Wonthaggi Formation Explained

Wonthaggi Formation
Type:Geological formation
Period:Barremian
Prilithology:Volcaniclastic sandstone, siltstone
Otherlithology:Conglomerate, coal
Coordinates:-38.7°N 145.7°W
Paleocoordinates:-77°N 117.5°W
Unitof:Strzelecki Group
Underlies:Unconformity with Wombat Volcanics & Kersop Arkose
Overlies:Paleozoic basement
Thickness:Up to 2500m (8,200feet)
Extent:Gippsland Basin
Map:Eumeralla and Wonthaggi locations.jpeg

The Wonthaggi Formation is an informal geological formation in Victoria, Australia whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. It is part of the Strzelecki Group within the Gippsland Basin. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1] [2] It is partially equivalent to the Eumeralla Formation.

Geology

The Wonthaggi Formation was deposited within Gippsland Basin, which formed part of a extensional rift valley system between Australia and Antarctica. The lithology primarily consists of fluvially deposited siliciclastics derived from volcanic rocks of the Whitsunday Silicic Large Igneous Province to the East, with suggestions that the sediments either originated from braided river and sheet flood deposits, or meandering river systems on vegetated floodplains. The age of the formation is thought to be Valanginian to Barremian, with the Flat Rocks site being late Barremian (~125 Ma) in age, older than the sediments from the Eumeralla Formation, which are thought to be Aptian-Albian in age.

Vertebrate paleofauna

Indeterminate ornithopod remains are present in Victoria, Australia. Indeterminate megaraptorid remains are present in Victoria, Australia.[3]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Wonthaggi Formation
GenusSpeciesLocalityMaterialNotesImages
cf. Atlascopcosaurus[4] cf. A. loadsiFlat Rocksknown as "Victorian ornithopod maxillary morphotype 4", consists of a partial right maxillaIntermediate in morphology between Galleonosaurus and Atlascopcosaurus
GalleonosaurusG. dorisaeFlat RocksKnown from a maxilla
QantassaurusQ. intrepidusFlat Rocks"[Three] dentaries and teeth."[5]
Q. ?intrepidusFlat RocksKnown as "Victorian ornithopodan dentary morphotype 2", represented by two dentary fragments, Possibly distinct from Q. intrepidus
SerendipaceratopsS. arthurclarkeiThe Arch, KilcundaSingle damaged ulna
Aves[6] IndeterminatePossibly also present at the Eumeralla Formation (footprints).Single furcula.
Ankylosauria indet.[7] IndeterminateFlat RocksTeeth, dorsal vertebra, ribs, osteoderms
Noasauridae indet.[8] IndeterminateSan Remo MemberNMV P221202, astragalocalcaneumA non-elaphrosaurine noasaurid.
Ornithopoda indet.IndeterminateFlat RocksDentaries referred to as "Victorian ornithopodan dentary morphotype 3" including P228408, NMV P231182, NMV P199135 and isolated teethDifferent from Q. intrepidus.
Ornithopoda indet.IndeterminateCape Patersonsingle femurKnown as "Victorian Hypsilophodontid Femur Type 2". Larger than contemporaneous ornithopods.
Megaraptora indet.IndeterminateFlat RocksNumerous isolated teeth, and a left astragalus[9] Originally referred to "Allosaurus" robustus
Megaraptoridae indet.[10] IndeterminateShack Baya complete frontal, attached to a partial parietal

Mammals

Mammals of the Wonthaggi Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceMaterialNotesImages
AusktribosphenosA. nyktosFlat rocksPartial dentary with teethAusktribosphenid
BishopsB. whitmoreiPartial dentary with teethAusktribosphenid
CorriebaatarC. marywaltersae"NMV P216655, a fragment of a left dentary bearing a complete plagiaulacoid p4 and the anterior root of m1"
KryoparvusK. gerritiPartial dentary with teeth?Ausktribosphenid
TeinolophosT. trusleriPartial dentary with teethMonotreme

See also

Notes and References

  1. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Australasia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 573-574. .
  2. .
  3. Poropat. Stephen F.. Martin. Sarah K.. Tosolini. Anne-Marie P.. Wagstaff. Barbara E.. Bean. Lynne B.. Kear. Benjamin P.. Vickers-Rich. Patricia. Rich. Thomas H.. 2018-04-03. Early Cretaceous polar biotas of Victoria, southeastern Australia—an overview of research to date. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 42. 2. 157–229. 10.1080/03115518.2018.1453085. 2018Alch...42..157P . 133845914. 0311-5518.
  4. Herne . Matthew C. . Nair . Jay P. . Evans . Alistair R. . Tait . Alan M. . 2019 . New small-bodied ornithopods (Dinosauria, Neornithischia) from the Early Cretaceous Wonthaggi Formation (Strzelecki Group) of the Australian-Antarctic rift system, with revision of Qantassaurus intrepidus Rich and Vickers-Rich, 1999 . Journal of Paleontology . 93 . 3 . 543–584 . 10.1017/jpa.2018.95 . free . 2019JPal...93..543H .
  5. "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 395.
  6. Martin . Anthony J. . Vickers-Rich . Patricia . Rich . Thomas H. . Hall . and Michael . 2014 . Oldest known avian footprints from Australia: Eumeralla Formation (Albian), Dinosaur Cove, Victoria . Palaeontology . 57 . 1 . 7–19 . 10.1111/pala.12082. free . 2014Palgy..57....7M .
  7. Barrett . Paul M. . Rich . Thomas H. . Vickers-Rich . Patricia . Tumanova . Tat'yana A. . Inglis . Matthew . Pickering . David . Kool . Lesley . Kear . Benjamin P. . September 2010 . Ankylosaurian dinosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous of southeastern Australia . Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology . en . 34 . 3 . 205–217 . 10.1080/03115511003655430 . 2010Alch...34..205B . 128882257 . 0311-5518.
  8. Brougham. Tom. Smith. Elizabeth T.. Bell. Phil R.. 2020-01-29. Noasaurids are a component of the Australian 'mid'-Cretaceous theropod fauna. Scientific Reports. en. 10. 1. 1428. 10.1038/s41598-020-57667-7. 31996712. 6989633. 2020NatSR..10.1428B . 2045-2322. free.
  9. Poropat . Stephen F. . White . Matt A. . Vickers-Rich . Patricia . Rich . Thomas H. . 2019-07-04 . New megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) remains from the Lower Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia (Including supplemental material) . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . en . 39 . 4 . e1666273 . 10.1080/02724634.2019.1666273 . 2019JVPal..39E6273P . 208603798 . 0272-4634.
  10. Kotevski . Jake . Duncan . Ruairidh J. . Pentland . Adele H. . Rule . James P. . Vickers-Rich . Patricia . Rich . Thomas H. . Fitzgerald . Erich M. G. . Evans . Alistair R. . Poropat . Stephen F. . 2023-11-02 . A megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia . Cretaceous Research . 154 . 105769 . 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105769 . 0195-6671. free .