Lohan Cura Formation
Lohan Cura Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Albian ~ | |
Type | Geological formation |
Sub-units | Puesto Quiroga & Cullín Grande Members |
Underlies | Río Limay Subgroup Candeleros Formation |
Overlies | Mendoza Group La Amarga, Agrio & Bajada Colorada Formations |
Thickness | 177 m (581 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Mudstone, siltstone, sandstone |
Other | Claystone |
Location | |
Coordinates | 39°36′S 69°24′W / 39.6°S 69.4°W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 43°42′S 39°24′W / 43.7°S 39.4°W |
Region | Río Negro Province, Mendoza & Neuquén Provinces |
Country | Argentina |
Extent | Neuquén Basin |
Type section | |
Named by | Leanza & Hugo |
Year defined | 1995 |
The Lohan Cura Formation is a geologic formation with outcrops in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza. It is the second oldest Cretaceous terrestrial formation in the Neuquén Basin.
The Lohan Cura Formation unconformably overlies the terrestrial La Amarga Formation. In some places it also overlies the older marine Agrio and Bajada Colorada Formations of the Mendoza Group through the same Middle Miranican unconformity. It is in turn overlain by the Candeleros Formation of the Neuquén Group, separated by the Main Miranican unconformity. The Lohan Cura correlates with the Rayoso Formation in some areas.[1]
Subdivision
The Lohan Cura Formation contains two members of roughly equal thickness. The lowermost member, Puesto Quiroga Member is approximately 85 metres (279 ft) thick. The lowest sediments in this unit are conglomerates, overlain by sandstones and siltstones. The upper two-thirds of the member consists mainly of shales. The Cullín Grande Member is the upper member within the formation, about 92 metres (302 ft) thick, which contains numerous sandstones displaying evidence of stream channels. Near the top of the sequence, siltstones and claystones become dominant.
Fossil content
Numerous tetrapod fossils have been recovered from the Cullín Grande Member of the Lohan Cura, including:
- several turtles (including 2 species of Prochelidella)
- rebbachisaurid sauropods
- possible titanosaurian sauropods (including Agustinia and Ligabuesaurus)
The rebbachisaurid Rayososaurus comes from the correlating Rayoso Formation in this same area.
Dinosaurs of the Lohan Cura Formation | ||||
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Genus | Species | Presence | Notes | Images |
Agustinia[2] | A. ligabuei[2] | Neuquén Province[2] | Dorsal sacral and caudal neural arches, hindlimb elements, and pelvic fragments (the latter misidentified as osteoderms)[3] |
See also
References
- ^ Leanza et al., 2004, p.66
- ^ a b c Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 563-570. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
- ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 267.
Bibliography
Further reading
- J. F. Bonaparte, B. J. González Riga, and S. Apesteguía. 2006. Ligabuesaurus leanzai gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria, Sauropoda), a new titanosaur from the Lohan Cura Formation (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) of Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina. Cretaceous Research 27:364-376
- J. F. Bonaparte. 1999. An armoured sauropod from the Aptian of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Y. Tomida, T. H. Rich, and P. Vickers-Rich (eds.), Proceedings of the Second Gondwanan Dinosaur Symposium, National Science Museum Monographs 15:1-12
- A. G. Martinelli, A. C. Garrido, A. M. Forasiepi, E. R. Paz, and Y. Gurovich. 2007. Notes on fossil remains from the Early Cretaceous Lohan Cura Formation, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Gondwana Research 11:537-552
- L. Salgado, A. Garrido, S. E. Cocca and J. R. Cocca. 2004. Lower Cretaceous rebbachisaurid sauropods from Cerro Aguada del León (Lohan Cura Formation), Neuquén province, northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(4):903-912
- Geologic formations of Argentina
- Lower Cretaceous Series of South America
- Cretaceous Argentina
- Albian Stage
- Aptian Stage
- Sandstone formations
- Siltstone formations
- Mudstone formations
- Fluvial deposits
- Neuquén Basin
- Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of South America
- Paleontology in Argentina
- Geology of Mendoza Province
- Geology of Neuquén Province
- Geology of Río Negro Province