Wonthaggi Formation

The Wonthaggi Formation is a geological formation in Victoria, Australia whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. It is part of the Strzelecki Group. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1][2] It is partially equivalent to the Eumeralla Formation.

Wonthaggi Formation Stratigraphic range: Valanginian - Aptian[1]
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Strzelecki Group
Underlies	Unconformity with Wombat Volcanics & Kersop Arkose
Overlies	Paleozoic basement
Thickness	Up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Volcaniclastic sandstone, siltstone
Other	Conglomerate, coal
Location
Coordinates	38.7°S 145.7°E / -38.7; 145.7
Approximate paleocoordinates	77.0°S 117.5°E / -77.0; 117.5
Region	Victoria
Country	Australia
Extent	Gippsland Basin
Wonthaggi Formation (Australia)

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaur Cove has moved north over the last hundred million years[3]

Indeterminate ankylosaur, euornithopod, and possible neoceratopsian remains are present in Victoria, Australia.[1] Indeterminate ornithomimosaur remains, as well as possible indeterminate allosauroid and dromaeosaurid remains are present in Victoria, Australia.[1] The formation also provided fossils of Koolasuchus cleelandi.[4]

Ornithischians of the Wonthaggi Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
cf. Atlascopcosaurus[5]	A. loadsi[5]	Geographically present in Victoria, Australia.[5]
Fulgurotherium[1]	F. australe[1]	Geographically present in Victoria, Australia.[1]		Qantassaurus
Galleonosaurus[5]	G. dorisae[5]	Geographically present in Victoria, Australia.[5]
Qantassaurus[1]	Q. intrepidus[1]	Geographically present in Victoria, Australia.[1]	"[Three] dentaries and teeth."[6]
Serendipaceratops[1]	S. arthurclarkei[1]	Geographically present in Victoria, Australia.[1]
Aves[7]	Indeterminate	Possibly also present at the Eumeralla Formation (footprints).	Single furcula.
Ankylosauria[8]	Indeterminate	Flat Rocks locality	Teeth, dorsal vertebra, ribs, osteoderms

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• South Polar region of the Cretaceous

References

1. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Australasia)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 573-574. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
2. . "Wonthaggi Formation", Australian Stratigraphic Units Database, Geoscience Australia, retrieved 2011-09-18
3. "Dinosaur Cove, Australia". This Dynamic Earth. USGS. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
4. Dwyers Hill at Fossilworks.org
5. Herne, Matthew C.; Nair, Jay P.; Evans, Alistair R.; Tait, Alan M. (2019). "New small-bodied ornithopods (Dinosauria, Neornithischia) from the Early Cretaceous Wonthaggi Formation (Strzelecki Group) of the Australian-Antarctic rift system, with revision of Qantassaurus intrepidus Rich and Vickers-Rich, 1999". Journal of Paleontology. 93 (3): 543–584. doi:10.1017/jpa.2018.95.
6. "Table 18.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 395.
7. Martin, Anthony J.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas H.; Hall, and Michael (2014). "Oldest known avian footprints from Australia: Eumeralla Formation (Albian), Dinosaur Cove, Victoria". Palaeontology. 57 (1): 7–19. doi:10.1111/pala.12082.
8. Barrett, Paul M.; Rich, Thomas H.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Tumanova, Tat'yana A.; Inglis, Matthew; Pickering, David; Kool, Lesley; Kear, Benjamin P. (September 2010). "Ankylosaurian dinosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous of southeastern Australia". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 34 (3): 205–217. doi:10.1080/03115511003655430. ISSN 0311-5518.