Los Blanquitos Formation

Los Blanquitos Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Campanian - Early Maastrichtian
~72 Ma[1]
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofSalta Group
UnderliesLecho Formation
OverliesLas Curtiembres Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
Location
Coordinates24°18′S 65°18′W / 24.3°S 65.3°W / -24.3; -65.3
Approximate paleocoordinates27°36′S 47°30′W / 27.6°S 47.5°W / -27.6; -47.5
RegionSalta Province
CountryArgentina
ExtentSalta Basin
Los Blanquitos Formation is located in Argentina
Los Blanquitos Formation
Los Blanquitos Formation (Argentina)

The Los Blanquitos Formation is a geological formation in Salta Province, Argentina whose strata date back to the late Campanian to early Maastichtian age of the Late Cretaceous Period. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[2] The formation consists of friable, micaceous, grayish-red sandstones with quartz pebbles containing small carbonate veins. In the base of this layer the remains of a titanosaurid dinosaur were discovered. Above the layer with bones appears a lens of thick, greenish-gray, calcareous, very hard sandstone with pebbles and gravel. The bones were covered by a "halo" of the same rock but of greenish or grayish color, especially visible because the normal sediment is red. The bed thickness is 1.5 metres (4.9 ft).[3]

  1. ^ Novas, F.E.; Agnolín (2004 (2004). "Unquillosaurus ceibalii Powell, a giant maniraptoran (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina". Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. 6 (1): 61–66. doi:10.22179/REVMACN.6.73.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 600-604. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  3. ^ Arroyo El Morterito at Fossilworks.org