Lecho Formation

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Lecho Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| period = Maastrichtian

| age = Early Maastrichtian
~{{fossil range|70|68}}

| prilithology = Sandstone

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Jujuy, Salta

| country = Argentina

| coordinates = {{coord|26.1|S|65.4|W|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|28.6|S|52.0|W|display=inline}}

| unitof = Salta Group

| subunits =

| underlies = Yacoraite Formation

| overlies = Los Blanquitos Formation

| thickness =

| extent = Salta Basin

| area =

| map = {{Location map+ | Argentina

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | Argentina

| lat_deg = -26.1

| lon_deg = -65.4

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 12

}}

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Lecho Formation is a geological formation in the Salta Basin of the provinces Jujuy and Salta of northwestern Argentina. Its strata date back to the Early Maastrichtian, and is a unit of the Salta Group. The fine-grained bioturbated sandstones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial to lacustrine coastal plain environment.

Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel et al., 2004, "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." pp. 600-604

According to Frankfurt and Chiappe (1999), the Lecho Formation is composed of reddish sandstones. The Lecho is part of the Upper/Late Cretaceous Balbuena Subgroup (Salta Group), which is a near-border stratigraphic unit of the Andean sedimentary basin. Fossils from this formation include the titanosaur Saltasaurus along with a variety of avian and non-avian theropods.