 Dinosaur Park Formation exposed along the Red Deer River, Dinosaur Provincial Park, in southern Alberta. | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Age | Late Cretaceous 76.5 to 74.8 Ma |
| Unit of | Judith River Group |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone (lower) Siltstone (upper) |
| Location | |
| Named for | Dinosaur Provincial Park |
| Named by | Eberth, D.A. and Hambling, A.P., 1993[1]
|
| Region | Alberta |
The Dinosaur Park Formation is the uppermost member of the Judith River Group, a major geologic unit in southern Alberta. It was laid down over a period of time between about 76.5 and 74.8 million years ago. The formation is made up of deposits of a high-sinuosity (anastomosing) fluvial system, and is capped by the Lethbridge Coal Beds. The formation is bounded by the Oldman Formation below it and the marine Bearpaw Formation above it (Eberth, 2005).
It is best known for the dense concentrations of dinosaur skeletons, both articulated and disarticulated, that are found there. However, other animals such as fish, turtles, and crocodilians are also abundant in the formation. The formation has been named after Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stratigraphic division of ornithischians? (Ryan and Evans, 2005)[]
Centrosaurus, Chasmosaurus russelli, Gryposaurus, and Corythosaurus are most common at the base of the formation, to about the middle. Styracosaurus, Chasmosaurus belli, Prosaurolophus, and Lambeosaurus lambei are most common from the middle to near the top. A new group may be present at the top, as the inland sea transgresses onto land, but there are fewer remains here. An unnamed pachyrhinosaur, Chasmosaurus irvinensis, and Lambeosaurus magnicristatus may be more common here.
Flora and fauna[]
Numerous types of plants and animals are known from the formation (taxonomy mostly after the relevant chapters of Currie and Koppelhus, 2005):
Palynomorphs[]
Palynomorphs are organic-walled microfossils, like spores, pollen, and algae (Braman and Koppelhus, 2005) Unknown producers
- at least 8 species
Fungi
- at least 35 taxa
Chlorophyta (green algae and blue-green algae)
- at least 12 species
Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates, a type of marine algae)
- unassigned cysts
Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts)
- Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)
- at least 5 species
- Marchantiophyta (liverworts)
- at least 14 species
- Bryophyta (mosses)
- at least 5 species
Lycopodiophyta
- Lycopodiaceae (club mosses)
- at least 11 species
- Selaginellaceae (small club mosses)
- at least 6 species
- Isoetaceae (quillworts)
- at least 1 species
Polypodiophyta
- Osmundaceae (cinnamon ferns)
- at least 6 species
- Schizaeaceae (climbing ferns)
- at least 20 species
- Gleicheniaceae (Gleichenia and allies; coral ferns)
- at least 5 species
- Cyatheaceae (Cyathea and allies)
- at least 4 species
- Dicksoniaceae (Dicksonia and allies)
- at least 3 species
- Polypodiaceae (ferns)
- at least 4 species
- Matoniaceae
- at least 1 species
- Marsileaceae
- at least 1 species
Pinophyta (gymnosperms)
- Cycadaceae (cycads)
- at least 3 species
- Caytoniaceae
- at least 1 species
- Pinaceae (pines)
- at least 4 species
- Cupressaceae (cypresses)
- at least 3 species
- Podocarpaceae (Podocarpus and allies)
- at least 4 species
- Cheirolepidiaceae
- at least 2 species
- Ephedraceae (Mormon teas)
- at least 6 species
Unknown gymnosperms: at least 3 species
Magnoliophyta (angiosperms)
- Magnoliopsida (dicots)
- Buxaceae (boxwood)
- at least 1 species
- Gunneraceae (gunneras)
- at least 1 species
- Salicaceae (willows, cottonwood, quaking aspen)
- at least 1 species
- Droseraceae (sundews)
- at least 1 species
- Olacaceae (tallowwood)
- at least 2 species
- Loranthaceae (showy mistletoes)
- at least 1 species
- Sapindaceae (soapberry)
- at least 1 species
- Aceraceae (maples)
- at least 1 species
- Proteaceae (proteas)
- at least 9 species
- Compositae (sunflowers)
- at least 1 species
- Fagaceae (beeches, oaks, chestnuts)
- at least 2 species
- Betulaceae (birches, alders)
- at least 1 species
- Ulmaceae (elms)
- at least 1 species
- Chenopodiaceae (goosefoots)
- at least 1 species
- Buxaceae (boxwood)
- Liliopsida (monocots)
- Liliaceae (lilies)
- at least 6 species
- Cyperaceae (sedges)
- at least 1 species
- Sparganiaceae (bur-reeds)
- possibly 1 species
- Liliaceae (lilies)
- Unknown angiosperms: at least 88 species
Plant body fossils (Koppelhus, 2005)[]
- various ferns
- Equisetum (Equisetaceae)
Gymnosperms
- Platyspiroxylon (Cupressaceae)
- Podocarpoxylon (Podocarpaceae)
- Elatocladus (Taxodiaceae)
- Sequoia (Taxodiaceae)
- Sequoiaxylon (Taxodiaceae)
- Taxodioxylon (Taxodiaceae)
- Baeria
- Ginkgoites
Angiosperms
- Artocarpus (Moraceae)
- Cercidiphyllum (Cercidiphyllaceae)
- Dombeyopsis (Sterculiaceae)
- Menispermites (Menispermaceae)
- Pistia (Araceae)
- Platanus (Platanaceae)
- Vitis (Vitaceae)
- Trapa (Trapaceae)
Mollusks (Johnston and Hendy, 2005)[]
Freshwater bivalves
- Fusconaia
- Lampsilis
- Sphaerium (2 species)
Freshwater gastropods
- Campeloma (2 species)
- Elimia
- Goniobasis (3 species)
- Hydrobia
- Lioplacodes (2 species)
Fish[]
Chondrichthyans (Neuman and Brinkman, 2005)
Acipenseriformes (sturgeons) (Neuman and Brinkman, 2005)
- unnamed sturgeon
- unnamed paddlefish
Holostean fish (Neuman and Brinkman, 2005)
- Belonostomus
- Lepisosteus (the gar)
- unnamed bowfin
- at least 2 other holosteans
Teleost fish (Neuman and Brinkman, 2005)
- Patatarpon (an elopomorph, like the tarpon)
- Cretophareodus (an osteoglossomorph)
- Coriops
- Estesesox
- Oldmanesox
- Paralbula (including Phyllodus)
- at least 8 other teleosts
Amphibians (Gardner, 2005)[]
Albanerpetonidae (extinct, salamander-like amphibians)
Caudata (salamanders)
- Habrosaurus
- Lisserpeton
- Opisthotriton
- Scapherpeton
- unnamed caudatan
- 2 indeterminate caudatans
Salienta (frogs)
- 2 unnamed salientans
Turtles (Brinkman, 2005)[]
- Adocus
- "Apalone"
- Aspideretoides (3 species)
- Basilemys
- Boremys
- Judithemys
- Neurankylus
- Plesiobaena
- 2 indeterminate taxa
Choristoderes[]
Choristoderes, or champsosaurs, were aquatic reptiles. Small examples looked like lizards, while larger types were superficially similar to crocodilians (Keqin Gao and Brinkman, 2005)
- Champsosaurus (at least 3 species)
- Cteniogenys
Lizards (Caldwell, 2005)[]
Helodermatids
- Labrodioctes
Necrosaurids
- Parasaniwa
Teiids
- Glyptogenys
- Socognathus
Varanids
Xenosaurids
- ?Exostinus
Plesiosaurs (Sato, Eberth, Nicholls, and Manabe, 2005)[]
- indeterminate elasmosaurids (very long-necked) (more common)
- indeterminate polycotylids (shorter-necked)
Crocodylians (Xiao-Chun Wu, 2005)[]
- Albertochampsa
- Leidyosuchus
- at least 1 unnamed taxon
Pterosaurs (Godfrey and Currie, 2005)[]
- 1 large unnamed azhdarchid (giant, long-necked pterosaur)
- 1 smaller unnamed azhdarchid
- 1 unnamed non-azhdarchid pterosaur
Dinosaurs[]
Theropoda (Currie, 2005)
- Coelurosauria incertae sedis
- Family unknown
- Paronychodon lacustris
- Ricardoestesia gilmorei
- Family unknown
- Tyrannosauroidea
- Ornithomimosauria
- Ornithomimidae
- Dromiceiomimus brevitertius (may be synonymous with Ornithomimus edmontonicus)
- Ornithomimus edmontonicus
- Struthiomimus altus
- Ornithomimidae
- Maniraptora
- Caenagnathidae (all of these may be species of Chirostenotes)
- Avimimidae
- ?indeterminate avimimid
- Therizinosauridae
- ?indeterminate therizinosaurid
- Troodontidae
- Troodon formosus
- Troodon inequalis (formerly Stenonychosaurus) (might be synonymous with the former)
- Dromaeosauridae
- Birds
- Baptornis sp.
- Cimolopteryx sp.
- Palintropus sp.
- additional indeterminate bird taxa
Ornithischia (Ryan and Evans, 2005)
- Ankylosauria
- Pachycephalosauria
- Pachycephalosauridae
- Hanssuesia sternbergi
- Gravitholus albertae
- Ornatotholus browni (?juvenile Stegoceras)
- Stegoceras validum
- "S." breve (?Prenocephale)
- Pachycephalosauridae
- Ceratopsia
- Leptoceratops sp.
- Ceratopsidae
- Centrosaurinae
- Centrosaurus apertus
- Monoclonius lowei
- Styracosaurus albertensis
- unnamed Pachyrhinosaurus-like taxon
- Chasmosaurinae
- Centrosaurinae
- Ornithopoda
Mammals (Fox, 2005)[]
Multituberculata
- Cimexomys sp.
- Cimolodon spp.
- Cimolomys clarki
- Meniscoessus major
- Mesodma primaeva
- unnamed multituberculates
- Alphadon halleyi
- Eodelphis browni
- E. cutleri
- 5 species of "Pediomys"
- Turgidodon russelli
- T. praesagus
Placentals
- Cimolestes sp. (uncertain taxonomy)
- Gypsonictops lewisi
- Paranyctoides sternbergi
Unknown therians: at least 1 species
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Dinosaur Park Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:004018. Retrieved on 2009-02-07.
- Braman, D.R., and Koppelhus, E.B. 2005. Campanian palynomorphs. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 101-130.
- Brinkman, D.B. 2005. Turtles: diversity, paleoecology, and distribution. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 202-220.
- Caldwell, M.W. The squamates: origins, phylogeny, and paleoecology. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds). 2005. ‘’Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed.’’ Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 235-248.
- Currie, P.J. 2005. Theropods, including birds. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 367-397.
- Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds). 2005. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 648 p.
- Eberth, D.A. 2005. The geology. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 54-82.
- Fox, R.C. 2005. Late Cretaceous mammals. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 417-435.
- K. Gao and Brinkman, D.B. 2005. Choristoderes from the Park and its vicinity. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 221-234.
- Gardner, J.D. 2005. Lissamphibians. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 186-201.
- Godfrey, S.J., and Currie, P.J. 2005. Pterosaurs. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 292-311.
- Johnston, P.A., and Hendy, A.J.W. 2005. Paleoecology of mollusks from the Upper Cretaceous Belly River Group. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 139-166.
- Koppelhus, E.B. 2005. Paleobotany. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 131-138.
- Neuman, A.G., and Brinkman, D.B. 2005. Fishes of the fluvial beds. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 167-185.
- Ryan, M.J., and Evans, D.C. 2005. Ornithischian dinosaurs. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 312-348.
- Sato, T., Eberth, D.A., Nicholls, E.L., and Manabe, M. 2005. Plesiosaurian remains from non-marine to paralic sediments. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed.’’ Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 249-276.
- Xiao-Chun Wu. 2005. Crocodylians. In: Currie, P.J., and Koppelhus, E.B. (eds), Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 277-291.