La Colonia Formation

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]

La Colonia Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian
~73–66 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsLower, Middle and Upper members
UnderliesEl Buitre & Sarmiento Formations
OverliesCerro Barcino & Paso del Sapo Formations
ThicknessUp to 210–240 m (690–790 ft)
Thinning to 17 m (56 ft) around Telsen
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone
OtherSandstone, claystone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates43.0°S 67.5°W / -43.0; -67.5
Approximate paleocoordinates45.7°S 53.8°W / -45.7; -53.8
RegionChubut Province
Country Argentina
ExtentCañadón Asfalto Basin
Type section
Named forSierra La Colonia
La Colonia Formation (Argentina)
Paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous with La Colonia Formation indicated

Originally thought to be Campanian (c.73-72 million years ago) in age or earlier, studies of underlying formations have made a Maastrichtian (7066 million years ago) age more likely.[2]

It is divided up into three distinct facies, the first is up to 16 metres (52 ft) thick and consists of conglomerate, the second is by far the thickest at over 100 metres (330 ft), consists of siltstone and claystone, with interbeds of claystone/shale and sandstone, the third is less than 10 metres (33 ft) thick and consists of clay, and probably represents a nearshore marine environment.[3]

Flora

The paleoflora was known for its aquatic components, Paleoazolla and Regnellidium.[4] However, recent paleobotanical discoveries at the Cañadón del Irupé locality have revealed the presence of a more diverse range of plants associated with these water bodies, including pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and various angiosperms.[4] Among these are fossil leaves and fruits assignable to Nelumbonaceae.[4]

Fossil content

Turtles

Turtles from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Chelidae gen. nov.[3] sp. nov. Norte de Cerro Bayo 2 Skull and lower jaw; postcranial remains Represents a new genus of chelid
Patagoniaemys[3] P. gasparinae
  • Buitre Chico
  • in and around Norte de Cerro Bayo 2
  • Cerro Bosta
"skull fragments and several postcranial elements including a nearly complete vertebral column."[5]
aff. Yaminuechelys[3] Y. gasparinii
  • Norte de Cerro Bayo 2
  • Cerro Bosta
"Three specimens formed only by postcranial remains (mainly shell fragments)"

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Elasmosauridae[3] Indeterminate
  • Norte de Cerro Bayo 1
  • Cerro Bosta
"three postcranial specimens that preserve cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, ribs and gastroliths and three vertebrae without collection number"
Kawanectes[6] K. lafquenianum An elasmosaurid
Sulcusuchus[3] S. erraini Cerro Bosta "part of skull and mandible" A polycotylid

Mammals

Over 300 mammal specimens have been found in the La Colonia Formation.[7]

Mammals of the La Colonia Formation
TaxaPresenceNotesImages
Argentodites coloniensis A possible gondwanatherian or multituberculate
Reigitherium bunodontum
Coloniatherium

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs from the La Colonia Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Abelisauridae[3] Indeterminate Norte de Cerro Bayo 1 "Quite complete and partially articulated skeleton" Different from Carnotaurus
Ankylosauria[3] Indeterminate Norte de Cerro Bayo 2 An osteoderm
Carnotaurus C. sastrei Pocho Sastre "Nearly complete skeleton and skull"[8] An abelisaurid[9][10]
Hadrosauroidea[3] Indeterminate Norte de Cerro Bayo 2 Metatarsal fragment and two vertebral fragments
Somphospondyli[3] Indeterminate Norte de Cerro Bayo 2 "Two fragmentary caudal vertebrae"
Theropoda[3] Indeterminate Norte de Cerro Bayo 2 "Metatarsal fragments of a single individual"

See also

References

  1. Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.600-604
  2. Rauhut, 2003
  3. Gasparini et al., 2015
  4. Gandolfo & Cúneo, 2005
  5. Sterli & De la Fuente, 2011
  6. O'Gorman, 2019
  7. Rougier et al., 2009, p.225
  8. "Table 3.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.49
  9. Rauhut, 2004
  10. Leanza et al., 2004, p.72

Bibliography

Further reading

  • A. M. Albino. 2000. New record of snakes from the Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina). Geodiversitas 22(2):247-253
  • N. R. Cúneo, E. J. Hermsen, and M. A. Gandolfo. 2013. Regnellidium (Salviniales, Marsileaceae) macrofossils and associated spores from the Late Cretaceous of South America. PloSOne 174(3):340-349
  • J. P. O'Gorman, L. Salgado, I. A. Cerda and Z. Gasparini. 2013. First record of gastroliths associated with elasmosaur remains from La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian), Chubut, Patagonia Argentina, with comments on the probable depositional palaeoenvironment of the source of the gastroliths. Cretaceous Research 40:212-217
  • J. O'Gorman and Z. Gasparini. 2013. Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Alcheringa 37(2):163-176
  • T. Harper, A. Parras, and G. W. Rougier. 2018. Reigitherium (Meridiolestida, Mesungulatoidea) an Enigmatic Late Cretaceous Mammal from Patagonia, Argentina: Morphology, Affinities, and Dental Evolution. Journal of Mammalian Evolution
  • Z. Kielan-Jaworowska, E. Ortiz-Jaureguizar, C. Vieytes, R. Pascual, and F. J. Goin. 2007. First cimolodontan multituberculate mammal from South America. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52(2):257-262
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