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 rarely 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

Fossils found in the Huincul Formation include those of dinosaurs:

Saurischians
Sauropods
Taxa Species Material Notes Images
Argentinosaurus A. huinculensis Post cranial remains
Cathartesaura C. anaerobica[6] A rebbachisaurid
Choconsaurus C. baileywillisi[7]
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.[8]
Theropods
Aoniraptor A. liberataem Aacral vertebra, six proximal caudal vertebrae, four mid-caudal vertebrae.[9] A megaraptoran theropod.
Huinculsaurus H. montesi Several vertebrae[10] A noasaurid dinosaur
Gualicho G. shinyae A neovenatorid theropod.
Mapusaurus[11] M. roseae A carcharodontosaur theropod
Meraxes M. gigas[12] A carcharodontosaur theropod
Meraxes_gigas_reconstruction
Meraxes_gigas_reconstruction
Overoraptor O. chimentoi[13] A paravian theropod.
Taurovenator[14] T. violantei[15] A carcharodontosaurid 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. 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.
  7. Simón, Edith; Leonardo Salgado, and Jorge O. Calvo. 2017. A new titanosaur sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Ameghiniana 55. 1–29. Accessed 2020-03-16. doi:10.5710/AMGH.01.08.2017.3051
  8. 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.
  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. 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.
  11. Canale et al., 2012
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  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. 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.
  16. Canale et al., 2012
  17. Leonardi, 1994, p.30

Bibliography

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