Bajada Colorada locality (main): Late/Upper Berriasian - Valanginian, Argentina
collected by S. Apesteguía, P. Gallina 2010–2014

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia
Stegosauria indet. (Marsh 1877)
Apesteguía et al. 2015 4 specimens
MMCh-PV-72-1, 72-2, 72-3, 72-4, osteoderms
Deinonychosauria indet. Colbert and Russell 1969
3 specimens
MMCh-PV-68-5, 8, 10, teeth
    = Theropoda informal indet. 1 Marsh 1881
Canale et al. 2017
Theropoda informal indet. 2 (Marsh 1881)
Canale et al. 2017 1 specimen
MMCh-PV 68-9; isolated tooth [orig ID Deinoychosauria]
Theropoda informal indet. 3 (Marsh 1881)
Canale et al. 2017 2 specimens
MMCh-PV 68-2, 68-3; isolated teeth
Reptilia - Megalosauridae
Tetanurae indet. Gauthier 1986
4 specimens
MMCh-PV-68-6, 7, teeth
    = Megalosauridae informal indet. 4 Fitzinger 1843
Canale et al. 2017
original and current combination Megalosauri
+ MMCh-PV 68-1, 68-4; isolated teeth
Reptilia
Abelisauroidea indet. Bonaparte 1991
1 specimen
MMCh-PV 67, axis
Theropoda indet. (Marsh 1881)
Canale et al. 2016 2 specimens
MMCh-PV-76-77, mid-distal caudal centra
    = ? Abelisauroidea indet. Bonaparte 1991
Canale et al. 2017
Reptilia - Abelisauridae
Abelisauridae indet. Bonaparte and Novas 1985
Canale et al. 2016 2 specimens
MMCh-PV-66, tibia; MMCh-PV 256, distal tibia
Reptilia
Leinkupal laticauda n. gen., n. sp. Gallina et al. 2014
1 individual
MMCH-Pv 63-1 - holotype - one anterior caudal vertebra; plus paratypes, two anterior cervical vertebrae (MMCH-Pv 63- 2/3), one posterior cervical vertebra (MMCH-Pv 63-4), one anterior dorsal vertebra (MMCH-Pv 63-5), one anterior caudal vertebra (MMCH-Pv 63-6) and two mid-caudal vertebrae (MMCH-Pv 63-7/8); MMCh-Pv 232, braincase
Dicraeosauridae indet. (Huene 1927)
1 individual
MMCh-PV 75
    = Bajadasaurus pronuspinax n. gen., n. sp. Gallina et al. 2019
Gallina et al. 2019
MMCh-PV 75 - holotype; a nearly complete skull (including left maxilla, left lacrimal, both prefrontals, both frontals, both parietals, both postorbitals, both squamosals, left quadratojugal, both pterygoids, both quadrates, supraoccipital, exoccipital-opisthotic complex, basioccipital, basisphenoid, both prootics, both laterosphenoids, both orbitosphenoids, both dentaries, left surangular, both angulars, both splenials, left prearticular, left articular, isolated upper tooth row), both proatlases, atlantal neurapophyses, axis and the ?fifth cervical vertebra
see common names

Geography
Country:Argentina State/province:Neuquén
Coordinates: 39.8° South, 69.7° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:38.8° South, 32.2° West
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Cretaceous Epoch:Early/Lower Cretaceous
10 m.y. bin:Cretaceous 1
Key time interval:Late/Upper Berriasian - Valanginian
Age range of interval:140.60000 - 132.60000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Bajada Colorada
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: Seismological, surface geological, and biostratigraphical studies confirm an Early Cretaceous age (late Berriasian–Valanginian) of this formation. The Bajada Colorada Formation is considered a continental red bed unit, which conformably overlies the marine Picún Leufú Formation (Tithonian–early Berriasian) and is unconformably covered by the marine Agrio Formation (late Valanginian–late Hauterivian)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:fine,coarse,brown,green sandstone
Secondary lithology:fine,coarse,brown,green conglomerate
Lithology description: This unit is composed of red and greenish-brown, fine to coarse grained conglomerates and sandstones with well developed bands of light brown siltstones and reddish claystones.
Environment:fluvial indet.
Geology comments: The unit is mostly dominated by a fluvial regime, and the paleoenviroment resembles braided river systems where well-preserved channels with cross stratification and paleosols are present.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Degree of concentration:-bonebed
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:selective quarrying,surface (float),surface (in situ),mechanical,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collectors:S. Apesteguía, P. Gallina Collection dates:2010–2014
Collection method comments: MMCH collection (Museo Municipal "Ernesto Bachmann" Villa El Chocón, Neuquén)
Metadata
Also known as:Route 237, Picún Leufu
Database number:156241
Authorizer:R. Benson, M. Carrano, P. Mannion Enterer:R. Benson, P. Mannion, M. Carrano
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2014-05-15 03:35:08 Last modified:2023-05-15 15:59:24
Access level:the public Released:2014-05-15 03:35:08
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
51173. P. A. Gallina, S. Apesteguia, A. Haluza and J. I. Canale. 2014. A diplodocid sauropod survivor from the Early Cretaceous of South America. PLoS One 9(5):e97128 [R. Benson/R. Benson]

Secondary references:

76293 S. Apesteguía, P. A. Gallina, J. I. Canale, F. Riguetti, and J. P. Garderes. 2015. Nuevos restos de Stegosauria (Ornithischia, Thyreophora) del Cretácico Inferior temprano de Neuquén: el registro más antiguo de Sudamérica [New remains of Stegosauria (Ornithischia, Thyreophora) from the early Lower Cretaceous of Neuquén: the oldest record in South America]. XXIX Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados. Resúmenes. Ameghiniana 52(4 (suppl.)):5 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
76335 J. I. Canale, S. Apesteguía, P. A. Gallina, A. Haluza, F. A. GIanechini and L. J. Pazo. 2016. The oldest theropods from the Neuquén Basin: predator dinosaur diversity in the Bajada Colorada Formation (Berriasian-Valanginian), Neuquén, Argentina. XXX Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados. Resúmenes. Ameghiniana 53(6 (suppl.)):59-60 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
84712 J. I. Canale, S. Apesteguía, P. A. Gallina, F. A. Gianechini, and A. Haluza. 2017. The oldest theropods from the Neuquén Basin: predatory dinosaur diversity from the Bajada Colorada Formation (Lower Cretaceous: Berriasian–Valanginian), Neuquén, Argentina. Cretaceous Research 71:63-78 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
76286 P. A. Gallina, S. Apesteguía, A. Haluza, J. J. Canale, and A. Otero. 2014. The sauropod fauna of the Bajada Colorada Formation (Berriasian–Valanginian), Neuquén Province, Argentina. XXVIII Jornadas Argentina de Paleontología de Vertebrados. Resúmenes. Ameghiniana 51(6 (suppl.)):11 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
67852 P. A. Gallina, S. Apesteguía, J. I. Canale and A. Haluza. 2019. A new long-spined dinosaur from Patagonia sheds light on sauropod defense system. Scientific Reports 9:1392:1-10 [R. Butler/E. Dunne/P. Mannion]
79473 J. P. Garderes, P. A. Gallina, J. A. Whitlock and N. Toledo. 2022. Neuroanatomy of a diplodocid sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Cretaceous Research 129:105024:1-11 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
79474 A. H. Méndez, F. A. Gianechini, A. Paulina-Carabajal, L. S. Filippi, R. D. Juárez-Valieri, I. A. Cerda, and A. C. Garrido. 2022. New furileusaurian remains from La Invernada (northern Patagonia, Argentina): a site of unusual abelisaurids abundance. Cretaceous Research 129:104989:1-20 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]