| Type | Geological formation |
| Age | Upper Triassic |
| Lithology | |
| Location | |
The Los Colorados Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in La Rioja, Argentina. It has a Norian age (Upper Triassic), and is notable for its fossils of early dinosaurs, including the coelophysoid Zupaysaurus and the "prosauropods" Coloradisaurus, Lessemsaurus, and Riojasaurus.[1]
Fossil content[]
Anapsids[]
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| Anapsids of Los Colorados Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images | |
| Palaeochersis | P. talampayensis | |||||
Synapsids[]
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| Synapsids of Los Colorados Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| Chaliminia | C. musteloides | ||||
| Jachaleria | J. colorata | A skull and complete jaws. | A Kanemyeriidae dicynodont. | ||
| Tessellatia | T. bonapartei | A partial skull, including the snout, orbital region, and lower jaws. | A cynodont. | ||
Archosauromorphs[]
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| Archosauromorphs of Los Colorados Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| Fasolasuchus | F. tenax | La Rioja Province | A fragmented skull and jaws. | A giant loricatanPseudosuchian. | |
| Neoaetosauroides | N. engaeus | Quebrada de los Jachaleros, El Salto (San Juan) | An aetosaur. | ||
| Riojasuchus | R. tenuisceps | An ornithosuchid. | |||
Crocodylomorpha[]
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| Crocodylomorphs of Los Colorados Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| Coloradisuchus | C. abelini | La Rioja Province | |||
| Hemiprotosuchus | H. leali | Quebrada de los Jachaleros, El Salto (San Juan) | |||
| Pseudhesperosuchus | P. jachaleri | Quebrada de los Jachaleros, El Salto (San Juan) | |||
Dinosaurs[]
edit Indeterminate theropod remains present in the Provincia de la Rioja.
| Dinosaurs of Los Colorados Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| Coloradisaurus | C. brevis | La Rioja Province | "Skull, adult" | A massospondylid sauropodomorph. | |
| Lessemsaurus | L. sauropoides | La Rioja Province | "Partial cervical, dorsal, and sacral vertebrae, adult." | A sauropodiform. | |
| Prosauropoda | Indeterminate | La Rioja & San Juan Provinces | Includes Strenusaurusprocerus."Dorsals, caudals, partial fore- and hindlimb." | ||
| Powellvenator | P. podocitus | Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin | Known from previously undescribed partial hindlimbs | A coelophysoid. | |
| Riojasaurus | R. incertus | La Rioja Province | A sauropodomorph. | ||
| Zupaysaurus | Z. rougieri | La Rioja Province | An early theropod. | ||
Ichnofossils[]
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- cf. Brachychirotherium sp.
- Chirotherium sp.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Weishampel, David B; et al (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Triassic, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 527–528. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
