Huincul Formation

The Huincul Formation is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Early Cenomanian to Late Turonian) age of the Neuquén Basin that outcrops in the Mendoza, Río Negro and Neuquén Provinces of northern Patagonia, Argentina.[1] It is the second formation in the Río Limay Subgroup, the oldest subgroup within the Neuquén Group. Formerly that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Huincul Formation was known as the Huincul Member.[2]

Huincul Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian
~
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofNeuquén Group
 Río Limay Subgroup
UnderliesLisandro Formation
OverliesCandeleros Formation
Thickness250 m (820 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherClaystone
Location
Coordinates39.4°S 69.0°W / -39.4; -69.0
Approximate paleocoordinates46.1°S 46.0°W / -46.1; -46.0
RegionMendoza, Río Negro & Neuquén Provinces
CountryArgentina
ExtentNeuquén Basin
Type section
Named forPlaza Huincul
Named byKeidel
Year defined1929
Huincul Formation is located in Argentina
Huincul Formation
Huincul Formation (Argentina)

Description

The type locality of the Huincul Formation is near the town of Plaza Huincul in Neuquén Province after which the formation was named by Wichmann in 1929.[3] This formation conformably overlies the Candeleros Formation, and it is in turn overlain by the Lisandro Formation.

The Huincul Formation is thought to represent an arid environment with ephemeral or seasonal streams.[4] In some areas, it is up to 250 metres (820 ft) thick. It is mainly composed of green and yellow sandstones and can easily be differentiated from the overlying Lisandro Formation, which is red in color. The Candeleros Formation, underlying the Huincul, is composed of darker sediments, making all three formations easily distinguishable.[2][5]

Fossil content

Size of dinosaurs named from the Huincul Formation compared to a human

Fossil bones are frequently found in the Huincul Formation. However, remains of Argentinosaurus huinculensis, one of the largest land animals known, were found in the Huincul Formation, and this species is named after it.[2] One of the largest terrestrial predators known, Mapusaurus, has also been recovered from a bonebed in this formation.[4]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Huincul Formation

Fossils found in the Huincul Formation include those of dinosaurs:

Sauropods

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Saurischians
Sauropods
Taxa Species Material Notes Images
Argentinosaurus A. huinculensis Post cranial remains A titanosaurian sauropod.
Cathartesaura C. anaerobica[12] A rebbachisaurid
Choconsaurus C. baileywillisi[13] A titanosaurian sauropod.
Chucarosaurus C. diripienda A complete left humerus, partial left radius, complete left metacarpal II, left ischium, partial left femur and fibula, partial right tibia, and partial indeterminate metapodial.[6] A titanosaurian sauropod.
Limaysaurus L. tessonei A rebbachisaurid
Limaysaurus
Limaysaurus

Theropods

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Saurischians
Theropods
Taxa Species Material Notes Images
Aoniraptor A. liberataem Sacral vertebra, six proximal caudal vertebrae, four mid-caudal vertebrae.[14] A megaraptoran theropod.
Gualicho G. shinyae A partial skeleton lacking the skull along with four vertebrae of the back, three vertebrae of the middle tail, ribs, a basket of belly ribs, the left shoulder girdle, the left forelimb, the right lower arm, the lower ends of both pubic bones, the right thighbone, the lower end of the left thighbone, the upper ends of the right shinbone and calf bone, elements of both metatarsi and three toes of the right foot (Holotype MPCN PV 0001). A neovenatorid theropod.
Huinculsaurus H. montesi Several vertebrae[15] A noasaurid dinosaur
Ilokelesia I. aguadagrandensis Fragmented skull and the axial, appendicular skeleton. An abelisaurid theropod.
Ilokelesia
Ilokelesia
Mapusaurus[16] M. roseae Multiple skeletal specimens. A carcharodontosaurid theropod
Meraxes M. gigas[8] A nearly complete skull, pectoral and pelvic elements, partial forelimbs, complete hindlimbs, fragmentary ribs, and cervical and dorsal vertebrae, a sacrum, and several complete caudal vertebrae. A carcharodontosaurid theropod
Meraxes_gigas_reconstruction
Meraxes_gigas_reconstruction
Overoraptor O. chimentoi[17] A paravian theropod.
Skorpiovenator S. bustingorryi A preserved skeleton. An abelisaurid theropod
Taurovenator[9] T. violantei[18] A carcharodontosaurid theropod
Tralkasaurus T. cuyi An incomplete skeleton ( MPCA-Pv 815), which comprises a maxilla; dorsal, sacral, and caudal vertebrae; cervical ribs; and a badly-preserved pubis. An abelisaurid theropod.

See also

References

  1. Huincul Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. Sánchez et al., 2006
  3. Wichmann, 1929
  4. Coria & Currie, 2006
  5. Leanza et al., 2004, p.68
  6. Agnolin, Federico L.; Gonzalez Riga, Bernardo J.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Rozadilla, Sebastián; Motta, Matías J.; Chimento, Nicolás R.; Novas, Fernando E. (2023-02-02). "A new giant titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". Cretaceous Research: 105487. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105487. ISSN 0195-6671.
  7. Canale et al., 2012
  8. Canale, J.I.; Apesteguía, S.; Gallina, P.A.; Mitchell, J.; Smith, N.D.; Cullen, T.M.; Shinya, A.; Haluza, A.; Gianechini, F.A.; Makovicky, P.J. (2022). "New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction". Current Biology. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.057.
  9. Motta, Matías J.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Rozadilla, Sebastián; Agnolín, Federico E.; Chimento, Nicolás R.; Egli, Federico Brissón; Novas, Fernando E. (June 2016). "New theropod fauna from the Upper Cretaceous (Huincul Formation) of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 71: 231–253 via ResearchGate.
  10. Canudo, J. I., Salgado, L., Garrido, A., Carballido, J. L., Aragosaurus-IUCA, G., Lobo, I., Negro, R., & Olsacher, J. A. (2013). Primera evidencia de dinosaurios ornitópodos en la base de la Formación Huincul (Cenomaniense Superior-Turoniense, Cuenca Neuquina, Argentina) First evidence of ornithopod dinosaurs at the base of Huincul Formation (Cenomanian - Upper Turonian, Neuquén Basin, Argentina).
  11. Leonardi, 1994, p.30
  12. Gallina, Pablo A.; Apesteguía, Sebastián (2005). "Cathartesaura anaerobica gen. et sp. nov.,a new rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Huincul Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Rio Negro, Argentina". Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. Nueva Series. 7 (2): 153–166. doi:10.22179/REVMACN.7.332.
  13. Simón, Edith; Salgado, Leonardo; Calvo, Jorge O. (2017). "A new titanosaur sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Neuquén Province, Argentina". Ameghiniana. 55: 1–29. Retrieved 2020-03-16. doi:10.5710/AMGH.01.08.2017.3051
  14. Motta, Matías J.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Rozadilla, Sebastián; Agnolín, Federico E.; Chimento, Nicolás R.; Egli, Federico Brissón; Novas, Fernando E. (June 2016). "New theropod fauna from the Upper Cretaceous (Huincul Formation) of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 71: 231–253 via ResearchGate.
  15. Mattia Baiano; Rodolfo Coria; Andrea Cau (2020). "A new abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Huincul formation (lower upper Cretaceous, Neuquén Basin) of Patagonia, Argentina". Cretaceous Research. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104408.
  16. Canale et al., 2012
  17. Matías J. Motta; Federico L. Agnolín; Federico Brissón Egli; Fernando E. Novas (2020). "New theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia sheds light on the paravian radiation in Gondwana". The Science of Nature. 107 (3): Article number 24. Bibcode:2020SciNa.107...24M. doi:10.1007/s00114-020-01682-1. hdl:11336/135530. PMID 32468191. S2CID 218913199.
  18. Motta, Matías J.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Rozadilla, Sebastián; Agnolín, Federico E.; Chimento, Nicolás R.; Egli, Federico Brissón; Novas, Fernando E. (June 2016). "New theropod fauna from the Upper Cretaceous (Huincul Formation) of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 71: 231–253 via ResearchGate.

Bibliography

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.