Encyclopedia
Winton Formation
Geological formation in Queensland, Australia
The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age. The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone and claystone. The sediments that make up these rocks represent the remnants of the river plains that filled the basin left by the Eromanga Sea - an inland sea that covered large parts of Queensland and central Australia at least four times during the Early Cretaceous period. Great meandering rivers, forest pools and swamps, creeks, lakes and coastal estuaries all left behind different types of sediment.
In some areas, the Winton Formation is over 400 metres thick. To bring with them such a huge amount of sediment, the rivers that flowed across these plains must have been comparable in size to the present-day Amazon or Mississippi rivers. As more and more sediment was brought in, the margins of the inland sea slowly contracted. By around 95 million years ago, the deposition was complete and the inland sea would never be seen again.
By virtue of its age and the environmental conditions under which the rocks it consists of were deposited, the Winton Formation represents one of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils anywhere in Australia.
01Fossil content
A fossil footprint-(ichnite), Wintonopus, found with two other dinosaur genera footprints at the Lark Quarry in Australia, c.f. Tyrannosauropus and Skartopus, have been found in the Winton Formation.
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited. |
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians
| Ornithischians of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Amblydactylus | A. gethingi | Lark Quarry. | Multiple footprints. | |||
| Ankylosauria Indet. | Indeterminate | Three isolated teeth from left and right dentary and right maxilla | ||||
| Neornithischia Indet. | Indeterminate | Tooth | ||||
| Ornithopoda Indet. | Indeterminate | Digested remains associated with the holotype of Confractosuchus | ||||
| Ornithopoda Indet. | Undescribed | A nearly complete skull and mandible and at least three partial postcranial skeletons. | Small-bodied, recovered as part of "Elasmaria" | |||
| Wintonopus | W. latomorum | Snake Creek and Lark Quarry track site. | Footprints. | An ornithopod. | ||
Sauropods
| Sauropods of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Australotitan | A. cooperensis | A partial scapula, humeri, ulna, pubes, ischia, femora, presacral vertebral centrum fragments, and rib fragments. | A large diamantinasaurian sauropod that possesses a mosaic of features shared with titanosaurians with similar geographical and temporal range. Possibly a junior synonym of Diamantinasaurus. | |||
| Diamantinasaurus | D. matildae | A squamosal, quadrates, braincase, surangular, atlas intercentrum axis, cervical vertebrae, middle cervical neural arch, co-ossified sacral centra, cervical ribs, dorsal vertebrae, numerous dorsal ribs, fragmentary gastralia, coalesced sacral vertebrae, isolated sacral processes, scapula, coracoid, partial sternal plate, humeri, ulnae, radius, metacarpals I-V, manual phalanges, ilium, pubes, both ischia, femur, tibia, fibula, astragalus, and numerous fragments. | A diamantinasaurian sauropod known from partial cranial material. | |||
| Savannasaurus | S. elliottorum | Posterior cervical vertebrae, cervical ribs, dorsal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, sacral vertebrae with processes, partial caudal vertebrae, fragmentary scapula, coracoid, sternal plates, incomplete humeri, shattered ulna, radius, metacarpals I-V, metacarpal IV, manual phalanges, fragments of ilia, pubes, ischia, astragalus, metatarsal III, and associated fragments. | A wide-bodied diamantinasaurian sauropod that was well adapted to the wet, temperate floodplain environment it inhabited. | |||
| Sauropoda Indet. | Indeterminate | Poorly preserved remains associated with the holotype of Confractosuchus | ||||
| Titanosauriformes Indet. | Undescribed | Partial skull, consisting of a braincase, quadrates, quadratojugals, a left squamosal, postorbitals, and several unprepared elements. associated with a hind limb | ||||
| Wintonotitan | W. wattsi | A scapula, both humeri, both ulnae, both radii, near complete metacarpus preserving complete metacarpals II-V with proximal half of metacarpal I, fragmentary dorsal and sacral vertebrae and ribs, partial ilium, ischium, caudal vertebral series including anterior caudals, middle caudals, posterior caudals, proximal chevrons, and numerous unidentifiable fragments. | A diamantinasaurian sauropod that is likely to be closely related to Australotitan, Diamantinasaurus and Savannasaurus. | |||
Theropods
| Theropods of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Australovenator | A. wintonensis | Dentaries, dorsal ribs and rib fragments, gastralial ribs and fragments, partial ilium, ulnae, radius, manus metacarpals, unguals, femur, tibiae, fibula, astragalus, metatarsals, pedal phalanges, humeri, radiale, distal carpal, and manual phalanxes. | A megaraptorid theropod known from postcranial and cranial material. | |||
| Megaraptoridae Indet. | Indeterminate | A partial skeleton, consisting of caudal vertebrae, metatarsals, a phalanx, and numerous unidentifiable fragments. Stated to be larger than Australovenator. | ||||
Pterosaurs
| Pterosaurs of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Ferrodraco | F. lentoni | A partial premaxillae, maxillae and dentaries, partial frontal, mandibular articular region comprising the surangular, angular and articular, partial cervical vertebrae, partial scapulocoracoid, partial ulna, partial radius, proximal and distal carpals, metacarpal IV, proximal end of metacarpal IV, fragmentary non-wing manual phalanges, partial first wing phalanx (IV-1), and associated fragments. | A mythungin tropeognathine | |||
Crocodylomorphs
| Crocodylomorphs of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Confractosuchus | C. sauroktonos | Nearly complete skeleton preserving a juvenile ornithopod in its abdomen | A eusuchian crocodylomorph | |||
| Isisfordia | I. duncani | Nearly complete skeleton and partial skull, referred complete skull | A neosuchian metasuchian | |||
Plesiosaurs
| Plesiosaurs of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Plesiosauria Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
Squamates
| Squamates of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Varanoidea Indet. | Indeterminate | A damaged posterior trunk vertebra | Originally considered as dolichosaurid (cf. Coniasaurus), but reassigned | |||
Turtles
| Turtles of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Chelidae Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
Mammals
| Mammals of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Cynodontia Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
Fish
Cartilaginous Fish
| Cartilaginous Fish of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Selachii Indet. | Indeterminate | A shark | ||||
Lobe-finned Fish
| Lobe-finned Fish of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Metaceratodus | M. bonei | Isolated tooth plates | A ceratodontid lungfish | |||
| M. ellioti | ||||||
| M. wollastoni | ||||||
Ray-finned Fish
| Ray-finned Fish of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Cladocyclus | C. geddesi | Nearly complete skull and partial skeleton | A cladocyclid ichthyodectiform | |||
Arthropods
| Arthropods of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Oribatida? Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
| Odonata Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
| Mecoptera Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
| Coleoptera Indet. | Indeterminate | |||||
Molluscs
| Molluscs of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Melanoides | Indeterminate | |||||
| Hyridella | H (Protohyridella). goodiwindiensis | |||||
| H. macmichaeli | ||||||
| Megalovirgus | M. wintonensis | |||||
| Pledgia | P. eyrensis | |||||
Plants
| Plants of the Winton Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Angiospermae Indet. | Indeterminate | Leaf impressions, cuticle fragments | At least ten distinct types, belonging to both monocots and dicotyledons | |||
| Araucaria | A. cf. mesozoica | Leaves | A member of Araucariaceae | |||
| Araucariaceae Indet. | Indeterminate | Leaves | Conifer | |||
| Austrosequoia | A. wintonensis | Cones and leaved axes | A member of Cupressaceae | |||
| Carnoconites Indet. | Indeterminate | Female ovulate fruiting organ | A member of the extinct seed plant order Pentoxylales, youngest record of the group in Australia | |||
| Cheirolepidiaceae Indet. | Four taxa | Dispersed cuticle | Conifer | |||
| Emwadea | E. microcarpa | Seed cones | A member of Araucariaceae, more closely related to Agathis and Wollemia than Araucaria. | |||
| Equisetites | Indeterminate | Axes | Horsetail | |||
| Ginkgo | G. wintonensis, four other possible species | Leaf impressions (G. wintonensis) Dispersed cuticle | A gingophyte, genus extant. | |||
| Lovellea | L. wintonensis | Permineralised flower | A member of Laurales | |||
| Aff. Lygodium? | Indeterminate | Fern pinna | Fern | |||
| Marchantites | M. marguerita | Liverwort | ||||
| Microphyllopteris | cf. M. gleichenoides | Frond fragment impression | A fern belonging to the family Gleicheniaceae | |||
| Otozamites | cf. O. bengalensis | Leaves | Member of Bennettitales | |||
| Phyllopteroides | P. macclymontae | Numerous pinnule impressions | A fern belonging to the family Osmundaceae | |||
| Pterostoma | Indeterminate | Leaves | A possible cycad | |||
| Ptilophyllum | Indeterminate | Leaves | Member of Bennettitales | |||
| Sphenopteris | Indeterminate | Leaves | A "seed fern" | |||
| Taeniopteris | Indeterminate | Leaf impression | A member of the extinct seed plant order Pentoxylales, youngest record of the group in Australia | |||
| Tempskya | T. judithae | Permineralized false trunks | A tree fern | |||
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Winton Formation”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Lark Quarry - overburden.jpg by Me whynot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Winton Formation outcrop.jpg by Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Samantha L. Rigby, Ruairidh J. Duncan, Adele H. Pentland, Joseph J. Bevitt, Trish Sloan and David A. Elliott, CC BY 4.0
- Australotitan holotype.png by Scott A. Hocknull, Melville Wilkinson, Rochelle A. Lawrence, Vladislav Konstantinov, Stuart Mackenzie & Robyn Mackenzie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Diamantinasaurus AODF 836.jpg by Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Scott A. Hocknull, Benjamin P. Kear, Martin Kundrát, Travis R. Tischler, Trish Sloan, George H. K. Sinapius, Judy A. Elliott & David A. Elliott, CC BY 4.0
- Savannasaurus skeleton.jpg by Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Scott A. Hocknull, Benjamin P. Kear, Martin Kundrát, Travis R. Tischler, Trish Sloan, George H. K. Sinapius, Judy A. Elliott & David A. Elliott, CC BY 4.0
- Wintonotitan.png by Artwork: T. Tischler, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History., CC BY 2.5
- Wintonotitan arm.png by Artwork: T. Tischler, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History., CC BY 2.5
- Banjo Australovenator.jpg by Talisen, CC BY 2.0
- Ferrodraco.jpg by Adele H. Pentland, Stephen F. Poropat, Travis R. Tischler, Trish Sloan, Robert A. Elliott, Harry A. Elliott, Judy A. Elliott and David A. Elliott, CC BY 4.0
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