Lohan Cura Formation

Lohan Cura Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Albian
~
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsPuesto Quiroga & Cullín Grande Members
UnderliesRío Limay Subgroup
 Candeleros Formation
OverliesMendoza Group
 La Amarga, Agrio & Bajada Colorada Formations
Thickness177 m (581 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone, siltstone, sandstone
OtherClaystone
Location
Coordinates39°36′S 69°24′W / 39.6°S 69.4°W / -39.6; -69.4
Approximate paleocoordinates43°42′S 39°24′W / 43.7°S 39.4°W / -43.7; -39.4
RegionRío Negro Province,
Mendoza Province,
Neuquén Province
CountryArgentina
ExtentNeuquén Basin
Type section
Named byLeanza & Hugo
Year defined1995
Lohan Cura Formation (Argentina)

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

Dinosaurs of the Lohan Cura Formation
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Agustinia[2] A. ligabuei Neuquén Province Dorsal sacral and caudal neural arches, hindlimb elements, and pelvic fragments (the latter misidentified as osteoderms)
Comahuesaurus[3] C. windhauseni Neuquén Province "At least three individuals"
Ligabuesaurus[4] L. leanzai Neuquén Province Partial skull and postcranial remains
Limaysaurus[5] L. sp. Neuquén Province Single tooth and postcranial materials, at least from 3 individuals
Pterosaurs of the Lohan Cura Formation
Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Ornithocheiriformes[6] Indeterminate Neuquén Province "Isolated teeth"

See also

References

  1. ^ Leanza et al., 2004, p.66
  2. ^ Bonaparte, J.F. 1999. An armoured sauropod from the Aptian of northern Patagonia, Argentina. In: Tomida, Y., Rich, T. H. & Vickers-Rich, P. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Second Gondwanan Dinosaur Symposium Tokyo: National Science Museum Monographs #15. Pp. 1–12.
  3. ^ Carballido, José Luis; Salgado, Leonardo; Pol, Diego; Canudo, José Ignacio; Garrido, Alberto (December 2012). "A new basal rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Early Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin; evolution and biogeography of the group". Historical Biology. 24 (6): 631–654. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.672416.
  4. ^ Bonaparte, José F.; González Riga, Bernardo J.; Apesteguía, Sebastián (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 (3): 364–376. Bibcode:2006CrRes..27..364B. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2005.07.004.
  5. ^ Salgado, Leonardo; Garrido, Alberto; Cocca, Sergio E.; Cocca, Juan R. (10 December 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. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0903:LCRSFC]2.0.CO;2.
  6. ^ Ciaffi, A.; Bellardini, F. (2024). "Pterosaur teeth from the Southern Neuquén Basin (Patagonia, Argentina): New insights on the reconstruction of ornithocheiriform dental anatomy". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 69 (1): 73–86. doi:10.4202/app.01122.2023.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • 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