Portezuelo Formation
| Portezuelo Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Turonian-Early Coniacian ~91–88 Ma | |
|---|---|
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Neuquén Group |
| Underlies | Plottier Formation |
| Overlies | Cerro Lisandro Formation |
| Location | |
| Country |
 |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Sierra del Portezuelo |
The Portezuelo Formation is a geologic formation outcropping in the Mendoza, Río Negro and Neuquén provinces of Argentina. It is the fourth-oldest formation in the Neuquén Group and the older of the two formations in the Río Neuquén Subgroup. Formerly, that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Portezuelo Formation was known as the Portezuelo Member.[1]
The type locality of the Portezuelo Formation is the mountain range known as Sierra del Portezuelo in Neuquén province.[2] This formation conformably overlies the Lisandro Formation of the Río Limay Subgroup. In the top layers it grades into the Plottier Formation, the younger formation within the Río Neuquén Subgroup.
Sandstones and siltstones, probably deposited under fluvial conditions, make up the Portezuelo Formation. There are also occasional cemented claystone deposits, as well as numerous paleosols (fossil soils). The formation varies between 95 and 130 meters thick throughout its range.[3]
Paleontology
Many dinosaur fossils have recently been described from this formation, as well as remains of several other types of animals:
- teleosteid fish including Leufuichthys
- abundant and diverse turtles including Portezueloemys and a species of Prochelidella
- titanosaurian sauropods including Malarguesaurus and Futalognkosaurus
- dromaeosaurid theropods (Neuquenraptor, Unenlagia, Pamparaptor)[4] [5]
- a neovenatorid theropod (Megaraptor)[4]
- an alvarezsaurid theropod (Patagonykus)[4]
- several other theropods, including a modern, possibly galliform bird[4]
- ornithopods including Macrogryphosaurus
- a possible azdarchoid pterosaur Argentinadraco
See also
References
Bibliography
- Agnolin, Federico L.; Novas, Fernando E. & Lio, Gabriel (2006): Neornithine bird coracoid from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. Ameghiniana 43(1): 245-248. HTML fulltext
- 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(1): 61-87. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2003.10.005 (HTML abstract)
- Sánchez, Maria 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 61(1): 3-18. PDF fulltext
- 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.