Dinosaur Park Formation

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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 75 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).

Dinosaur Park Formation exposed along the Red Deer River, Dinosaur Provincial Park, in southern Alberta.

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.

1 Stratigraphic division of ornithischians? (Ryan and Evans, 2005)
2 Flora and fauna
3 References

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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):

[edit] 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

Liliopsida (monocots)

Liliaceae (lilies)

at least 6 species

Cyperaceae (sedges)

at least 1 species

Sparganiaceae (bur-reeds)

possibly 1 species

Unknown angiosperms: at least 88 species

[edit] Plant body fossils (Koppelhus, 2005)

various ferns
Equisetum (Equisetaceae)

Gymnosperms

Platyspiroxylon (Cupressaceae)
Podocarpoxylon (Podocarpaceae)
Elatocladus (Taxodiaceae)
Sequoia (Taxodiaceae)
Sequoiaxylon (Taxodiaceae)
Taxodioxylon (Taxodiaceae)

Ginkgos

Baeria
Ginkgoites

Angiosperms

[edit] 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)

[edit] Fish

Chondrichthyans (Neuman and Brinkman, 2005)

Hybodus (a shark)
Myledaphus (a ray)
indeterminate orectolobid

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

[edit] Amphibians (Gardner, 2005)

Albanerpetonidae (extinct, salamander-like amphibians)

Albanerpeton

Caudata (salamanders)

Habrosaurus
Lisserpeton
Opisthotriton
Scapherpeton
unnamed caudatan
2 indeterminate caudatans

Salienta (frogs)

2 unnamed salientans

[edit] Turtles (Brinkman, 2005)

Adocus
"Apalone"
Aspideretoides (3 species)
Basilemys
Boremys
Judithemys
Neurankylus
Plesiobaena
2 indeterminate taxa

[edit] 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

[edit] Lizards (Caldwell, 2005)

Helodermatids

Labrodioctes

Necrosaurids

Parasaniwa

Teiids

Glyptogenys
Socognathus

Varanids

Palaeosaniwa

Xenosaurids

?Exostinus

[edit] Plesiosaurs (Sato, Eberth, Nicholls, and Manabe, 2005)

indeterminate elasmosaurids (very long-necked) (more common)
indeterminate polycotylids (shorter-necked)

[edit] Crocodylians (Xiao-Chun Wu, 2005)

Albertochampsa
Leidysuchus
at least 1 unnamed taxon

[edit] Pterosaurs (Godfrey and Currie, 2005)

1 large unnamed azhdarchid (giant, long-necked pterosaur)
1 smaller unnamed azhdarchid
1 unnamed non-azhdarchid pterosaur

[edit] Dinosaurs

Theropoda (Currie, 2005)

Coelurosauria incertae sedis

Family unknown

Tyrannosauroidea

Tyrannosauridae

Daspletosaurus sp.
Gorgosaurus libratus (also called Albertosaurus libratus)

Ornithomimosauria

Ornithomimidae

Dromiceiomimus brevitertius (may be synonymous with Ornithomimus edmontonicus)
Ornithomimus edmontonicus
Struthiomimus altus

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

Ankylosauridae

Euoplocephalus tutus

Nodosauridae

Pachycephalosauria

Pachycephalosauridae

Hanssuesia sternbergi
Gravitholus albertae
Ornatotholus browni (?juvenile Stegoceras)
Stegoceras validum
"S." breve (?Prenocephale)

Ceratopsia

Leptoceratops sp.

at least 1 indeterminate hypsilophodont

Hadrosauridae

Hadrosaurinae

Lambeosaurinae

[edit] Mammals (Fox, 2005)

Multituberculata

Cimexomys sp.
Cimolodon spp.
Cimolomys clarki
Meniscoessus major
Mesodma primaeva
unnamed multituberculates

Marsupials

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

[edit] References

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.

Categories: Geologic formations | Geography of Alberta | Stratigraphy of Canada | Natural history of Canada | Geology of Canada