Río Colorado Subgroup Explained

Río Colorado Subgroup
Type:Subgroup
Period:Campanian
Age:Santonian-Early Campanian
~
Prilithology:Mudstone, sandstone
Otherlithology:Siltstone, limestone
Region:Neuquén & Río Negro Provinces
Coordinates:-37.9°N -68.5°W
Paleocoordinates:-40.8°N -53°W
Unitof:Neuquén Group
Subunits:Anacleto & Bajo de la Carpa Formations
Underlies:Malargüe Group
 Allen Formation
Overlies:Río Neuquén Subgroup
 Plottier Formation
Thickness:Up to 240m (790feet)
Extent:Neuquén Basin

The Río Colorado Subgroup, formerly named as Río Colorado Formation, is a Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Early Campanian) geologic subgroup of the Neuquén Basin in northern Patagonia, Argentina. It belongs to the Neuquén Group and contains the Anacleto and Bajo de la Carpa Formations. The subgroup overlies the Río Neuquén Subgroup and is overlain by the Allen Formation of the Malargüe Group, separated by an unconformity dated to 79 Ma.[1] Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[2]

Fossil content

Sauropods

Titanosaur eggs are known from Neuquén Province.[5]

Sauropods reported from the Río Colorado Subgroup
GenusSpeciesProvinceStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
AntarctosaurusA. wichmannianus Anacleto Formation
BonatitanB.reigi Allen Formation
Loricosaurus[6] L. scutatus
MicrocoelusM. patagonicus Bajo de la Carpa FormationPossible synonym of Neuquensaurus
NeuquensaurusN. australis Anacleto Formation
"Titanosaurus""T." robustus Anacleto Formation
Titanosaurus[7] T. nanus Bajo de la Carpa Formation

Theropods

Theropods reported from the Río Colorado Subgroup
GenusSpeciesProvinceStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
AbelisaurusA. comahuaensis Anacleto Formation"Partial skull."[8]
AlvarezsaurusA. calvoi Bajo de la Carpa Formation"Partial postcranial skeleton."[9]
AucasaurusA. garridoi Anacleto Formation"Nearly complete skeleton."
NeuquenornisN. volans Bajo de la Carpa Formation"Partial skeleton."[10]
PatagopteryxP. deferrariisi Bajo de la Carpa Formation"Many skeletons."[11]
VelocisaurusV. unicus Bajo de la Carpa Formation"Partial hind limb."

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Leanza et al., 2004, p.63
  2. Weishampel et al., 2004, pp. 603-604
  3. "63.10 Provincia de Río Negro, Argentina; 4. Río Colorado Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 604.
  4. "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 395.
  5. "63.6 Provincia de Neuquén, Argentina; 3. Río Colorado Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 603.
  6. Listed as "?Loricosaurus scutatus" in "63.6 Provincia de Neuquén, Argentina; 3. Río Colorado Formation" and "63.10 Provincia de Río Negro, Argentina; 4. Río Colorado Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 603-604.
  7. "63.6 Provincia de Neuquén, Argentina; 3. Río Colorado Formation" and "63.10 Provincia de Río Negro, Argentina; 4. Río Colorado Formation," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pages 603-604.
  8. "Table 3.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 49.
  9. "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 211.
  10. "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 213.
  11. "Table 11.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 212.