Hell Creek Formation Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian, 66.8–65.5 Ma |
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Exposure in the badlands in the vicinity of Ft. Peck Reservoir |
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Type | Geological formation |
Overlies | Fox Hills Formation |
Location | |
Country | USA |
The Hell Creek Formation is an intensely-studied division of Upper Cretaceous to lower Paleocene rocks in North America, named for exposures studied along Hell Creek, near Jordan, Montana. The formation spans about 1.3 million years, terminating at the K-Pg boundary, dated to 65.5 million years ago.[1]
The Hell Creek Formation occurs in Montana and portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. In Montana, the Hell Creek Formation overlies the Fox Hills Formation and is the uppermost formation of the Cretaceous period. "Pompey's Pillar" at the Pompeys Pillar National Monument is a small isolated section of the Hell Creek Formation.
It is a series of fresh and brackish-water clays, mudstones, and sandstones deposited during the Maastrichtian, the last part of the Cretaceous period, by fluvial activity in fluctuating river channels and deltas and very occasional peaty swamp deposits along the low-lying eastern continental margin fronting the late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. The climate was mild, and the presence of crocodilians suggests a sub-tropical climate, with no prolonged annual cold. The famous iridium-enriched K–Pg boundary, which separates the Cretaceous from the Cenozoic, occurs as a discontinuous but distinct thin marker bedding within the Formation, near its uppermost strata.
The world's largest collection of Hell Creek fossils is housed and exhibited at the Museum of the Rockies, in Bozeman, Montana. The specimens displayed are the result of the museum's Hell Creek Project, a joint effort between the museum, Montana State University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of North Dakota and the University of North Carolina which began in 1998. The formation is also a popular location for commercial excavations.
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The formation has produced impressive assemblages of invertebrates, plants, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Notable dinosaur finds include Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. The most complete Hadrosaurid dinosaur ever found was retrieved in 2000 from the Hell Creek Formation and widely publicised in a National Geographic documentary aired in December 2007. A few bird, mammal, and pterosaur fossils have also been found. Teeth of sharks and rays are sometimes found in the riverine Hell Creek Formation, suggesting that some of these taxa were tolerant of fresh water then as now.
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Amphibians reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
Indeterminate[3] |
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Indeterminate[3] |
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H. dilatus[3] |
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L. bairdi[3] |
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O. kayi[3] |
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P. cretacica[3] |
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P. copei[3] |
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S. tectum[3] |
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Scotiophryne[3] |
S. pustulosa[3] |
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Bony fishes reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
A. eruciferus[6] |
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A. fragosa[6] |
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B. longirostris[6] |
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C. amnicolus[8] |
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L. occidentalis[6] |
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Palaeolabrus[6] |
P. montanensis[6] |
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P. wilsoni[6] |
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P. casei[10] |
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Platacodon[8] |
P. nanus[8] |
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Protamia[6] |
Indeterminate[6] |
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P. squamosus[6] |
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Cartilaginous fishes reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | |
I. avonicola[11] |
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Lonchidion[11] |
L. selachos[11] |
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Myledaphus[11] |
M. bipartitus[11] |
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Ankylosaurs reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Ankylosaurus magniventris[13] |
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An ankylosaur. Also found in the Lance and Scollard Formations. |
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Unnamed and indeterminate remains[13] |
An ankylosaur. |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Ceratopsians reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
Indeterminate[16] |
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A small primitive-looking ceratopsian. |
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?T. sacrisonorum |
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A ceratopsian possibly synonymous with Triceratops[17] |
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?T. latus[13] |
A ceratopsian possibly synonymous with Triceratops.[18] Also found in the Frenchman and Lance Formations. |
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T. horridus[13] |
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A ceratopsian, very common. Also found in the Evanston, Frenchman, Kirtland, Lance, Laramie, and Scollard Formations. |
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T. maximus[13] |
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"[Eight] vertebrae, [two] ribs."[19] |
Later found to be indeterminate ceratopsid remains.[13] |
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T. prorsus[13] |
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Very common. |
Also found in the Frenchman and Lance Formations. |
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T. serratus[13] |
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Later referred to T. horridus.[13] |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Ornithopods reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
A. annectens |
Reclassified as Edmontosaurus annectens[20] |
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A. copei |
Junior synonym of Edmontosaurus annectens.[20] |
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B. garbanii |
Junior synonym of Thescelosaurus garbanii |
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B. infernalis |
Reclassified as Thescelosaurus |
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D. mirabilis |
Junior synonym of Trachodon mirabilis, remains actually belong to E. annectens[20] |
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E. annectens |
Very common. |
A hadrosaur. Also found in the Denver, Frenchman, Lance, Laramie, and Scollard Formations. |
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E. regalis |
Common hadrosaur remains are often referred to this genus, but all fossils diagnosable as E. regalis specifically are only known from older deposits.[21] |
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P. walkeri[22] |
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A possible lambeosaurine hadrosaur potentially similar to the Campanian genus Parasaurolophus |
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?T. garbanii[23] |
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T. infernalis |
Nomen dubium |
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T. neglectus[15] |
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A small ornithopod. Also found in the Frenchman, Lance, Laramie, and Scollard Formations.[25] Sometimes misspelled as T. garbani.[23] |
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Indeterminate[26] |
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T. mirabilis |
Misclassified, remains now referred to Edmontosaurus annectens |
An undescribed Pachycephalosaur is present in North Dakota.[14]
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Pachycephalosaurs reported from the Hell Creek Formation | ||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
?D. hogwartsia[27] |
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A pachycephalosaur, possibly synonymous with Pachycephalosaurus. |
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P. wyomingensis[13] |
A pachycephalosaur. Also found in the Judith River and Lance Formations. |
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S. buchholtzae[13] |
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"Skull material."[28] |
A pachycephalosaur, possibly synonymous with Prenocephale. Also found in the Kirtland Formation |
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S. goodwini[13] |
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"Skull material."[28] |
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S. edmontonense[13] |
Pachycephalosaurid remains from Montana and south Dakota have been erroneously referred to this Campanian species. |
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?S. spinifer[13] |
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A pachycephalosaur, possibly synonymous with Pachycephalosaurus. Also found in the Lance Formation. |
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Indeterminate[15] |
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Plants of the Hell Creek Formation | ||||
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Genus | Species | Presence | Description | Images |
Indeterminate |
Casts of Dawn Redwood seed cones are known from the Hell Creek. | |||
Cobbania |
C. corrugata |
A prehistoric species of water lettuce, previously assigned to the genus Pistia. |
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A. araucana |
Casts of Monkey-puzzle leaves are found in Hell Creek. |
Pterosaurs of the Hell Creek Formation | ||||
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Taxa | Species | Location | Description | Images |
Indeterminate[30] |
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A single azhdarchid neck bone may belong to the genus Quetzalcoatlus.[30] |
Theropod tracks have been found in South Dakota.[15] An unnamed alvarezsaurid is known from Montana.[31]
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Ornithomimids reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
Nomen nudum |
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An ornithomimid. |
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Indeterminate[13] |
An ornithomimid |
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S. sedens[34] |
A large ornithomimid.[34] |
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Indeterminate[15] |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Oviraptorosaurs reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
C. collinsi[15] |
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Sometimes considered a junior synonym of Chirostenotes, but type material actually from the Dinosaur Park Formation |
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Indeterminate[15] |
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Known from the articular region of a lower jaw catalogued as BHM 2033.[36] |
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C. elegans[13] |
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Partial foot catalogued as MOR 752.[36] |
A large oviraptorosaur, also found in the Dinosaur Park and Two Medicine Formations. |
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C. sp. |
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Based on the undescribed "Triebold specimen" |
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E. elegans[13] |
Junior synonym of Chirostenotes elegans. |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Eumaniraptorans reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
A. archibaldi[13] |
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Two adult and one juvenile specimens, all based on lower leg elements. |
An enantiornithine. |
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Indeterminate[13] |
Teeth |
Dromaeosaurid teeth similar to the older Dromaeosaurus albertensis |
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P. lacustris[13] |
Teeth |
Indeterminate troodontid,[13] actually from the Dinosaur Park, Frenchman, Judith River, Kirtland and Milk River Formations but absent in the Hell Creek. |
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Indeterminate |
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Teeth |
Indeterminate troodontid |
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R.? isosceles |
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Teeth |
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R. cf. gilmorei |
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Teeth |
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Teeth |
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Indeterminate.[13] |
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Teeth |
Remains tentatively attributed to the Mongolian genus Saurornithoides were later referred to Troodon.[13] |
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Indeterminate[14] |
Teeth, partial dentary |
Dromaeosaurid remains similar to the older Saurornitholestes langstoni |
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S. inequalis[13] |
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Junior synonym of Troodon formosus.[13] |
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?T. formosus[13] |
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Teeth |
A troodontid, actually an indeterminate species of Troodon |
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Indeterminate[15] |
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Teeth |
Troodontid teeth similar to the older Troodon formosus |
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Indeterminate |
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Teeth, partial dentary |
Remains tentatively attributed to the Mongolian genus Velociraptor were later tentatively referred to Saurornitholestes. |
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"Unnamed ornithurine B"[1] |
Indeterminate[39] |
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Partial coracoid |
An ornithurine possibly similar to Cimolopteryx[39][1] |
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"Unnamed ornithurine C"[1] |
Indeterminate |
Partial coracoid |
An ornithurine, also present in the Fort Union Formation, the only individual bird species known to have survived the K-Pg extinction[1] |
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"Unnamed ornithurine D"[1] |
Indeterminate |
Partial coracoid |
An ornithurine[1] |
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"Unnamed hesperornithiform A"[1] |
Indeterminate |
Tarsometatarsus |
A primitive hesperornithiform[1] |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Tyrannosaurids reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images | |
A. lancensis |
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Remains later referred to Nanotyrannus lancensis. |
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A. "megagracilis"[13] |
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Nomen nudum, remains later referred to Tyrannosaurus rex.[13] |
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A. mirandus[13] |
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Now considered indeterminate tyrannosauroid remains.[13] |
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A. molnari[13] |
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Remains later referred to Tyrannosaurus rex.[13] |
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D. lancensis |
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Remains later referred to Nanotyrannus lancensis. |
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D. megagracilis |
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Remains later referred to Tyrannosaurus rex. |
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G. lancensis |
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Remains later referred to Nanotyrannus lancensis. |
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?N. lancensis[13] |
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"Nearly complete skull."[41] |
A small tyrannosaur, possibly synonymous with Tyrannosaurus. | ||||
T. rex[13] |
A tyrannosaur, known from several specimens including a juvenile nicknamed "Jane". Also found in the Denver, Frenchman, Hill Creek South, Javelina, Kirtland, Lance, McRae, North Horn, Scollard, and Willow Creek Formations. |
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative data are in small text; |
Turtles reported from the Hell Creek Formation | |||||||
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Genus | Species | State | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | ||
Adocus[42] |
Indeterminate[42] |
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C. victa[42] |
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Eubaena[42] |
E. cephalica[42] |
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G. sonsalla |
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Indeterminate[42] |
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