Cerro Barcino Formation

Cerro Barcino Formation
Stratigraphic range: Aptian-Cenomanian
~118–98 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofChubut Group
Sub-unitsLas Plumas
Cerro Castaño
Puesto La Paloma
Bayo Overo
UnderliesPuesto Manuel Arce Formation
OverliesLos Adobes Formation
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone, sandstone
OtherConglomerate, tuff
Location
Coordinates43°48′S 68°36′W / 43.8°S 68.6°W / -43.8; -68.6
Approximate paleocoordinates44°42′S 35°06′W / 44.7°S 35.1°W / -44.7; -35.1
RegionChubut Province
CountryArgentina
ExtentCañadón Asfalto Basin
Type section
Named forCerro Barcino
Cerro Barcino Formation is located in Argentina
Cerro Barcino Formation
Cerro Barcino Formation (Argentina)

The Cerro Barcino Formation (also known as the Gorro Frigio Formation) is a geological formation in South America whose strata span the Early Cretaceous to the earliest Late Cretaceous. The top age for the formation has been estimated to be Cenomanian. Earlier estimates placed the formation until the Campanian.[1]

The formation was deposited in the Cañadón Asfalto Basin, a rift basin that started forming in the earliest Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

The Cerro Barcino Formation is the second-youngest unit of the Chubut Group, which also includes the older Los Adobes Formation. Both formations cover a vast area in Chubut Province, Argentina. The two formations are distinguished by geological features suggesting a distinct change in climate, from a wetter, flood plain environment in the Los Adobes to a much more arid, desert-like environment in the Cerro Barcino.[1]

The Cerro Barcino Formation is subdivided into several subunits (members).[1] From oldest to youngest:

  • Bayo Overo (Correlates with both the Puesto La Paloma and the Cerro Castaño members)
  • Puesto La Paloma
    • Characterized by arid plains interspersed with sand dunes
  • Cerro Castaño
    • A return to more humid, flood-plain conditions
  • Las Plumas

The Puesto La Paloma Member dates from ~118-113 Ma, the Cerro Castaño Member dates from ~113-100.5 Ma, correlating with the Albian, and the Las Plumas Member dates from ~100.5-98 Ma.[2]

Fossil content

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Indeterminate abelisaurid remains from the Puesto La Paloma Member.[1] Possible rebbachisaurid remains are known from the La Paloma Member.[1][2]

Lepidosaurs (Kaikaifilusaurus minimus and Priosphenodon minimus) and Testudinata (Chubutemys copelloi and Prochelidella cerrobarcinae) are also discovered from this formation.[2]

Crurotarsans

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Crocodylomorphs
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Barcinosuchus[3] B. gradilis Near El Escorial village, Chubut Province Cerro Castaño Member "Skull, mandible, and postcranial remains." A peirosaurid. The first crocodyliform from the Chubut Group

Dinosaurs

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Dinosaurs
Genus Species Member Material Notes Images
Chubutisaurus[4] C. insignis Bayo Overo two partial skeletons A basal somphospondylan
Genyodectes[5] G. serus Cerro Castaño partial snout A possible ceratosaurid.
Patagotitan[6] P. mayorum Cerro Castaño partial skeleton and other elements A huge lognkosaur.
Tyrannotitan[7] T. chubutensis Cerro Castaño two partial skeletons and teeth A giant giganotosaurin carcharodontosaurid.
"Megalosaurus" "M." inexpectatus Bayo Overo teeth Indeterminate abelisaurid originally described as a species of Megalosaurus[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Rauhut et al., 2003
  2. ^ a b c Krause, J. Marcelo; Ramezani, Jahandar; Umazano, Aldo M.; Pol, Diego; Carballido, José L.; Sterli, Juliana; Puerta, Pablo; Cúneo, N. Rubén; Bellosi, Eduardo S. (2020-04-01). "High-resolution chronostratigraphy of the Cerro Barcino Formation (Patagonia): Paleobiologic implications for the mid-cretaceous dinosaur-rich fauna of South America" (PDF). Gondwana Research. 80: 33–49. Bibcode:2020GondR..80...33K. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2019.10.005. ISSN 1342-937X. S2CID 210265289.
  3. ^ Leardi, Juan Martín; Pol, Diego (2009-12-01). "The first crocodyliform from the Chubut Group (Chubut Province, Argentina) and its phylogenetic position within basal Mesoeucrocodylia" (PDF). Cretaceous Research. 30 (6): 1376–1386. Bibcode:2009CrRes..30.1376L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2009.08.002. hdl:11336/90736. ISSN 0195-6671.
  4. ^ Carballido, José L.; Pol, Diego; Cerda, Ignacio; Salgado, Leonardo (2011-02-10). "The osteology of Chubutisaurus insignis del Corro, 1975 (Dinosauria: Neosauropoda) from the 'middle' Cretaceous of central Patagonia, Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (1): 93–110. Bibcode:2011JVPal..31...93C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.539651. hdl:11336/94194. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 86055386.
  5. ^ Rauhut, Oliver W. M. (2004-12-10). "Provenance and anatomy of Genyodectes serus, a large-toothed ceratosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (4): 894–902. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0894:PAAOGS]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 131178611.
  6. ^ Carballido, José L.; Pol, Diego; Otero, Alejandro; Cerda, Ignacio A.; Salgado, Leonardo; Garrido, Alberto C.; Ramezani, Jahandar; Cúneo, Néstor R.; Krause, Javier M. (2017-08-16). "A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 284 (1860). doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.1219. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 5563814. PMID 28794222.
  7. ^ Canale, Juan Ignacio; Novas, Fernando Emilio; Pol, Diego (2015-01-02). "Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Tyrannotitan chubutensis Novas, de Valais, Vickers-Rich and Rich, 2005 (Theropoda: Carcharodontosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina" (PDF). Historical Biology. 27 (1): 1–32. Bibcode:2015HBio...27....1C. doi:10.1080/08912963.2013.861830. hdl:11336/17607. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 84583928.
  8. ^ Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.563-570
  9. ^ Ezcurra, Martin Daniel; Novas, Fernando Emilio (2016). "Theropod dinosaurs from Argentina" (PDF). Contribuciones del MACN. ISSN 1666-5503.

Bibliography

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