Riggs Quarry 13, Fruita (FMNH): Kimmeridgian - Tithonian, Colorado
collected by H. W. Menke, E. Riggs 1900

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Brachiosauridae
Brachiosaurus altithorax n. gen., n. sp. Riggs 1903
Riggs 1903 1 individual
FMNH P25107 (4 measurements)
see common names

Geography
Country:United States State/province:Colorado County:Mesa
Coordinates: 39.1° North, 108.7° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:35.1° North, 55.3° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Altitude:1417 meters
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Jurassic Epoch:Late/Upper Jurassic
Key time interval:Kimmeridgian - Tithonian
Age range of interval:157.30000 - 145.00000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Morrison Member:Brushy Basin
Local section:N-Thoroughfare Local bed:550 ft
Local order:bottom to top
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: 164 ft below top of member, near middle of formation
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:green siltstone
Secondary lithology: sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: "variegated clays...alternation between green and purplish bands does not mark andy variation in the nature of hardness of these massive joint clays. There are frequent layers of clay nodules, sometimes calcareous, and a few ledges of nodular gray sandstone which are confined to limited areas. Occasional thick ledges of cross-bedded sandstone and lenticular masses of greenish sand occur at almost all levels, but these are likewise of limited extent. Near the top...the clays take on a more sandy nature." (Riggs 1901)
Environment:"channel"
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Associated major elements:all
Fragmentation:frequent
Temporal resolution:snapshot
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:selective quarrying,mechanical,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:FMNH
Collectors:H. W. Menke, E. Riggs Collection dates:1900
Collection method comments: discovered by H. W. Mencke on July 4, 1900
Metadata
Also known as:Riggs Hill, CO-45
Database number:56683
Authorizer:M. Carrano Enterer:M. Carrano
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2005-11-22 07:13:44 Last modified:2023-08-23 12:44:43
Access level:the public Released:2005-11-22 07:13:44
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

9790. E. S. Riggs. 1901. The dinosaur beds of the Grand River Valley of Colorado. Field Columbian Museum Geological Series 1(9):267-274 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]

Secondary references:

15268ETE H. J. Armstrong and E. S. McReynolds. 1987. Stratigraphic correlation of dinosaur quarries near Grand Junction, Colorado. In W. R. Averett (ed.), Paleontology and Geology of the Dinosaur Triangle: Guidebook for 1987 Field Trip. Museum of Western Colorado, Grand Junction 103-106 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
65427 R. T. Bakker. 1996. The real Jurassic park: dinosaurs and habitats at Como Bluff, Wyoming. In M. Morales (ed.), The Continental Jurassic. Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 60:35-49 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
15264ETE W. L. Chenoweth. 1987. The Riggs Hill and Dinosaur Hill sites, Mesa County, Colorado. In W. R. Averett (ed.), Paleontology and Geology of the Dinosaur Triangle: Guidebook for 1987 Field Trip 97-100 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Uhen]
63746 W. L. Chenoweth. 1991. Relocating Elmer Riggs’ Quarry No. 12. In W. R. Averett (ed.), Guidebook for Dinosaur Quarries and Tracksites Tour, Western Colorado and Eastern Utah 17-18 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
35044ETE J. Foster. 2005. New sauropod dinosaur specimens found near Moab, Utah, and the sauropod fauna of the Morrison Formation. Canyon Legacy 55:22-27 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
15179ETE J. R. Foster. 2003. Paleoecological analysis of the vertebrate fauna of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic), Rocky Mountain region, U.S.A. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 23:1-95 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
61877 J. R. Foster, J. B. McHugh, J. E. Peterson and M. F. Leschin. 2016. Major bonebeds in mudrocks of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic), northern Colorado Plateau of Utah and Colorado. Geology of the Intermountain West 3:33-66 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
63755 C. S. Goodknight, W. L. Chenoweth, and W. A. Girdley. 1991. First day road log from Grand Junction to Moab via Riggs and Dinosaur hills, Fruita Paleontological Area, Rabbit Valley Research Natural Area, and Utah Highway 128. In W. R. Averett (ed.), Guidebook for Dinosaur Quarries and Tracksites Tour, Western Colorado and Eastern Utah 70-81 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
33033ETE J. A. Jensen. 1987. New brachiosaur material from the Late Jurassic of Utah and Colorado. Great Britain Naturalist 47(4):592-608 [M. Carrano/M. Oreska]
17298ETE R. F. Kingham. 1962. Studies of the sauropod dinosaur Astrodon Leidy. Washington Junior Academy of Science Proceedings 1:38-44 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
63169 S. R. McKelvey. 1920. The Dinosauria with Special Reference to the Dinosaur of Colorado 1-20 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
54066 H. F. Osborn. 1905. Western explorations for fossil vertebrates. The Popular Science Monthly 67:561-568 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
14554ETE G. S. Paul. 1988. The brachiosaur giants of the Morrison and Tendaguru with a description of a new subgenus, Giraffatitan, and a comparison of the world's largest dinosaurs. Hunteria 2(3):1-14 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
28722ETE E. S. Riggs. 1901. The largest known dinosaur. Science (new series) 13(327):549-550 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
9789 E. S. Riggs. 1903. Structure and relationships of opisthocoelian dinosaurs, part I: Apatosaurus Marsh. Field Columbian Museum Geological Series 2(4):165-196 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
17263ETE E. S. Riggs. 1903. Brachiosaurus altithorax, the largest known dinosaur. American Journal of Science, series 4 15:299-306 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
13281ETE C. E. Turner and F. Peterson. 1999. Biostratigraphy of dinosaurs in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of the Western Interior, U.S.A. In D. D. Gillette (ed.), Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah, Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 99-1:77-114 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
52015 D. Young. 1975. Brachiosaurus, the biggest dinosaur of them all. Bulletin of the Field Museum of Natural History 46:3-9 [M. Carrano/A. Murch]