The Coli Toro Formation is a Maastrichtian-Danian geological formation in Argentina. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus. The rocks of the formation were deposited in a marine environment, in opposition to the marginal underliying sedimentary environment.

The formation in later publications has been reassigned as the Coli Toro Member at the basal levels of the Los Alamitos Formation, containing fossil remains of Sulcusuchus erraini. The formation partly overlies the Angostura Colorada Formation.

Fossil content

Dinosaurs from the Coli Toro Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic PositionMaterialNotesImages
HadrosauridaeIndeterminateCerro YesoIsolated caudal vertebraeIndeterminated hadrosaurids, probably related to other south american Austrokritosaurians
TitanosauriaIndeterminateCerro YesoA tooth (MHJG-NCP, formerly 5/4/7-3)Indeterminated Titanosaurian sauropod
AbelisauridaeIndeterminateEstancia YuquincheA tooth (MHJG-NCP 299)The first theropod from the Coli Toro Formation
ParankylosauriaIndeterminateBajo ColoradoOsteoderm associated to a cranial fragment (MJHG 77-33) and a rib piece (MJHG 271B-17)The osteorderm is similar to the jugal-quadratojugal osteoderm of the La Colonia Parankylosaur, and the rib is T-shaped in cross view, as in other parankylosaurs and euankylosaurs May also be from the Angostura Colorada Formation
Other reptiles from the Coli Toro Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic PositionMaterialNotesImages
Peirosauridae ?IndeterminateCerro YesoA tooth (MHJG Pa 614 106)A indeterminated crocodyliform tooth, probably belonging to the Notosuchian family Peirosauridae
SulcusuchusS. errainiCerro Yeso and near Laguna Cari-Laufquén GrandeTeeth (Cerro Yeso) and a fragmentary mandibular ramus (Laguna Cari-Laufquén Grande)The only named Polycotylid from the Southern Hemisphere, and the most recent one worldwide. Also found in La Colonia Formation
TestudinesIndeterminateCerro YesoTurtle plates are reportly commonly found in the Cerro Yeso localityPerhaps related to the other Pleurodirans from neighbouring Maastrichtian formations
FIsh from the Coli Toro Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic PositionMaterialNotesImages
Metaceratodus?IndeterminateCerro YesoDental platesA lungfish, if confirmed, also found in the La Colonia Formation
OsteichthyesIndeterminateCerro YesoVertebrae and ganoid scales

See also

Bibliography

Further reading

  • R. M. Casamiquela. 1964. Sobre un dinosaurio hadrosáurido de la Argentina. Ameghiniana 3(9):285-312
  • J. O'Gorman and Z. Gasparini. 2013. Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Alcheringa 37(2):163-176