Javelina Formation

Javelina Formation
Javelina Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian,
	Distinctive mauve and red beds of the Javelina Formation outcropping in Big Bend National Park, Texas
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Tornillo Group
Underlies	Black Peaks Formation
Overlies	Aguja Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Claystone, mudstone, siltstone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	29°18′N 103°24′W / 29.3°N 103.4°W
Approximate paleocoordinates	36°00′N 82°48′W / 36.0°N 82.8°W
Region	Texas
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Javelina
	Javelina Formation (the United States) Javelina Formation (Texas)

The Javelina Formation is a geological formation in Texas. Dating has shown that the strata date to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous, approximately 70 to 66.5 million years old.^[1] The middle part of the formation has been dated to about 69 million years ago plus or minus 1 million years and the top situated near the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (in the overlying Black Peaks Formation^[1]), dated to 66 Ma ago.^[2] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[3]

Age

The typical age range of the Javelina Formation has been difficult to determine.^[4] In 2006, the middle portion of the Javenila Formation about 90 meters (300 ft) below the K-Pg boundary was dated to 69.0±0.9 million years ago by Lehman and colleagues. Using this date, in correlation with a measured age from the underlying Aguja Formation and the likely location of the K-Pg boundary in the overlying Black Peaks Formation, the authors argued that the Alamosaurus fauna seems to have lasted from about 70–66 million years ago, with the earliest records of Alamosaurus near the base of the Javelina Formation and the latest just below the K-Pg boundary in the Black Peaks Formation.^[2] However, Leslie et al. (2018) and Lehman et al. (2022) later corrected this age estimate, since the dinosaur fossils are actually known from the upper portion of the Javelina Formation. The K-Pg boundary of the Javelina Formation is known to be at the ~172 meters (564 ft) level, and the youngest-known Alamosaurus fossil-bearing locality (TxVP 42426, incorrectly referred to TMM 41450 by Leslie et al. and subsequently corrected by Lehman et al.) is known from the top of the sandstone unit at ~145 meters (476 ft) level, approximately ~27 meters (89 ft) below the K-Pg boundary. With dating based on magnetostratigraphy constraining the maximum depositional age of the dinosaur fossil-bearing section at approximately 66.4 million years ago, the Alamosaurus fauna can be dated to the latest Maastrichtian age.^[5]^[6]

Fossil content

Vertebrate paleofauna

Dinosaurs

Ankylosaurs

Vertebrates of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Ankylosauria indet.^[7]	Indeterminate		Upper^[8]		Fragmentary remains of an unnamed ankylosaur
Nodosauridae Indet.	Indeterminate				An undescribed nodosaurid.^[9]

Ceratopsians

Vertebrates of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Bravoceratops	B. polyphemus				A chasmosaurine ceratopsid known from the lowermost part of the Javelina Formation which dates back to the early Maastrichtian.^[10]
Chasmosaurinae indet.^[7]	Indeterminate		Lower and Upper^[7]	Dentary and horncore^[7]	Multiple remains of indeterminate chasmosaurines. The horncore and dentary are stated as being similar in size to Triceratops.^[7] The horncore comes from the Lower Javelina Formation and the dentary comes from the Upper Javelina Formation.^[7]
Torosaurus^[7]	T. cf. utahensis^[7]				A chasmosaurine ceratopsid whose remains have been found in the Frenchman Formation, Hell Creek Formation, North Horn Formation, McRae Formation, and Lance Formation.
Ceratopsidae indet.	Indeterminate		Uppermost	Syncervical^[5]	A large indeterminate ceratopsid, only diagnostic to Ceratopsidae.^[7]

Hadrosaurs

Hadrosaurs of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Gryposaurus?^[11]	G.? alsatei^[11]		Upper		A saurolophine hadrosaurid known from the Two Medicine Formation, the Dinosaur Park Formation, the Kaiparowits Formation, possible remains have also been unearthed in the El Picacho Formation.^[12]
Kritosaurus^[11]^[13]^[14]^[15]	K. cf. navajovius^[11]^[13]^[15]^[14]				A saurolophine hadrosaurid, also known from the Kirtland Formation, Aguja Formation, Ojo Alamo Formation and the El Picacho Formation. A possible second species of Kritosaurus might have lived in the Javelina Formation.^[11]^[15] Fossils have also been unearthed in the Olmos Formation.^[16]
Saurolophinae indet.^[11]	Indeterminate^[11]				A saurolophine handrosaurid similar to the genus Saurolophus.

Sauropods

Sauropods of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Alamosaurus	A. sanjuanensis		Upper		A titanosaurian sauropod, also from the Ojo Alamo Formation

Theropods

Theropods of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Ornithomimidae indet.^[7]	Indeterminate		Upper		Fragmentary remains of an unnamed ornithomimid^[17]
Saurornitholestes^[18]	S. cf. langstoni				A dromaeosaurid
Troodontidae indet.	Indeterminate^[19]				A troodontid
cf. Tyrannosaurus	Indeterminate^[20]		Middle & Upper		A tyrannosaurid, originally identified from the Hell Creek Formation. Also found in the Denver, Ferris, Frenchman, Lance, Livingston, North Horn, Scollard, and Willow Creek Formations.^[21]
Tyrannosauridae Indet.	Indeterminate		Upper	Hindlimb and metatarsal material.	Estimated as 75% the size of Sue the T. rex.^[22] Possibly a sub-adult Tyrannosaurus or Small bodied taxon.

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Quetzalcoatlus	Q. northropi^[23]		Upper		An azhdarchid pterosaur
Quetzalcoatlus	Q. lawsoni				An azhdarchid pterosaur
Wellnhopterus^[23]	W. brevirostris				An azhdarchid pterosaur

Turtles

Fish of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Trionychidae indet.	Indeterminate				Indeterminate turtle remains

Fish

Fish of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Dasyatis^[24]	Unknown				A ray
Rhombodus^[24]	Unknown				A ray

Flora

Woody dicots and angiosperms have been unearthed in this formation.^[25]^[26] Plant fossils indicate that this area was a woodland habitat.^[26]

Flora of the Javelina Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Javelinoxylon^[27]	J. multiporosum^[28]				A dicotyledonous tree

References

^ ^a ^b Woodward, H. N. (2005). Bone histology of the sauropod dinosaur Alamosaurus sanjuanensis from the Javelina Formation, Big Bend National Park, Texas.
^ ^a ^b Lehman, T.M.; McDowell, F.; Connelly, J. (2006). "First isotopic (U-Pb) age for the Late Cretaceous Alamosaurus vertebrate fauna of West Texas, and its significance as a link between two faunal provinces". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (4): 922–928. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[922:fiuaft]2.0.co;2. S2CID 130280606.
^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, North America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 574-588. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
^ Sullivan, R.M.; Lucas, S.G. (2006). "The Kirtlandian land-vertebrate "age" – faunal composition, temporal position and biostratigraphic correlation in the nonmarine Upper Cretaceous of western North America" (PDF). New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin. 35: 7–29.
^ ^a ^b Lehman, Thomas M.; Cobb, Jacob; Sylvester, Paul; Souders, A. Kate (2022-09-23). "The Cretaceous-Paleogene contact in the Tornillo Group of Big Bend National Park, West Texas, USA". Geosphere. 18 (6): 1851–1884. doi:10.1130/GES02519.1. hdl:2346/93451. ISSN 1553-040X.
^ Leslie, Caitlin E.; Peppe, Daniel J.; Williamson, Thomas E.; Heizler, Matthew; Jackson, Mike; Atchley, Stacy C.; Nordt, Lee; Standhardt, Barbara (2018-07-01). "Revised age constraints for Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene terrestrial strata from the Dawson Creek section, Big Bend National Park, west Texas". GSA Bulletin. 130 (7–8): 1143–1163. doi:10.1130/B31785.1. ISSN 0016-7606.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Hunt, ReBecca K.; Lehman, Thomas M. (2008). "Attributes of the ceratopsian dinosaur Torosaurus, and new material from the Javelina Formation (Maastrichtian) of Texas". Journal of Paleontology. 82 (6): 1127–1138. Bibcode:2008JPal...82.1127H. doi:10.1666/06-107.1. S2CID 129385183.
^ Cobb, Jacob D. D. (2016-08-15). Sedimentology of the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary Interval in the Tornillo Group of West Texas (MSc thesis). Texas Tech University. hdl:2346/68055.
^ Wick, Steven (19 November 2021). "Paleontological inventory of Paleozoic, Late Mesozoic, and Cenozoic plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate fossil species from Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA – over a century of paleontological discovery" (PDF).
^ Wick, Steven L.; Lehman, Thomas M. (1 July 2013). "A new ceratopsian dinosaur from the Javelina Formation (Maastrichtian) of West Texas and implications for chasmosaurine phylogeny". Naturwissenschaften. 100 (7): 667–682. Bibcode:2013NW....100..667W. doi:10.1007/s00114-013-1063-0. PMID 23728202. S2CID 16048008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Lehman, Thomas M.; Wick, Steven L.; Wagner, Jonathan R. (2016). "Hadrosaurian dinosaurs from the Maastrichtian Javelina Formation, Big Bend National Park, Texas". Journal of Paleontology. 90 (2): 1–24. Bibcode:2016JPal...90..333L. doi:10.1017/jpa.2016.48. S2CID 133329640.
^ Osmólska, Halszka; Dobson, Peter; Weishampel, David B. (6 November 2004). The Dinosauria. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 582. ISBN 9780520242098.
^ ^a ^b Wagner, Jonathan R. (May 2001). The hadrosaurian dinosaurs (ornithischia: hadrosauria) of Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas, with implications for late Cretaceous paleozoogeography. Doctoral Dissertation, Texas Tech University (Thesis). hdl:2346/11160. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b Davies, Kyle Linton (1983). "Hadrosaurian Dinosaurs of Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas". Austin: University of Texas at Austin: 231. OCLC 10157492.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wagner, Jonathan R.; Lehman, Thomas M. (2001). "A new species of Kritosaurus from the Cretaceous of Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (3): 110A–111A.
^ Lucas, Spencer G.; Sullivan, Robert M. (2006). Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior: Bulletin 35. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. p. 273.
^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234025996_Dinosaur_Distribution
^ Sankey, J. T.; Standhardt, B. R.; Schiebout, J. A. (2005). "Theropod teeth from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian), Big Bed National Park, Texas". In Carpenter, K. (ed.). The Carnivorous Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. pp. 127–152. ISBN 978-0-253-34539-4.
^ Tweet, J.S.; Santucci, V.L. (2018). "An Inventory of Non-Avian Dinosaurs from National Park Service Areas" (PDF). New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 79: 703–730.
^ Dalman, Sebastian G.; Loewen, Mark A.; Pyron, R. Alexander; Jasinski, Steven E.; Malinzak, D. Edward; Lucas, Spencer G.; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Currie, Philip J.; Longrich, Nicholas R. (January 11, 2024). "A giant tyrannosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 22124. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10784284. PMID 38212342.
^ Wick, Steven L. (July 2014). "New evidence for the possible occurrence of Tyrannosaurus in West Texas, and discussion of Maastrichtian tyrannosaurid dinosaurs from Big Bend National Park". Cretaceous Research. 50: 52–58. Bibcode:2014CrRes..50...52W. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.03.010. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
^ "Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 83rd Annual Meeting Cincinnati 2023" (PDF). vertpaleo.org. October 2023.
^ ^a ^b Andres, B.; Langston, W. Jr. (2021). "Morphology and taxonomy of Quetzalcoatlus Lawson 1975 (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchoidea)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (sup1): 142. Bibcode:2021JVPal..41S..46A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1907587. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 245125409.
^ ^a ^b Hunt, ReBecca K.; Santucci, Vincent L.; Kenworthy, Jason (2006). "A preliminary inventory of fossil fish from National Park Service units." in S.G. Lucas, J.A. Spielmann, P.M. Hester, J.P. Kenworthy, and V.L. Santucci (ed.s), Fossils from Federal Lands". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 34: 63–69.
^ Wheeler, Elisabeth A.; Lehman, Thomas M. (1 January 2000). "Late Cretaceous woody dicots from the Aguja and Javelina Formations, BiBend National Park, Texas, USA". IAWA Journal. 21 (1): 83–120. doi:10.1163/22941932-90000239. S2CID 84528074.
^ ^a ^b Lehman, Thomas M.; Shiller II, Thomas A. (2020). "An angiosperm woodland in the Javelina Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Big Bend National Park, Texas, U.S.A.". Cretaceous Research. 115 104569. Bibcode:2020CrRes.11504569L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104569. S2CID 225616237. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
^ Jacobs, L. 1995. Lone Star Dinosaurs. Texas A&M University Press. p.102
^ Wheeler, E. A.; Lehman, T. M.; Gasson, P. E. (1994). "Javelinoxylon, an Upper Cretaceous dicotyledonous tree from Big Bend National Park, Texas, with presumed Malvalean affinities". American Journal of Botany. 81 (6): 703–710. Bibcode:1994AmJB...81..703W. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1994.tb15504.x.