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 | |
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Stratigraphic range: Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian ~ | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Neuquén Group Río Limay Subgroup |
Underlies | Lisandro Formation |
Overlies | Candeleros Formation |
Thickness | 250 m (820 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Sandstone |
Other | Claystone |
Location | |
Coordinates | 39.4°S 69.0°W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 46.1°S 46.0°W |
Region | Mendoza, Río Negro & Neuquén Provinces |
Country | Argentina |
Extent | Neuquén Basin |
Type section | |
Named for | Plaza Huincul |
Named by | Keidel |
Year defined | 1929 |
![]() ![]() 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
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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
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Fossils found in the Huincul Formation include those of dinosaurs:
- several titanosaurian sauropods (including Argentinosaurus, Choconsaurus, and Chucarosaurus[6])
- rebbachisaurid sauropods (including Cathartesaura and Limaysaurus)
- carcharodontosaurid theropods (including Mapusaurus[7], Meraxes[8] and Taurovenator[9])
- a possible neovenatorid theropod (Gualicho)
- a megaraptoran theropod (Aoniraptor)
- several abelisaurid theropods (including Skorpiovenator, Tralkasaurus and Ilokelesia)
- several iguanodonts and rare ornithopods.[10]
- ichnofossils of abelisaurids and hadrosaurids[11]
Sauropods
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
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 |
Theropods
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
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 |
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 |
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. |
References
- Huincul Formation at Fossilworks.org
- Sánchez et al., 2006
- Wichmann, 1929
- Coria & Currie, 2006
- Leanza et al., 2004, p.68
- 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.
- Canale et al., 2012
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Leonardi, 1994, p.30
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Canale et al., 2012
- 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.
- 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
- Canale, Juan Ignacio; Apesteguía, Sebastián; Makovicky, Peter; Gallina, Pablo Ariel; Gianechini, Federico; Smith, Natan; Maniel, Ignacio; Haluza, Alejandro (2012). "New carcharodontosaurid theropod remains from El Chocón Neuquén Group, Huincul Formation, Neuquén, Argentina". Ameghiniana. 50.
- Coria, R.A.; Currie, P.J. (2006). "A new carcharodontosaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina". Geodiversitas. 28: 71–118. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- Leanza, H.A.; Apesteguia, S.; Novas, F.E.; De la Fuente, M.S. (2004). "Cretaceous terrestrial beds from the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and their tetrapod assemblages". Cretaceous Research. 25: 61–87. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- Leonardi, Giuseppe (1994). "Annotated Atlas of South America Tetrapod Footprints (Devonian to Holocene) with an appendix on Mexico and Central America". Ministerio de Minas e Energia - Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais, Geological Service of Brazil. pp. 1–248. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- Sánchez, María Lidia; Heredia, Susana; Calvo, Jorge O. (2006). "Paleoambientes sedimentarios del Cretácico Superior de la Formación Plottier (Grupo Neuquén), Departamento Confluencia, Neuquén" [Sedimentary paleoenvironments in the Upper Cretaceous Plottier Formation (Neuquen Group), Confluencia, Neuquén)]. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina. pp. 3–18. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- Wichmann, R (1929). "Los Estratos con Dinosaurios y su techo en el este del Territorio del Neuquén ("The dinosaur-bearing strata and their upper limit in eastern Neuquén Territory")". Dirección General de Geología, Minería e Hidrogeología Publicación. 32: 1–9.