Quebrada del TapĆ³n tracksite (Cretaceous of Argentina)

Also known as Leonardi locality 94

Where: Salta, Argentina (25.5° S, 66.0° W: paleocoordinates 28.0° S, 52.6° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Complejo Don Otto Member (Yacoraite Formation), Late/Upper Maastrichtian (70.6 - 66.0 Ma)

• "Seccion Verde" near top of formation, 10 m below Mealla Fm contact

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: paralic; bioturbated, micaceous, gray, white sandstone

• "coastal area with periodically flooded beaches"
• "fine micaceous arenites, friable, with gray, white, and ochre yellow colors, thin intercalations of green lutites." Uranium-bearing. The track beds are "very fine-grained sandstones, yellowish gray, some 'limonitizadas' and intercalations of green pelites, abundant ripples and dessication cracks"

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: trace

Collected by R. N. Alonso in 1985

Collection methods: surface (in situ),

• "Remains of fishes and crocodiles as well as dinosaur footprints are known from this site."

Primary reference: R. N. Alonso and R. A. Marquillas. 1986. Nueva localidad con huellas de dinosaurios y primer hallazgo de huellas de aves en la Formacion Yacoraite (Maastrichtiano) del norte Argentino [A new locality with dinosaur eggs and the first discovery of avian footprints in the Yacoraite Formation (Maastrichtian) of northern Argentina]. IV Congreso Argentino de Paleontologia y Biostratigrafia, Actas 2:33-41 [J. Hunter/J. Hunter/M. Carrano]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 13306: authorized by John Hunter, entered by John Hunter on 20.02.2002, edited by Matthew Carrano

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Reptilia
  -
Reptilia indet. Laurenti 1768 reptile
trackway
 Ornithischia -
Telosichnus saltensis n. gen. n. sp., Taponichnus donottoi n. gen. n. sp.
Telosichnus saltensis n. gen. n. sp. Alonso and Marquillas 1986 ornithopod
trackway
Taponichnus donottoi n. gen. n. sp. Alonso and Marquillas 1986 ornithopod
trackway
Aves
  -
Yacoraitichnus avis n. gen. n. sp.
Yacoraitichnus avis n. gen. n. sp. Alonso and Marquillas 1986 bird
Reptilia
 Theropoda -
Salfitichnus mentoor n. gen. n. sp.
Salfitichnus mentoor n. gen. n. sp. Alonso and Marquillas 1986 theropod
trackway