | |||
Testudines [6] | Indeterminate [6] |
| A very fragmentary partial carapace and plastron. [6] | |||
Trionychidae [7] [6] | A nearly complete costal, carapace fragments and plastron fragments. [7] [6] | Indeterminate trionychid remains. [7] [6] | ||||
The Menefee Formation has been extensively mined for coal since the early 20th century. [13] The Monero field in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, was mined from the 1880s into the early 1920s to support the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, but while the coal is of good quality, the coal beds are relatively thin and the terrain is rugged. Remaining reserves are around 13.5 million tons, inadequate for economic exploitation in the 21st century. [14]
The Menefee Formation was first described by W.H.Holmes in 1877 during the Hayden Survey as the "Middle Coal Group" of the Mesaverde Formation. [15] A.J. Collier redesignated this unit in 1919 as the Menefee Formation and raised the Mesaverde Formation to group rank. [13]
Ceratopsidae is a family of ceratopsian dinosaurs including Triceratops, Centrosaurus, and Styracosaurus. All known species were quadrupedal herbivores from the Upper Cretaceous. All but one species are known from western North America, which formed the island continent of Laramidia during most of the Late Cretaceous. Ceratopsids are characterized by beaks, rows of shearing teeth in the back of the jaw, elaborate nasal horns, and a thin parietal-squamosal shelf that extends back and up into a frill. The group is divided into two subfamilies—Chasmosaurinae and Centrosaurinae. The chasmosaurines are generally characterized by long, triangular frills and well-developed brow horns. The centrosaurines had well-developed nasal horns or nasal bosses, shorter and more rectangular frills, and elaborate spines on the back of the frill.
Anasazisaurus is a genus of saurolophine hadrosaurid ("duckbill") ornithopod dinosaur that lived about 74 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous Period. It was found in the Farmington Member of the Kirtland Formation, in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, United States. Only a partial skull has been found to date. It was first described as a specimen of Kritosaurus by Jack Horner, and has been intertwined with Kritosaurus since its description. It is known for its short nasal crest, which stuck out above and between its eyes for a short distance.
Nodocephalosaurus is a monospecific genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the De-na-zin member of the Kirtland Formation. The type and only species, Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, is known only from a partial skull. It was named in 1999 by Robert M. Sullivan. Nodocephalosaurus has an estimated length of 4.5 metres and weight of 1.5 tonnes. It is closely related and shares similar cranial anatomy to Akainacephalus.
The Kirtland Formation is a sedimentary geological formation.
The Fruitland Formation is a geologic formation found in the San Juan Basin in the states of New Mexico and Colorado, in the United States of America. It contains fossils dating it to the Campanian age of the late Cretaceous.
The Kaiparowits Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in the Kaiparowits Plateau in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, in the southern part of Utah in the western United States. It is over 2800 feet thick, and is Campanian in age. This Upper Cretaceous formation was formed from alluvial floodplains of large rivers in coastal southern Laramidia; sandstone beds are the deposit of rivers, and mudstone beds represent floodplain deposits. It is fossiliferous, with most specimens from the lower half of the formation, but exploration is only comparatively recent, with most work being done since 1982. It has been estimated that less than 10% of the Kaiparowits formation has been explored for fossils. Most fieldwork has been conducted by The Natural History Museum of Utah.
The Moreno Hill Formation is a geological formation in western New Mexico whose strata were deposited in the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. The age of the formation is dated between approximately 90.9 to 88.6 million years ago based on detrital zircons.
The Aguja Formation is a geological formation in North America, exposed in Texas, United States and Chihuahua and Coahuila in Mexico, whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. Fossil palms have also been unearthed here.
Brachychampsa is an extinct genus of alligatoroid, possibly a basal caiman. Specimens have been reported from New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, New Jersey, and Saskatchewan, though only those from Montana, Utah, and New Mexico are based on material sufficient to justify the referral. One specimen has been reported from the Darbasa Formation of Kazakhstan, although the species status is indeterminate for the fossil. The genus first appeared during the late Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous and became extinct during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous. Brachychampsa is distinguished by an enlarged fifth maxillary tooth in the upper jaw.
The Point Lookout Sandstone is a Cretaceous bedrock formation occurring in New Mexico and Colorado.
The Williams Fork Formation is a Campanian to Maastrichtian (Edmontonian) geologic formation of the Mesaverde Group in Colorado. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, most notably Pentaceratops sternbergii,. Other fossils found in the formation are the ammonite Lewyites, tyrannosaurids, dromaeosaurids, troodontids, nodosaurids, ankylosaurids, hadrosaurids, hybodonts, neosuchian crocodylomorphs, and the mammals Glasbius and Meniscoessus collomensis.
Ahshislepelta is a monospecific genus of ankylosaur dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Hunter Wash Member of the Kirtland Formation. The type and only species, Ahshislepelta minor, is known only from an incomplete postcranial skeleton of a small subadult or adult individual. It was named in 2011 by Michael Burns and Robert M. Sullivan. Based on the size of the humerus, Ahshislepelta is larger than Pinacosaurus mephistocephalus but smaller than Talarurus and Pinacosaurus grangeri.
The Cliff House Sandstone is a late Campanian stratigraphic unit comprising sandstones in the western United States.
Suskityrannus is a genus of small tyrannosauroid theropod from the Late Cretaceous in southern Laramidia. It contains a single species, Suskityrannus hazelae, and the type specimen was found in the Turonian-age Moreno Hill Formation of the Zuni Basin in western New Mexico.
Invictarx is a monospecific genus of nodosaurid dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the upper Allison Member of the Menefee Formation. The type and only species, Invictarx zephyri, is known from three isolated, incomplete postcranial skeletons. It was named in 2018 by Andrew T. McDonald and Douglas G. Wolfe. Invictarx shares similarities with Glyptodontopelta from the Naashoibito member of the Ojo Alamo Formation, New Mexico.
Dynamoterror is a monospecific genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the upper Allison Member of the Menefee Formation. The type and only species, Dynamoterror dynastes, is known from a subadult or adult individual about 9 metres long with an incomplete associated skeleton. It was named in 2018 by Andrew T. McDonald, Douglas G. Wolfe and Alton C. Dooley, Jr. Dynamoterror was closely related to Teratophoneus and Lythronax.
Ornatops is a genus of brachylophosaurin saurolophine hadrosaur from the Late Cretaceous Menefee Formation of New Mexico, United States. The genus contains a single species, Ornatops incantatus.
Menefeeceratops is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur from the Menefee Formation in New Mexico, United States. It is potentially the oldest known member of the ceratopsids, as well as the centrosaurine subfamily, related to animals including Yehuecauhceratops and Crittendenceratops. The type and only species is Menefeeceratops sealeyi, known from a partial, non-articulated skeleton.