Cerro Fortaleza Formation

{{Redirect-distinguish|Pari Aike Formation|Pali-Aike volcanic field}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Cerro Fortaleza Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| period = Cenomanian

| age = Campanian to Maastrichtian
~{{fossil range|76|70}}

| prilithology = Sandstone

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Santa Cruz Province, southern Patagonia

| country = Argentina

| coordinates = {{coord|49.9|S|72.1|W|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|51.9|S|61.8|W|display=inline}}

| unitof =

| subunits =

| underlies = La Irene Formation

| overlies = Anita Formation

| thickness = {{convert|460|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| extent = Austral Basin

| area =

| map = {{Location map+ | Argentina

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | Argentina

| lat_deg = -49.9

| lon_deg = -72.1

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 12

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Cerro Fortaleza Formation, in older literature described as Pari Aike Formation, is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation of Campanian to Maastrichtian age{{cite journal|last1=Sickmann|first1=Zachary T.|last2=Schwartz|first2=Theresa M.|last3=Graham|first3=Stephan A.|title=Refining stratigraphy and tectonic history using detrital zircon maximum depositional age: An example from the Cerro Fortaleza Formation, Austral Basin, southern Patagonia|journal=Basin Research|volume=30|issue=4|year=2018|pages=708–729|doi=10.1111/bre.12272|bibcode=2018BasR...30..708S|doi-access=}}{{cite journal |last1=Lacovara |first1=Kenneth J. |last2=Lamanna |first2=Matthew C. |last3=Ibiricu |first3=Lucio M. |last4=Poole |first4=Jason C. |last5=Schroeter |first5=Elena R. |last6=Ullmann |first6=Paul V. |last7=Voegele |first7=Kristyn K. |last8=Boles |first8=Zachary M. |last9=Carter |first9=Aja M. |last10=Fowler |first10=Emma K. |last11=Egerton |first11=Victoria M. |last12=Moyer |first12=Alison E. |last13=Coughenour |first13=Christopher L. |last14=Schein |first14=Jason P. |last15=Harris |first15=Jerald D. |last16=Martínez |first16=Rubén D. |last17=Novas |first17=Fernando E. |title=A Gigantic, Exceptionally Complete Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur from Southern Patagonia, Argentina |journal=Scientific Reports |date=4 September 2014 |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=6196 |doi=10.1038/srep06196 |pmid=25186586 |pmc=5385829 |bibcode=2014NatSR...4.6196L }} (although it has formerly been reported to be Cenomanian to Santonian){{sfn|Varela|Poiré|Martin|Gerdes|2012}} of the Austral Basin in southern Patagonia, Argentina.

Description

The sandstones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial environment. The formation has an estimated thickness of {{convert|460|m|ft}} and overlies the Anita Formation, while it is overlain by the La Irene Formation.{{sfn|Marenssi|Casadio|Santillana|2003|p=406}} These formations are considered Campanian and Maastrichtian in age, respectively,{{sfn|Marenssi|Casadio|Santillana|2003|p=406}}{{sfn|Varela|Poiré|Martin|Gerdes|2012}} making the Cerro Fortaleza Formation aged between them.

Paleobiota

The giant titanosaurs Puertasaurus and Dreadnoughtus, the megaraptoran Orkoraptor, the berthasaurid Austrocheirus isasii, and the ornithopod Talenkauen have been recovered from the formation alongside turtles and crocodiles.{{cite journal |last1=Novas |first1=Fernando E. |last2=Ezcurra |first2=Martín D. |last3=Lecuona |first3=Agustina |title=Orkoraptor burkei nov. gen. et sp., a large theropod from the Maastrichtian Pari Aike Formation, Southern Patagonia, Argentina |journal=Cretaceous Research |date=June 2008 |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=468–480 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2008.01.001 |bibcode=2008CrRes..29..468N }}{{cite journal |last1=Agnolín |first1=Federico L. |last2=Álvarez Herrera |first2=Gerardo |last3=Rolando |first3=Mauro Aranciaga |last4=Motta |first4=Matías |last5=Rozadilla |first5=Sebastián |last6=Verdiquio |first6=Lucía |last7=D'Angelo |first7=Julia S. |last8=Moyano-Paz |first8=Damián |last9=Varela |first9=Augusto N. |last10=Sterli |first10=Juliana |last11=Bogan |first11=Sergio |last12=Miner |first12=Santiago |last13=Moreno Rodríguez |first13=Ana |last14=Muñoz |first14=Gonzalo |last15=Isasi |first15=Marcelo P. |last16=Novas |first16=Fernando E. |title=Fossil vertebrates from the Cerro Fortaleza Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina |journal=Cretaceous Research |date=February 2024 |volume=154 |pages=105735 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105735 |bibcode=2024CrRes.15405735A }}{{cite journal |last1=Paulina-Carabajal |first1=Ariana |last2=Barrios |first2=Francisco T. |last3=Méndez |first3=Ariel H. |last4=Cerda |first4=Ignacio A. |last5=Lee |first5=Yuong-Nam |title=A Late Cretaceous dinosaur and crocodyliform faunal association–based on isolate teeth and osteoderms–at Cerro Fortaleza Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian) type locality, Santa Cruz, Argentina |journal=PLOS ONE |date=8 September 2021 |volume=16 |issue=9 |pages=e0256233 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0256233 |doi-access=free |pmid=34495977 |pmc=8425559 |bibcode=2021PLoSO..1656233P }}

= Dinosaurs =

== Ornithischians ==

class="wikitable"
colspan="7" \| Ornithischians of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation
Taxa !Species !Locality !Stratigraphic unit !Material !Notes !Images
Ankylosauria \| indet. \| \| \| Small-sized isolated osteoderms. \| \|
Iguanodontoidea \| indet. \| \| \| One incomplete maxillary tooth crown. \| \|
Ornithopoda \| indet. \| \| \| Two isolated caudal centra. \| \|
Talenkauen \|T. santacrucensis \| Corro Los Hornos near Lake Viedma. \| Upper \| A partial articulated skeleton with exception of the rear part of the skull, the tail, and the hands. \| An elasmarian ornithopod. \| File:Talenkauen santacrucensis 1.jpg

class="wikitable"

colspan="7" | Ornithischians of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation

Taxa

!Species

!Locality

!Stratigraphic unit

!Material

!Notes

!Images

Ankylosauria

| indet.

| Small-sized isolated osteoderms.

Iguanodontoidea

| indet.

| One incomplete maxillary tooth crown.

Ornithopoda

| indet.

| Two isolated caudal centra.

Talenkauen

|T. santacrucensis

| Corro Los Hornos near Lake Viedma.

| Upper

| A partial articulated skeleton with exception of the rear part of the skull, the tail, and the hands.

| An elasmarian ornithopod.

File:Talenkauen santacrucensis 1.jpg

== Sauropods ==

class="wikitable"
colspan="7" \| Sauropods of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation
Taxa !Species !Locality !Stratigraphic unit !Material !Notes !Images
rowspan = 2\|Clasmodosaurus \|C. spatula \| Lago Viedma \| \| Two incomplete teeth. \| rowspan = 2\| A titanosaur \| rowspan = 100\|File:Dreadnoughtus Published Reconstruction (Version 2).jpg]] File:Puertasaurus reuili.png]]
Indeterminate \| \| \| 32 isolated teeth.
Dreadnoughtus \| D. schrani \| Rio La Leona Valley, \| Upper \| Four incomplete proximal caudals and incomplete left astragalus. \| A titanosaur.
Puertasaurus \|P. reuili \| Cerros Los Hornos, La Leona. \| Upper \| A holotype based on four disarticulated vertebrae, specifically one cervical, one dorsal, and two caudal vertebrae. \| A titanosaur.

class="wikitable"

colspan="7" | Sauropods of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation

Taxa

!Species

!Locality

!Stratigraphic unit

!Material

!Notes

!Images

rowspan = 2|Clasmodosaurus

|C. spatula

| Lago Viedma

| Two incomplete teeth.

| rowspan = 2| A titanosaur

| rowspan = 100|File:Dreadnoughtus Published Reconstruction (Version 2).jpg]]

File:Puertasaurus reuili.png]]

Indeterminate

| 32 isolated teeth.

Dreadnoughtus

| D. schrani

| Rio La Leona Valley,

| Upper

| Four incomplete proximal caudals and incomplete left astragalus.

| A titanosaur.

Puertasaurus

|P. reuili

| Cerros Los Hornos, La Leona.

| Upper

| A holotype based on four disarticulated vertebrae, specifically one cervical, one dorsal, and two caudal vertebrae.

| A titanosaur.

== Theropods ==

class="wikitable"
colspan="7" \| Theropods of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation
Taxa !Species !Locality !Stratigraphic unit !Material !Notes !Images
Abelisauridae \| indet. \| \| \| An incomplete ziphodont tooth. \| \| rowspan = 100\|Image:Austrocheirus isasii.png]] Image:Orkoraptor drawing.jpg ]]
Austrocheirus \|A. isasii \| Hoyada Arroyo Seco. \| Upper \| An incomplete right ulna \| An ceratosaurian theropod.
Orkoraptor \|O. burkei \| Cerro Los Hornos. \| Upper \| Several isolated teeth, including two anteriormost, probably premaxillary teeth, left manual phalanx I-1, right, nearly complete fibula, and right ungual. \| A megaraptoran

class="wikitable"

colspan="7" | Theropods of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation

Taxa

!Species

!Locality

!Stratigraphic unit

!Material

!Notes

!Images

Abelisauridae

| indet.

| An incomplete ziphodont tooth.

| rowspan = 100|Image:Austrocheirus isasii.png]]

Image:Orkoraptor drawing.jpg ]]

Austrocheirus

|A. isasii

| Hoyada Arroyo Seco.

| Upper

| An incomplete right ulna

| An ceratosaurian theropod.

Orkoraptor

|O. burkei

| Cerro Los Hornos.

| Upper

| Several isolated teeth, including two anteriormost, probably premaxillary teeth, left manual phalanx I-1, right, nearly complete fibula, and right ungual.

| A megaraptoran

= Fish =

class="wikitable"
colspan="7" \| Fish of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation
Taxa !Species !Locality !Stratigraphic unit !Material !Notes !Images
Atlantoceratodus \| A. iheringi \| Cerro Los Hornos and Hoyada Arroyo Seco. \| \|Four lower tooth plates, one lower tooth plate attached to a partial mandibular bone and four upper tooth plates. \| A lungfish. \|

class="wikitable"

colspan="7" | Fish of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation

Taxa

!Species

!Locality

!Stratigraphic unit

!Material

!Notes

!Images

Atlantoceratodus

| A. iheringi

| Cerro Los Hornos and Hoyada Arroyo Seco.

|Four lower tooth plates, one lower tooth plate attached to a partial mandibular bone and four upper tooth plates.

| A lungfish.

References

= Bibliography =

{{cite journal |last1=Marenssi |first1=Sergio A. |last2=Casadio |first2=Silvio |last3=Santillana |first3=Sergio N. |title=Estratigrafía y sedimentología de las unidades del Cretácico superior-Paleógeno aflorantes en la margen sureste del lago Viedma, provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina |trans-title=Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene units outcropping on the southeastern margin of Lake Viedma, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina |journal=Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina |date=30 September 2003 |volume=58 |issue=3 |pages=403–416 |url=https://revista.geologica.org.ar/raga/article/view/1538 |language=es }}
{{cite journal |last1=Varela |first1=Augusto N. |last2=Poiré |first2=Daniel G. |last3=Martin |first3=Thomas |last4=Gerdes |first4=Axel |last5=Goin |first5=Francisco J. |last6=Gelfo |first6=Javier N. |last7=Hoffmann |first7=Simone |title=U-Pb zircon constraints on the age of the Cretaceous Mata Amarilla Formation, Southern Patagonia, Argentina: its relationship with the evolution of the Austral Basin |journal=Andean Geology |date=27 September 2012 |volume=39 |issue=3 |doi=10.5027/andgeoV39n3-a01 |url=http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/andgeol/v39n3/art01.pdf }}

Category:Geologic formations of Argentina

Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of South America

Category:Cretaceous Argentina

Category:Campanian Stage

Category:Maastrichtian Stage of South America

Category:Sandstone formations

Category:Fluvial deposits

Formations

Category:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of South America

Category:Paleontology in Argentina

Category:Geology of Patagonia

Category:Geology of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina