La Colonia Formation

La Colonia Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian
Type Geological formation
Overlies Cerro Barcino Formation
Location
Region Chubut Province
Country  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]

Originally thought to be Campanian in age or earlier, studies of underlying formations have made a Maastrichtian (70-65 million years ago) age more likely.[2]

Contents

Flora

Fossil leaves and fruits assignable to Nelumbonaceae have been found in the Cañadón del Irupé locality of the La Colonia Formation.[3]

Fauna

Turtles

Turtles reported from the La Colonia Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Patagoniaemys

P. gasparinae

"skull fragments and several postcranial elements including a nearly complete vertebral column."[4]

Mammals

Over 300 mammal specimens have been found in the La Colonia formation.[5]

Mammals of the La Colonia Formation
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Argentodites coloniensis

A possible gondwanatherian or multituberculate.

Reigitherium bunodontum

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs reported from the La Colonia Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Carnotaurus[6]

C. sastrei

"Complete skeleton and skull."[7]

An abelisaurid.

See also

References

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  1. ^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 600-604. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  2. ^ Rauhut, O.W.M.; Cladera, G.; Vickers-Rich, P.; Rich, T.H. (2003). "Dinosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous of the Chubut Group, Argentina". Cretaceous Research 24 (5): 487–497. doi:10.1016/S0195-6671(03)00067-3. 
  3. ^ Gandolfo M.A., Cuneo R.N. Fossil Nelumbonaceae from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian- Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous), Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina (2005) Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 133 (3-4), pp. 169-178.
  4. ^ Juliana Sterli and Marcelo S. De la Fuente (2011). "A new turtle from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian), Patagonia, Argentina, with remarks on the evolution of the vertebral column in turtles". Palaeontology 54 (1): 63–78. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.01002.x.
  5. ^ Rougier, G.W.; Chornogubsky, L.; Casadio, S.; Arango, N.P.; Giallombardo, A. (2009). "Mammals from the Allen Formation, Late Cretaceous, Argentina". Cretaceous Research 30 (1): 223–238. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2008.07.006. 
  6. ^ Rauhut, O.W.M. (2004). "Provenance and anatomy of Genyodectes serus, a large-toothed ceratosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24 (4): 894–902. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0894:PAAOGS]2.0.CO;2. 
  7. ^ "Table 3.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 49.