Plottier Formation
{{Short description|Geologic formation in Argentina}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name = Plottier Formation
| image =
| caption =
| type = Geological formation
| period = Coniacian
| age = late Coniacian-early Santonian
~{{fossil range|86|85}}
| prilithology = Claystone
| otherlithology = Sandstone
| namedfor = Plottier
| namedby = Fossa Mancini et al.
| year_ts = 1938
| region = Mendoza, Neuquén & Río Negro Provinces
| country = Argentina
| coordinates = {{coord|37.4|S|69.1|W|display=inline,title}}
| paleocoordinates = {{coord|42.2|S|49.4|W|display=inline}}
| unitof = Neuquén Group
Río Neuquén Subgroup
| subunits =
| underlies = Río Colorado Subgroup
Bajo de la Carpa Formation
| overlies = Sierra Barrosa Formation
| thickness = Up to {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| extent = Neuquén Basin
| area =
| map = {{Location map+ | Argentina
| relief = 1
| width = 250
| float = center
| places =
{{Location map~ | Argentina
| lat_deg = -37.4
| lon_deg = -69.1
| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg
| marksize = 12
}}
}}
| map_caption =
}}
The Plottier Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in the Argentine Patagonian provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén. It is the younger of two formations belonging to the Río Neuquén Subgroup within the Neuquén Group of the Neuquén Basin, with the oldest rocks dating from the late Coniacian and its youngest maybe from the very start of the Santonian. Formerly, that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Plottier Formation was known as the Plottier Member.Sánchez et al., 2006
Description
A section near the Neuquén City airport, north of the town of Plottier, is the type locality of the Plottier Formation.Fossa Mancini et al., 1938 At its base, this formation grades into the Portezuelo Formation, and it is in turn overlain conformably by the Bajo de la Carpa Formation, a unit of the Río Colorado Subgroup.
The Plottier Formation is the thinnest formation within the Neuquén Group, with a maximum thickness of only {{convert|25|m|ft}}. It is differentiated from the underlying Portezuelo Formation primarily by its higher content of argillites (mud deposits) and was deposited under fluvial conditions. In 2006, a detailed lithostratigraphic and paleoecological study of a section of the Plottier Formation was published. This section contained alluvial deposits laid down by what was essentially a low-gradient wandering river throughout the millions of years, but often was of a single-channel type with little meandering.Leanza et al., 2004
Fossil content
{{Paleobiota-key-compact}}
Few animal fossils are known from this formation, including:[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?geological_group=Neuqu%E9n&formation=Plottier Plottier Formation] at Fossilworks.org
=Crocodyliformes=
=Dinosaurs=
==Ornithischians==
A footprint track of an ornithopod is known from the Middle Loma de la Lata site.{{Cite journal |last1=Calvo |first1=Jorge O. |last2=Rivera |first2=Cynthia |last3=Avila |first3=Laura |date=2021-10-01 |title=An overview of Upper Cretaceous dinosaur tracks and other trace fossils from the Barreales lake area, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0895981121002224 |journal=Journal of South American Earth Sciences |volume=110 |pages=103375 |doi=10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103375 |bibcode=2021JSAES.11003375C |issn=0895-9811|url-access=subscription }}
==Sauropods==
12 footprint tracks of a sauropod are known from the site of Proyecto Dino.
==Theropods==
=Pterosaurs=
| class="wikitable" align="center" | ||||
| colspan="6" align="center" | Pterosaurs reported from the Plottier Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence
!Material | Notes | Images |
| Thanatosdrakon{{Cite journal |last1=Ortiz David |first1=Leonardo D. |last2=González Riga |first2=Bernardo J. |last3=Kellner |first3=Alexander W. A. |date=2022-09-01 |title=Thanatosdrakon amaru, gen. et sp. nov., a giant azhdarchid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0195667122000921 |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=137 |pages=105228 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105228 |bibcode=2022CrRes.13705228O |issn=0195-6671|url-access=subscription }}
|T. amaru |Agua del Padrillo |
|An azhdarchid |
=Turtles=
=Invertebrates=
There are also ichnofossils left on the river's mudflats, as well as fossil freshwater bivalves.
==Ostracods==
=Plants=
| class="wikitable" align="center" | ||||
| colspan="6" align="center" | Plants reported from the Plottier Formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence
!Material | Notes | Images |
| Angiospermae? indet.
|Indeterminate |Zampal |A few seeds |A possible angiosperm | | ||||
| Henrisporites
|H. sp. |Zampal |Abundant megaspores |A lycopod | | ||||
| Lychnothamnus
|L. barbosai |Zampal |Over 400 microfossils |A stonewort | | ||||
| Nitella
|N. sp. |Zampal |21 microfossils |A stonewort | | ||||
| rowspan="2" |Spermatites
|S. sp. 1 |Zampal |Seeds |An angiosperm | | ||||
| S. sp. 2
|Zampal |Seeds |An angiosperm | |
See also
References
{{Reflist|20em}}
= Bibliography =
- {{aut|Chiappe, Luis M.}} (1993): Enantiornithine (Aves) Tarsometatarsi from the Cretaceous Lecho Formation of Northwestern Argentina. American Museum Novitates 3083: 1-27. [English with Spanish abstract] [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/4981/1/N3083.pdf PDF fulltext]
- {{aut|Coria, Rodolfo A.; Currie, Philip J.; Eberth, David & Garrido, Alberto}} (2002): Bird footprints from the Anacleto Formation (Late Cretaceous), Neuquén, Argentina. Ameghiniana 39(4): 453-463. [English with Spanish abstract] [https://web.archive.org/web/20061124234955/http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/philip_currie/uploads/pdfs/2002/2002Bird_Footprints.PDF PDF fulltext]
- {{Cite journal |last1=Fossa Mancini |first1=E. |author2-link=Egidio Feruglio |last2=Feruglio |first2=E. |last3=Yussen de Campana |first3=J.C. |year=1938 |title=Una reunión de geólogos de YPF y el problema de la terminología estratigráfica |language=es |trans-title=A YPF geologists' reunion and the problem of stratigraphy terminology |journal=Boletín de Informaciones Petroleras |volume=15 |pages=1–67}}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Leanza |first1=H.A. |last2=Apesteguia |first2=S. |author3-link=Fernando Novas |last3=Novas |first3=F.E. |last4=De la Fuente |first4=M.S. |year=2004 |title=Cretaceous terrestrial beds from the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and their tetrapod assemblages |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257047651 |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=61–87 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2003.10.005 |bibcode=2004CrRes..25...61L |accessdate=2019-02-16}}
- {{aut|Lockley, Martin; Matsukawa, Masaki; Ohira, Hiroto; Li, Jianjun; Wright, Joanna; White, Diane & Chen, Peiji}} (2006): Bird tracks from Liaoning Province, China: New insights into avian evolution during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition. Cretaceous Research 27(1): 33-43. {{doi|10.1016/j.cretres.2005.10.007}} (HTML abstract). Erratum: {{doi|10.1016/j.cretres.2008.06.002}}
- {{aut|Salgado, L.; Coria, R.A. & Chiappe, Luis M.}} (2005): Osteology of the sauropod embryos from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50(1): 79–92. [http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app50/app50-079.pdf PDF fulltext]
- {{Cite journal |last1=Sánchez |first1=María Lidia |last2=Heredia |first2=Susana |last3=Calvo |first3=Jorge O. |year=2006 |title=Paleoambientes sedimentarios del Cretácico Superior de la Formación Plottier (Grupo Neuquén), Departamento Confluencia, Neuquén |language=es |trans-title=Sedimentary paleoenvironments in the Upper Cretaceous Plottier Formation (Neuquen Group), Confluencia, Neuquén |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262615949 |journal=Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina |volume=61 |pages=3–18 |accessdate=2019-02-16}}
Category:Geologic formations of Argentina
Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of South America
Category:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of South America
Category:Paleontology in Argentina