Arundel Formation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Arundel Formation, also known as the Arundel Clay, is a clay-rich sedimentary rock formation, within the Potomac Group, found in Maryland of the United States of America. It is of Aptian age (Lower Cretaceous). This rock unit had been economically important as a source of iron ore, but is now more notable for its dinosaur fossils. Although often considered a formation, it may be only oxbow swamp facies within the Potomac Group.[1] Dinosaurs present include possibly the large theropod Acrocanthosaurus,[2][3] the poorly known theropods "Allosaurus (or "Dryptosaurus") medius", "Creosaurus (or "Dryptosaurus") potens" (also known as "Capitalsaurus"), and "Coelurus gracilis", the ornithomimosaurian "Coelosaurus affinis", the sauropods Astrodon and Pleurocoelus, the nodosaurid Priconodon,[4] a possible basal ceratopsian, and potentially the ornithopod Tenontosaurus.[1] Other vertebrates are not as well-known from the formation, but include a freshwater shark, a lungfish, at least three genera of turtles, and at least one crocodilian.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kranz, Peter M. (1998). "Mostly dinosaurs: a review of the vertebrates of the Potomac Group (Aptian Arundel Formation), USA", in Lucas, Spencer G.; Kirkland, James I.; & Estep, J.W. (eds.): Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 14, 235-238.
- ^ Harris, Jerald D. (1998). "Large, Early Cretaceous theropods in North America", in Lucas, Spencer G.; Kirkland, James I.; & Estep, J.W. (eds.): Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 14, 225-228.
- ^ Lipka, Thomas R. (1998). "The affinities of the enigmatic theropods of the Arundel Clay facies (Aptian), Potomac Formation, Atlantic Coastal Plain of Maryland", in Lucas, Spencer G.; Kirkland, James I.; & Estep, J.W. (eds.): Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 14, 229-234.
- ^ Weishampel, David B.; Barrett, Paul M.; Coria, Rodolfo A.; Le Loueff, Jean; Xu Xing; Zhao Xijin; Sahni, Ashok; Gomani, Elizabeth M.P.; and Noto, Christopher N. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution", in Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press, 517-606. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
