La Colonia Formation

Last updated
La Colonia Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian
~73–66  Ma
Quarry process 'Chubutinectes carmeloi.jpg
An outcrop of the La Colonia Formation on the Somún Curá plateau that is the type locality of Chubutinectes . Photographed in 2009.
Type Geological formation
Sub-unitsLower, Middle and Upper members
Underlies El Buitre & Sarmiento Formations
Overlies Cerro Barcino & Paso del Sapo Formations
ThicknessUp to 210–240 m (690–790 ft)
Thinning to 17 m (56 ft) around Telsen
Lithology
Primary Siltstone
Other Sandstone, claystone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates 43°00′S67°30′W / 43.0°S 67.5°W / -43.0; -67.5
Approximate paleocoordinates 45°42′S53°48′W / 45.7°S 53.8°W / -45.7; -53.8
Region Chubut Province
CountryArgentina
Extent Cañadón Asfalto Basin
Type section
Named for Sierra La Colonia
Relief Map of Argentina.jpg
Lightgreen pog.svg
La Colonia Formation (Argentina)

The La Colonia Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. [1]

Contents

Originally thought to be Campanian (c.73-72 million years ago) in age or earlier, studies of underlying formations have made a Maastrichtian (7066 million years ago) age more likely. [2]

Description

Paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous with La Colonia Formation indicated Paleogeography Gondwana - Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene - around 85-63 Ma.jpg
Paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous with La Colonia Formation indicated

It is divided up into three distinct facies, the first is up to 16 metres (52 ft) thick and consists of conglomerate, the second is by far the thickest at over 100 metres (330 ft), consists of siltstone and claystone, with interbeds of claystone/shale and sandstone, the third is less than 10 metres (33 ft) thick and consists of clay, and probably represents a nearshore marine environment. [3]

The paleoflora was known for its aquatic components, Paleoazolla and Regnellidium. [4] However, recent paleobotanical discoveries at the Cañadón del Irupé locality have revealed the presence of a more diverse range of plants associated with these water bodies, including pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and various angiosperms. [4] Among these are fossil leaves and fruits assignable to Nelumbonaceae. [4]

Fossil content

Restoration of La Colonia Formation Titanomachya gimenezi & The La Colonia Formation.jpg
Restoration of La Colonia Formation

Turtles

Turtles from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Chelidae gen. nov. [3] sp. nov.Norte de Cerro Bayo 2Skull and lower jaw; postcranial remainsRepresents a new genus of chelid
Patagoniaemys [3] P. gasparinae
  • Buitre Chico
  • in and around Norte de Cerro Bayo 2
  • Cerro Bosta
"skull fragments and several postcranial elements including a nearly complete vertebral column." [5] A meiolaniform
Patagoniaemys.png
aff. Yaminuechelys [3] Y. gasparinii
  • Norte de Cerro Bayo 2
  • Cerro Bosta
"Three specimens formed only by postcranial remains (mainly shell fragments)"

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Chubutinectes [6] C. carmeloiSeveral vertebrae, ribs, partial pectoral and pelvic girdles, arm and leg bones, and gastrolithsAn elasmosaurid
Elasmosauridae [3] Indeterminate
  • Norte de Cerro Bayo 1
  • Cerro Bosta
"three postcranial specimens that preserve cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, ribs and gastroliths and three vertebrae without collection number"
Kawanectes [7] K. lafquenianum"an incomplete mandible, nine cervical vertebrae, 14 dorsal vertebrae, three sacral vertebrae and five caudal vertebrae, and almost complete left fore limb, the isolated right humerus, both femora, ilia, pubes and the right ischium"An elasmosaurid
Kawanectes lafquenianum.png
Sulcusuchus [3] S. errainiCerro Bosta"part of skull and mandible"A polycotylid
Sulcusuchus erraini.png

Dinosaurs

Ornithiscians

Ornithischians from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Ankylosauria [3] IndeterminateNorte de Cerro Bayo 2An osteoderm
Hadrosauroidea [3] IndeterminateNorte de Cerro Bayo 2Metatarsal fragment and two vertebral fragments

Sauropods

Sauropods from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Somphospondyli [3] IndeterminateNorte de Cerro Bayo 2"Two fragmentary caudal vertebrae"
Titanomachya [8] T. gimeneziNorte de Cerro Bayo 2"Partial postcranial skeleton"A titanosaur sauropod
Titanomachya.png

Theropods

Theropods from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Carnotaurus C. sastreiPocho Sastre"Nearly complete skeleton and skull" [9] An abelisaurid [10] [11]
Carnotaurus Reconstruction (2022).png
Enantiornithine [12] IndeterminateA distal humerus
Koleken [3] [13] K. inakayaliNorte de Cerro Bayo 1"Quite complete and partially articulated skeleton"An abelisaurid.
Koleken UDL.png
Theropoda [3] IndeterminateNorte de Cerro Bayo 2"Metatarsal fragments of a single individual"

Mammals

Over 300 mammal specimens have been found in the La Colonia Formation. [14]

Mammals of the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Argentodites A. coloniensis [15] A possible gondwanatherian or multituberculate
Coloniatherium C. cilinskii [16] A meridiolestidan
Ferugliotherium F. windhauseni [15] A possible gondwanatherian or multituberculate
Reigitherium R. bunodontum [17] A meridiolestidan

Snakes

Fossils of madtsoiids, and perhaps boids, have been found in the formation. [18]

Snakes from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Alamitophis A. argentinus [18] Trunk vertebra Madtsoiidae

See also

Related Research Articles

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Rocasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod that lived in South America. Rocasaurus was discovered in Argentina in 2000, within the Allen Formation which is dated to be middle Campanian to early Maastrichtian in age. This genus grew up to 8 metres (26 ft) long, making it one of the smaller sauropods. It seems to be closely related to saltasaurid dinosaurs, like Saltasaurus and Neuquensaurus.

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<i>Patagoniaemys</i> Extinct genus of turtles

Patagoniaemys is an extinct genus of stem turtle which existed in central Patagonia, Chubut Province, Argentina during the late Cretaceous epoch. It is known from skull fragments and several postcranial elements including a nearly complete vertebral column recovered from the La Colonia Formation. It was first named by Juliana Sterli and Marcelo S. de la Fuente in 2011, and the type species is Patagoniaemys gasparinae.

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<i>Titanomachya</i> Extinct genus of sauropod dinosaurs

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References

  1. Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.600-604
  2. Rauhut, 2003
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gasparini et al., 2015
  4. 1 2 3 Gandolfo & Cúneo, 2005
  5. Sterli & De la Fuente, 2011
  6. O’Gorman, José P.; Carignano, Ana Paula; Calvo-Marcilese, Lydia; Pérez Panera, Juan Pablo (2023-08-10). "A new elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the upper levels of the La Colonia Formation (upper Maastrichtian), Chubut Province, Argentina". Cretaceous Research: 105674. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105674. ISSN   0195-6671.
  7. O'Gorman, 2019
  8. Pérez-Moreno, A.; Salgado, L.; Carballido, J. L.; Otero, A.; Pol, D. (2024). "A new titanosaur from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian), Chubut Province, Argentina". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2332997 .
  9. "Table 3.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.49
  10. Rauhut, 2004
  11. Leanza et al., 2004, p.72
  12. Lawver, Daniel R.; Debee, Aj M.; Clarke, Julia A.; Rougier, Guillermo W. (January 1, 2011). "A New Enantiornithine Bird from the Upper Cretaceous La Colonia Formation of Patagonia, Argentina". Annals of Carnegie Museum. 80 (1): 35–42. doi:10.2992/007.080.0104. S2CID   85015365.
  13. Pol, Diego; Baiano, Mattia Antonio; Černý, David; Novas, Fernando; Cerda, Ignacio A. (21 May 2024). "A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria". WILEY Online Library. doi:10.1111/cla.12583 . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  14. Rougier et al., 2009, p.225
  15. 1 2 Gurovich, Y.; Beck, R. (2009). "The phylogenetic affinities of the enigmatic mammalian clade Gondwanatheria". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 16 (1): 25–49. doi:10.1007/s10914-008-9097-3. S2CID   42799370.
  16. Rougier, G.W.; Forasiepi, A.M.; Hill, R.V.; Novacek, M. (2009). "New mammalian remains from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation, Patagonia, Argentina". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54 (2): 195–212. doi: 10.4202/app.2006.0026 .
  17. Rougier, G. W.; Turazzinni, G. F.; Cardozo, M. S.; Harper, T.; Lires, A. I.; Canessa, L. A. (2021). "New Specimens of Reigitherium bunodontum from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation, Patagonia, Argentina and Meridiolestidan Diversity in South America". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 28 (4): 1051–1081. doi:10.1007/s10914-021-09585-2. S2CID   254704047.
  18. 1 2 Albino, Adriana M. (2000). "New record of snakes from the Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina)". Geodiversitas. 22 (2): 247–253.

Bibliography

Further reading