Dinosaur Beds

The Dinosaur Beds is a geological formation in Malawi whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. The age of the deposit is poorly constrained, but is likely to date from the Barremian to Aptian.[1] Dinosaurs, turtles and crocodyliomorphs remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[2] It is correlated with the Galula Formation in Tanzania. It consists of two members, a lower unfossiliferous member consisting of deep red stained sandstones, and an upper fossiliferous member consisting of white sands and grey to red mudstones and siltstones. The upper member is 210 m thick in the vicinity of the CD-9 locality.[3]

Dinosaur Beds Stratigraphic range: Barremian–Aptian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Lupata Group
Sub-units	Lower Member, Upper Member
Underlies	Unconformity with Pliocene Chiwondo Beds
Overlies	Precambrian metamorphic basement
Thickness	Upper member is 210 m (690 ft) thick in vicinity of CD-9 locality
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, siltstone, mudstone
Location
Coordinates	10.28°S 34.04°E / -10.28; 34.04
Region	Northern Region
Country	Malawi
Extent	Karonga District
Dinosaur Beds (Malawi)

Vertebrate paleofauna

• Karongasaurus gittelmani - A lower mandible and a few teeth
• Malawisaurus dixeyi - "Skull elements, teeth, vertebrae, limb elements osteoderms, of several individuals."[4]
• Malawisuchus mwakasyungutiensis - A skeleton (almost complete articulated skeleton and skull)
• Platycheloides nyasae - A partial shell
• Anura indet.
• Theropoda indet.

Invertebrate fauna

• Hourcqia a non marine ostracod

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Malawi

References

1. Widlansky, Sarah J.; Clyde, William C.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Roberts, Eric M.; Stevens, Nancy J. (March 2018). "Paleomagnetism of the Cretaceous Galula Formation and implications for vertebrate evolution". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 139: 403–420. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.11.029. ISSN 1464-343X.
2. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
3. WINKLER, DALE A.; GOMANI, ELIZABETH M.; JACOBS, LOUIS L. (2000). "COMPARATIVE TAPHONOMY OF AN EARLY CRETACEOUS SAUROPOD QUARRY, MALAWI, AFRICA". Paleont. Soc. Korea Special Publication. 4: 99–114.
4. "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 269.