Eumeralla Formation

The Eumeralla Formation is a geological formation in Victoria, Australia whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. It is Aptian to Albian in age. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, particularly from the Dinosaur Cove locality[1] It is partially equivalent to the Wonthaggi Formation.

Eumeralla Formation
Stratigraphic range: Aptian–Albian
Eric the Red West fossil locality, with AS and ES representing Anchor Sandstone and ETRW Sandstone respectively
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofOtway Group
Sub-unitsWindermere Sandstone Member, Heathfield Sandstone Member
UnderliesSherbrook Group
OverliesKatnook Sandstone, Laira Formation (Crayfish Subgroup)
ThicknessUp to 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryVolcanilithic sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates38.8°S 143.3°E / -38.8; 143.3
Approximate paleocoordinates74.8°S 115.8°E / -74.8; 115.8
Region Victoria
Country Australia
ExtentOtway Basin
Type section
Named forEumeralla River
Named byReynolds, M.A
Year defined1971

Exposure of the Eumeralla Formation in green at the bottom-left

Geology

The Eumeralla Formation was deposited within an extensional rift valley formed between Australia and Antarctica. The lithology primarily consists of fluvially deposited siliciclastics derived from volcanic material. The strata of the Eumeralla Formation are folded as a result of northwest–southeast crustal compression during the Neogene, which also reactivated some Cretaceous aged normal faults.[2]

Dinosaurs

Indeterminate dinosaur tracks named as Skolithos sp. and Arenicolites sp.,[3] as well as indeterminate ornithischian tracks are present in Victoria, Australia.[1] Indeterminate euornithopod remains are present in Victoria, Australia.[1] Indeterminate theropod and possible indeterminate dromaeosaurid remains are present in Victoria, Australia.[1] An indeterminate unenlagiine is known from the formation.[4][5]

Tetrapods of the Eumeralla Formation
Genus Species Presence Notes Images

Atlascopcosaurus[1]

A. loadsi[1]

Dinosaur Cove

"Maxilla [and] teeth."[6]
Atlascopcosaurus
Australovenator
Diluvicursor
Leaellynasaura
cf. Australovenator[7] A. wintonensis Geographically present in Victoria, Australia. "two teeth, two manual unguals, and a right astragalus"

Diluvicursor[2]

D. pickeringi[2]

Eric the Red West locality

Partial poscranial skeleton.[2]

Leaellynasaura[1]

L. amicagraphica[1]

Dinosaur Cove

Skull fragments, teeth. Postcranial remains associated with the taxon cannot be conifidently referred to it

Timimus[1]

T. hermani[1]

Dinosaur Cove

"Tibiae [and] vertebrae."[8]

Aves indet.[9]

No formal name.

Possibly from a species also found at the Wonthaggi Formation (single furcula).

Footprints belonging to a crane-sized bird, determined to be an ornithurine or enantiornithe.

Elaphrosaurinae indet.[10] No formal name Eric the Red West locality Known from a single cervical vertebra, Closely related to Elaphrosaurus.

Megaraptora indet.[11][7]

No formal name

Known from a left ulna.

Probably a megaraptorid. Previously referred to Megaraptor.[12] Different from Australovenator.[13]

Megaraptoridae indet.[7]

No formal name

Known from a single cervical vertebra.

Previously thought to be a spinosaurid.

Ankylosauria indet.[14] No formal name Dinosaur Cove Dorsal vertebra
Mesoeucrocodylia Indeterminate Dinosaur Cove[15] Distinct from other known Australian crocodilians
Other taxa of the Eumeralla Formation
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Ceratodus C. nargun A lungfish
Ceratodus
Kryoryctes K. cadburyi Dinosaur Cove A monotreme
Otwayemys O. cunicularius Dinosaur Cove A meiolaniform turtle
Pterosauria Indeterminate Dinosaur Cove
Plesiosauria Indeterminate Dinosaur Cove

See also

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. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  2. Herne, M. C.; Tait, A. M.; Weisbecker, V.; Hall, M.; Nair, J. P.; Cleeland, M.; Salisbury, S. W. (2018-01-11). "A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian–Antarctic rift system". PeerJ. 5: e4113. doi:10.7717/peerj.4113. PMC 5767335. PMID 29340228.
  3. Milanesia Beach tracksite at Fossilworks.org
  4. Benson, Roger B. J.; Rich, Thomas H.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Hall, Mike (2012-05-16). "Theropod Fauna from Southern Australia Indicates High Polar Diversity and Climate-Driven Dinosaur Provinciality". PLOS ONE. 7 (5): e37122. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...737122B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037122. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3353904. PMID 22615916.
  5. Brougham, Tom; Salisbury, Steven W.; Bell, Phil R. (2018). "Non-avian theropod diversity in Cretaceous Australia: evidence from the fossil tooth record". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (Supplement 1): 97–98.
  6. "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 394.
  7. 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". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (4): e1666273. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1666273. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 208603798.
  8. "Table 6.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 139.
  9. Martin, Anthony J.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H.; Hall, Michael (2013). "Oldest known avian footprints from Australia: Eumeralla Formation (Albian), Dinosaur Cove, Victoria". Palaeontology. 57: 7–19. doi:10.1111/pala.12082.
  10. Poropat, Stephen F.; Pentland, Adele H.; Duncan, Ruairidh J.; Bevitt, Joseph J.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H. (2020-08-01). "First elaphrosaurine theropod dinosaur (Ceratosauria: Noasauridae) from Australia — A cervical vertebra from the Early Cretaceous of Victoria". Gondwana Research. 84: 284–295. Bibcode:2020GondR..84..284P. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2020.03.009. ISSN 1342-937X.
  11. Benson, Roger B. J.; Carrano, Matthew T.; Brusatte, Stephen L. (2009-10-14). "A new clade of archaic large-bodied predatory dinosaurs (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) that survived to the latest Mesozoic". Naturwissenschaften. 97 (1): 71–8. doi:10.1007/s00114-009-0614-x. ISSN 1432-1904. PMID 19826771. S2CID 22646156.
  12. Smith, Nathan D; Makovicky, Peter J; Agnolin, Federico L; Ezcurra, Martín D; Pais, Diego F; Salisbury, Steven W (2008-09-22). "A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 275 (1647): 2085–2093. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0504. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 2603215. PMID 18544511.
  13. "Coelurosauria". www.theropoddatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  14. 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. 34 (3): 205–217. doi:10.1080/03115511003655430. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 128882257.
  15. AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST AND HIGHEST PALEOLATITUDE CROCODYLOMORPHS FROM THE LOWER CRETACEOUS EUMERALLA FORMATION (UPPER APTIAN–LOWER ALBIAN) OF DINOSAUR COVE, VICTORIA PARAGNANI, Cassia P., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; POROPAT, Stephen F., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; VICKERS-RICH, Patricia, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; RICH, Thomas H., Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia SVP conference abstracts 2019
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