Río Colorado Subgroup

Río Colorado Subgroup
Río Colorado Subgroup
Stratigraphic range: Santonian-Early Campanian; ~
Type	Subgroup
Unit of	Neuquén Group
Sub-units	Anacleto & Bajo de la Carpa Formations
Underlies	Malargüe Group; Allen Formation
Overlies	Río Neuquén Subgroup; Plottier Formation
Thickness	Up to 240 m (790 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, sandstone
Other	Siltstone, limestone
Location
Coordinates	37.9°S 68.5°W / -37.9; -68.5
Approximate paleocoordinates	40.8°S 53.0°W / -40.8; -53.0
Region	Neuquén & Río Negro Provinces
Country	Argentina
Extent	Neuquén Basin
	Río Colorado Subgroup (Argentina)

The Río Colorado Subgroup, formerly named as Río Colorado Formation, is a Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Early Campanian) geologic subgroup of the Neuquén Basin in northern Patagonia, Argentina. It belongs to the Neuquén Group and contains the Anacleto and Bajo de la Carpa Formations. The subgroup overlies the Río Neuquén Subgroup and is overlain by the Allen Formation of the Malargüe Group, separated by an unconformity dated to 79 Ma. Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Fossil content

Ornithischians reported from the Río Colorado Subgroup
Genus	Species	Province	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Gasparinisaura	G. cincosaltensis	Río Negro Province	Anacleto Formation	"Skull and postcranial skeleton, postcranial elements, juvenile to subadult."		Gasparinisaura

Titanosaur eggs are known from Neuquén Province.

Sauropods reported from the Río Colorado Subgroup
Genus	Species	Province	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Antarctosaurus	A. wichmannianus	Río Negro Province	Anacleto Formation			Antarctosaurus
Bonatitan	B.reigi	Río Negro Province	Allen Formation
Loricosaurus	L. scutatus	Neuquén Province Río Negro Province
Microcoelus	M. patagonicus	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation		Possible synonym of Neuquensaurus
Neuquensaurus	N. australis	Neuquén Province Río Negro Province	Anacleto Formation
"Titanosaurus"	"T." robustus	Río Negro Province	Anacleto Formation
Titanosaurus	T. nanus	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation

Theropods reported from the Río Colorado Subgroup
Genus	Species	Province	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Abelisaurus	A. comahuaensis	Río Negro Province	Anacleto Formation	"Partial skull."		Abelisaurus Alvarezsaurus Aucasaurus Patagopteryx Velocisaurus
Alvarezsaurus	A. calvoi	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation	"Partial postcranial skeleton."
Aucasaurus	A. garridoi	Neuquén Province	Anacleto Formation	"Nearly complete skeleton."
Neuquenornis	N. volans	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation	"Partial skeleton."
Patagopteryx	P. deferrariisi	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation	"Many skeletons."
Velocisaurus	V. unicus	Neuquén Province	Bajo de la Carpa Formation	"Partial hind limb."