Estancia "El Brete" (PVL) (Cretaceous of Argentina)

Where: Salta, Argentina (26.1° S, 65.4° W: paleocoordinates 28.6° S, 52.0° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Lecho Formation (Salta Group), Early/Lower Maastrichtian (70.6 - 66.0 Ma)

• Balbuena Subgroup; 22 m above base of unit

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fluvial-lacustrine; bioturbated, fine-grained, gray, green sandstone

• "a fluvial-lacustrine coastal plane made up of sandy sediments, plus surrounding ponds and lagoons where vegetation favoured the reducing environment in which the sediments were deposited."
• "light greenish-grey fine sandstones, characterised by a coarse irregular stratification. Some banks present irregular cross-bedded stratification and bioturbation."

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Collected by J. Bonaparte, J. Leal, & M. Vince in 1975–1977

Collection methods: quarrying, surface (float), surface (in situ), mechanical,

• "rich assortment of nearly 60 [avian] bones was found in association with dinosaurian remains"

Primary reference: J. F. Bonaparte, J. A. Salfity, G. Bossi and J. E. Powell. 1977. Hallazgo de dinosaurios y aves cretacicas en la Formación Lecho de El Brete (Salta), proximo al limite con Tucumán [Discovery of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds in the Lecho Formation of El Brete (Salta), near the border with Tucumán]. Acta Geològica Lilloana 14:5-17 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 13307: authorized by John Hunter, entered by John Hunter on 20.02.2002, edited by Matthew Carrano, Kaitlin Maguire and Philip Mannion

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Reptilia
 Saurischia - Saltasauridae
Neuquensaurus australis4 Lydekker 1893 saltasaurine
PVL 4017−18, sacrum
Saltasaurus loricatus n. gen. n. sp.2 Bonaparte and Powell 1980 saltasaurine
 Theropoda -
Theropoda indet.6 theropod
teeth
Oviraptorosauria indet.5 Barsbold 1976 maniraptoran
Aves
 Enantiornithes -
Euenantiornithes indet.9 Chiappe 2002 bird
Posterior (caudal) portion of a right lower jaw ramus lacking the region anterior to the surangular (PVL 4698)
Enantiornis sp.9 Walker 1981 bird
An ilium and ischium (PVL 4042), a poorly preserved sacrum (PVL 4045), two cervical vertebrae (PVL 4050 and PVL 4057), parts of metatarsals III and IV (PVL 4058), and an imperfect sternal plate with carinal keel (PVL 4021)
Enantiornis leali n. gen. n. sp.7 Walker 1981 bird
PVL 4035
Martinavis sp.9 Walker et al. 2007 bird
Distal end of right ulna (PVL 4032), complete right radius (PVL 4056), complete left tibiotarsus (PVL 4032), complete right femur (PVL 4037), complete right femur (PVL 4036), proximal end of right ulna (PVL 4044), complete right femur (PVL 4038), right scapula and coracoid (PVL 4034), left ulna (PVL 4031), distal end of tibiotarsus (PVL 4031), proximal end of left femur (PVL 4060), right carpometacarpus (PVL 4049; note that this element was formerly referred to E. leali by Chiappe and Walker 2002), and a proximal end of left humerus (KU-NM 37)
Martinavis minor n. sp.9 Walker and Dyke 2009 bird
PVL 4046 - type (distally imperfect right humerus)
Martinavis vincei n. sp.8 Walker et al. 2007 bird
Martinavis whetstonei n. sp.9 Walker and Dyke 2009 bird
PVL 4028 - type (distally imperfect left humerus)
Martinavis saltariensis n. sp.9 Walker and Dyke 2009 bird
PVL 4025 - type (incomplete left humerus)
Elbretornis sp.9 Walker and Dyke 2009 bird
Isolated dorsal vertebrae (PVL 4041, PVL 4047, PVL 4051), synsacrum, possibly associated femur and rib fragment (PVL 4041), and incomplete right tibiotarsus (PVL 4027)
Elbretornis bonapartei n. gen. n. sp.9 Walker and Dyke 2009 bird
PVL 4022 - holotype (left humerus and associated right radius, ulna, scapula and coracoid)
Yungavolucris brevipedalis n. gen. n. sp.3 Chiappe 1993 bird
PVL 4053 - holotype (nearly complete right tarsometatarsus); paratypes: Incomplete right tarsometatarsi (PVL 4040 and PVL 4692), incomplete left tarsometatarsus (PVL 4052) and a distal trochlea of right metatarsals II and III (PVL 4268)
 Enantiornithes - Avisauridae
Soroavisaurus australis n. gen. n. sp.3
Soroavisaurus australis n. gen. n. sp.3 Chiappe 1993 bird
PVL 4690 - holotype (left tarsometatarsus); paratype: Left tarsometarsus with proximal and distal phalanges of digit I and four intermediate phalanges (PVL 4048)
 Enantiornithes -
Lectavis bretincola n. gen. n. sp.3
Lectavis bretincola n. gen. n. sp.3 Chiappe 1993 bird
PVL 4021 - holotype (associated left tibiotarsus and incomplete tarsometatarsus)
Reptilia
 Theropoda - Noasauridae
Noasaurus leali n. gen. n. sp.2
Noasaurus leali n. gen. n. sp.2 Bonaparte and Powell 1980 ceratosaur
 Loricata -
"Crocodilia indet." = Crocodylia1
"Crocodilia indet." = Crocodylia1 Owen 1842 crocodilian