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.

Lecho Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Maastrichtian
~70–68 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofSalta Group
UnderliesYacoraite Formation
OverliesLos Blanquitos Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
Location
Coordinates26°06′S 65°24′W / 26.1°S 65.4°W / -26.1; -65.4
Approximate paleocoordinates28°36′S 52°00′W / 28.6°S 52.0°W / -28.6; -52.0
RegionJujuy, Salta
CountryArgentina
ExtentSalta Basin
Lecho Formation is located in Argentina
Lecho Formation
Lecho Formation (Argentina)

Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1]

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.

Fossil content

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Aves and Dinosaurs from the Lecho Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Elbretornis E. bonapartei Scapula, partial coracoid, humerus, partial radius, partial ulna[2] Enantiornithes
Enantiornis[3] E. leali[3] "Postcranial elements"[4] Enantiornithes
Lectavis[3] L. bretincola[3] "Tarsometatarsus and tibiotarsus"[4] Enantiornithes
 
Martinavis M. minor Partial humerus[2] Enantiornithes
M. saltariensis Humerus[2]
M. vincei Humeri[2]
M. whetstonei Partial humerus[2]
Noasaurus[3] N. leali[3] Isolated elements from the head and foot, as well as a verebral arch.[5] A putative oviraptorosaurian cervical vertebra [6] is likely to belong to this taxon.[7] Noasaurid abelisaurs
 
Saltasaurus[3] S. loricatus[3] "Partial skeletons of at least [six] individuals, including jaws and armor."[8] Saltasaurid titanosaurs
 
Soroavisaurus[3] S. australis[3] "Tarsometatarsus and phalanges."[9] Avisaurid enantiornithes
Yungavolucris[3] Y. brevipedalis[3] "Tarsometatarsi"[9] Enantiornithes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Weishampel et al., 2004, "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." pp. 600-604
  2. ^ a b c d e Walker & Dyke, 2009
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "63.7 Provincia de Salta, Argentina; 3. Lower Kirtland Formation," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.603
  4. ^ a b "Table 11.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.213
  5. ^ "Table 3.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.49
  6. ^ Frankfurt & Chiappe, 1999
  7. ^ Agnolin & Martinelli, 2007
  8. ^ "Table 13.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.270
  9. ^ a b "Table 11.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.214

Bibliography

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  • Walker; Dyke (2009), "Euenantiornithine birds from the Late Cretaceous of El Brete (Argentina)", Irish Journal of Earth Sciences, 27: 15–62, doi:10.3318/IJES.2010.27.15
  • Agnolin, F.L.; Martinelli, A.G. (2007), "Did oviraptorosaurs (Dinosauria; Theropoda) inhabit Argentina?" (PDF), Cretaceous Research, 28 (5): 785–790, Bibcode:2007CrRes..28..785A, doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2006.10.006
  • Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka (2004), The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 1–880, ISBN 0-520-24209-2, retrieved 2019-02-21
  • Frankfurt, N.G.; Chiappe, L.M. (1999), "A Possible Oviraptorosaur From The Late Cretaceous of Northwestern Argentina", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 19 (1): 101–105, Bibcode:1999JVPal..19..101F, doi:10.1080/02724634.1999.10011126