Lecho Formation

Lecho Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Maastrichtian ~70–68 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Salta Group
Underlies	Yacoraite Formation
Overlies	Los Blanquitos Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	26°06′S 65°24′W / 26.1°S 65.4°W / -26.1; -65.4
Approximate paleocoordinates	28°36′S 52°00′W / 28.6°S 52.0°W / -28.6; -52.0
Region	Jujuy, Salta
Country	Argentina
Extent	Salta Basin
Lecho Formation (Argentina)

The Lecho Formation is a geological formation in the Salta Basin of the provinces Jujuy and Salta of northwestern Argentina. Its strata date back to the Early Maastrichtian, and is a unit of the Salta Group. The fine-grained bioturbated sandstones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial to lacustrine coastal plain environment.

Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[1]

According to Frankfurt and Chiappe (1999), the Lecho Formation is composed of reddish sandstones. The Lecho is part of the Upper/Late Cretaceous Balbuena Subgroup (Salta Group), which is a near-border stratigraphic unit of the Andean sedimentary basin. Fossils from this formation include the titanosaur Saltasaurus along with a variety of avian and non-avian theropods.