Villalba de la Sierra Formation

Last updated
Villalba de la Sierra Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian
~84–66  Ma
Lo Hueco titanosaur excavation.jpg
Excavation of a titanosaur at Lo Hueco
Type Geological formation
Lithology
Primary Mudstone
Other Sandstone, gypsum
Location
Coordinates 40°00′N2°00′W / 40.0°N 2.0°W / 40.0; -2.0
Approximate paleocoordinates 30°42′N0°36′W / 30.7°N 0.6°W / 30.7; -0.6
Region Castilla-La Mancha
CountryFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
Extent Iberian Ranges
Type section
Named for Villalba de la Sierra
Relief Map of Spain.png
Lightgreen pog.svg
Villalba de la Sierra Formation (Spain)

The Villalba de la Sierra Formation is a Campanian to Maastrichtian geologic formation in Spain. Fossil dinosaur eggs have been reported from the formation, that comprises gypsiferous, grey, argillaceous mudstones and sandstones, deposited in a floodplain environment [1] [2] characterised by high seasonality and variability in water availability. [3]

Contents

Fossil content

The formation has provided abundant titanosaurian remains, including Lohuecotitan were found in the formation. [4] More than 10,000 fossil remains of various fishes, amphibians, lizards, dinosaurs ( Ampelosaurus sp. , Rhabdodon sp. ), turtles ( Foxemys mechinorum , Iberoccitanemys convenarum ), and crocodiles ( Lohuecosuchus megadontos , Agaresuchus fontisensis , Musturzabalsuchus sp. ) are also known from the site, one of the richest for the Late Cretaceous in Europe. [4] [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Lo Hueco, Fuentes (G1) at Fossilworks.org
  2. Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.517-607
  3. Peyrot, Daniel; Barroso-Barcenilla, Fernando; Cambra-Moo, Oscar (1 October 2013). "Paleoecology of the late Campanian/early Maastrichtian Fossil-Lagerstätte of "Lo Hueco" (Cuenca, Spain): Palynological insights". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . 387: 27–39. Bibcode:2013PPP...387...27P. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.07.005 . Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 Díez Díaz et al., 2016
  5. Ortega et al., 2015

Bibliography