Lohan Cura Formation

The Lohan Cura Formation is a geologic formation with outcrops in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza. It is the second oldest Cretaceous terrestrial formation in the Neuquén Basin.

Lohan Cura Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Albian
~117–100 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsPuesto Quiroga & Cullín Grande Members
UnderliesRío Limay Subgroup
 Candeleros Formation
OverliesMendoza Group
 La Amarga, Agrio & Bajada Colorada Formations
Thickness177 m (581 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone, siltstone, sandstone
OtherClaystone
Location
Coordinates39.6°S 69.4°W / -39.6; -69.4
Approximate paleocoordinates43.7°S 39.4°W / -43.7; -39.4
Region Río Negro Province,
 Mendoza &
 Neuquén Provinces
Country Argentina
ExtentNeuquén Basin
Type section
Named byLeanza & Hugo
Year defined1995
Lohan Cura Formation (Argentina)

The Lohan Cura Formation unconformably overlies the terrestrial La Amarga Formation. In some places it also overlies the older marine Agrio and Bajada Colorada Formations of the Mendoza Group through the same Middle Miranican unconformity. It is in turn overlain by the Candeleros Formation of the Neuquén Group, separated by the Main Miranican unconformity. The Lohan Cura correlates with the Rayoso Formation in some areas.[1]

Subdivision
late Early Cretaceous (105 Ma)

The Lohan Cura Formation contains two members of roughly equal thickness. The lowermost member, Puesto Quiroga Member is approximately 85 metres (279 ft) thick. The lowest sediments in this unit are conglomerates, overlain by sandstones and siltstones. The upper two-thirds of the member consists mainly of shales. The Cullín Grande Member is the upper member within the formation, about 92 metres (302 ft) thick, which contains numerous sandstones displaying evidence of stream channels. Near the top of the sequence, siltstones and claystones become dominant.

Fossil content

Numerous tetrapod fossils have been recovered from the Cullín Grande Member of the Lohan Cura, including:

The rebacchisaurid Rayososaurus comes from the correlating Rayoso Formation in this same area.

Dinosaurs of the Lohan Cura Formation
GenusSpeciesPresenceNotesImages
Agustinia[2] A. ligabuei[2] Neuquén Province[2] Dorsal sacral and caudal neural arches, hindlimb elements, and pelvic fragments (the latter misidentified as osteoderms)[3]
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See also

References
  1. Leanza et al., 2004, p.66
  2. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 563-570. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  3. "Table 13.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 267.

Bibliography

Further reading
  • J. F. Bonaparte, B. J. González Riga, and S. Apesteguía. 2006. Ligabuesaurus leanzai gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria, Sauropoda), a new titanosaur from the Lohan Cura Formation (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) of Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina. Cretaceous Research 27:364-376
  • J. F. Bonaparte. 1999. An armoured sauropod from the Aptian of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Y. Tomida, T. H. Rich, and P. Vickers-Rich (eds.), Proceedings of the Second Gondwanan Dinosaur Symposium, National Science Museum Monographs 15:1-12
  • A. G. Martinelli, A. C. Garrido, A. M. Forasiepi, E. R. Paz, and Y. Gurovich. 2007. Notes on fossil remains from the Early Cretaceous Lohan Cura Formation, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Gondwana Research 11:537-552
  • L. Salgado, A. Garrido, S. E. Cocca and J. R. Cocca. 2004. Lower Cretaceous rebbachisaurid sauropods from Cerro Aguada del León (Lohan Cura Formation), Neuquén province, northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(4):903-912
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