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Anacleto Formation
Anacleto Formation
Stratigraphic range: early-middle Campanian; ~83–74.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Outcrop of the formation at Auca Mahuida
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Neuquén Group; Río Colorado Subgroup
Underlies	Malargüe Group; Allen Formation
Overlies	Bajo de la Carpa Formation
Thickness	60–90 m (200–300 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone
Other	Sandstone, limestone
Location
Location	Patagonia
Coordinates	37°54′S 68°30′W / 37.9°S 68.5°W
Approximate paleocoordinates	40°48′S 53°00′W / 40.8°S 53.0°W
Region	Neuquén, Mendoza & Río Negro Provinces
Country	Argentina
Extent	Neuquén Basin
Type section
Named for	Aguada de Anacleto
	Anacleto Formation (Argentina)

The Anacleto Formation is a geologic formation with outcrops in the Argentine Patagonian provinces of Mendoza, Río Negro, and Neuquén. It is the youngest formation within the Neuquén Group and belongs to the Río Colorado Subgroup. Formerly that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Anacleto Formation was known as the Anacleto Member.^[1]

The type locality of this formation lies 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of the city of Neuquén. At its base, the Anacleto Formation conformably overlies the Bajo de la Carpa Formation, also of the Río Colorado Subgroup, and it is in turn unconformably overlain by the Allen Formation of the younger Malargüe Group.^[2]

The Anacleto Formation varies between 60 and 90 metres (200 and 300 ft) thick, and consists mainly of claystones and mudstones, purple and dark red in color, deposited in fluvial, lacustrine and floodplain environments. Geodes are often found scattered throughout this formation.^[3]

Fossil content

Color key

Taxon	Reclassified taxon	Taxon falsely reported as present	Dubious taxon or junior synonym	Ichnotaxon	Ootaxon	Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

The following animals are known from bones found in the Anacleto Formation:

several species of lizards
several species of mammals

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Gasparinisuchus	G. peirosauroides	Cañadón Amarrillo, south Malargüe city, Mendoza Province.^[4]	PV-CRIDC-12 (right premaxilla and maxilla, isolated teeth, and part of the postcranial skeleton).^[4]	A peirosaurid also known from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation.
Peirosaurus	P. torminni	Cañadón Amarrillo, south Malargüe city, Mendoza Province.^[4]	PV-CRIDC-12 (right premaxilla and maxilla, isolated teeth, and part of the postcranial skeleton).^[4]	Specimen reassigned to Gasparinisuchus.

Dinosaurs

Ornithischians

Ornithischians reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Stratigraphic position	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Gasparinisaura	G. cincosaltensis		Cinco Saltos, Río Negro Province.^[5]	Multiple specimens.^[5]	A small ornithopod.

Sauropods

Nests of dinosaur eggs, many with preserved embryos inside, have been discovered in large quantities at the famous Auca Mahuevo locality, and have been attributed to titanosaurs.^[6]

Sauropods reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Stratigraphic Position	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Antarctosaurus	A. wichmannianus		^[7]		A titanosaur.
Barrosasaurus	B. casamiquelai	Lower	Neuquén Province.^[8]	Vertebrae.^[8]	A titanosaur.
Laplatasaurus	L. araukanicus	Uppermost	Several localities in Patagonia.^[9]	Multiple specimens.^[9]	A titanosaur.
Narambuenatitan	N. palomoi	Lower		Remains of a subadult.^[10]	A titanosaur.
Neuquensaurus	N. australis	Uppermost	Cinco Saltos, Río Negro Province.^[11]		A saltasaurine.
Pitekunsaurus	P. macayai			"Braincase, left frontal, one tooth, four cervical vertebrae, three dorsal vertebrae, four caudal vertebrae, right ulna and scapula, proximal extreme of left femur, rib fragments and uncertain remains".^[12]	A titanosaur.
Teratopodus	T. malarguensis		Southern Mendoza Province.^[13]	Footprint trackways.^[13]	A titanosaur ichnotaxon.

Theropods

The oldest known unequivocal bird footprints from South America were discovered in the Anacleto Formation. The small footprints were tentatively assigned to the ichnogenus Aquatilavipes and might have been produced by Patagopteryx (whose fossils were only found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation however) or some unknown wader-like bird; they lack a hind toe. Ignotornis refers to similar footprints made by larger birds with a small hind toe; they might have been left by Neuquenornis, but this is also only known from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation. Footprints of these two ichnogenera have also been found elsewhere, but it must be understood that assignment to the same ichnogenus does not imply a close relatedness of the organisms that produced these traces, only a similar morphology.^[14]

Even smaller and somewhat unusual footprints assigned to Barrosopus are only known from the Anacleto Formation. They were almost certainly made by some tiny theropod, but whether this was a bird is not quite clear: the innermost front toes of the animal leaving these tracks attached in a position higher than the others. In that, and in their dimensions, they are a very close match for the odd-footed enantiornithine bird Yungavolucris brevipedalis, but this is only known from the Maastrichtian Lecho Formation which is some 10 million years younger.^[15]

Theropods reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Stratigraphic Position	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Abelisauridae	Indeterminate	Lower	Northwest Patagonia.^[16]^[17]	MPCN-PV 69, consisting of a partial premaxilla, fragmentary vertebrae, proximal portion of both humeri, distal portion of the pubis, and an incomplete pedal ungual.^[16]^[17]	An indeterminate abelisaurid.
Abelisaurus	A. comahuensis		Lago Pellegrini stone quarries.^[18]	Skull.^[18]	An abelisaurid, originally thought to be from the Allen Formation.
Aerosteon	A. riocoloradensis		"Cañadon Amarillo (S 37.5°, W 70.5°), north of Cerro Colorado, 1 km north of the Río Colorado near the southern border of Mendoza Province, Argentina."^[19]	Skeletal remains.^[19]	A megaraptorid.
Aucasaurus	A. garridoi	Upper	Auca Mahuevo.^[20]	Skeleton of an adult (MCF-PVPH-236).^[20]	An abelisaurid.
Megaraptora indet.	Indeterminate	Upper	Auca Mahuevo.^[21]	MCF-PVPH-416, a fragmentary pubic boot with unfused proximal symphysial contact.^[21]	A large megaraptoran.

Squamates

Squamates reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Dinilysia	D. sp.	Aguada Toledo, south of Mari Menuco Lake.^[22]	24 articulated mid-posterior trunk vertebrae with the base of their respective ribs (UNC-CIP 1).^[22]	A large snake.

Testudines

Testudines reported from the Anacleto Formation
Genus	Species	Stratigraphic Position	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Prochelidella	P. palomoi		Aguada Grande site, Neuquén Province.^[23]	A partially preserved skull, carapace remains, an almost complete plastron, and a left ilium (MAU-Pv-AG-452).^[23]	A chelid turtle.
Yaminuechelys	Y. aff. maior	Lower	Neuquén Province.^[24]	Two specimens (MAU-Pv-N-475 & MAU-Pv-PR-455).^[24]	A long-necked chelid turtle.

References

^ Sánchez et al. (2006)
^ Fossa Mancini et al. (1938), Leanza et al. (2004)
^ Leanza et al. (2004), Sánchez et al. (2006)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Martinelli, Agustín G.; Sertich, Joseph J.W.; Garrido, Alberto C.; Praderio, Ángel M. (2012). "A new peirosaurid from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina: Implications for specimens referred to Peirosaurus torminni Price (Crocodyliformes: Peirosauridae)". Cretaceous Research. 37: 191–200. Bibcode:2012CrRes..37..191M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.017. ISSN 0195-6671.
^ ^a ^b Salgado, Leonardo; Coria, Rodolfo A.; Heredia, Susana E. (1997). "New Materials of Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina". Journal of Paleontology. 71 (5): 933–940. Bibcode:1997JPal...71..933S. doi:10.1017/S0022336000035861. ISSN 0022-3360. JSTOR 1306569. S2CID 132358890.
^ Salgado et al. (2005), Sánchez et al. (2006)
^ von Huene, F. (1929). "Los saurisquios y ornitisquios del Cretáceo Argentino". Anales del Museo de la Plata (in Spanish). 3 (3): 1–196.
^ ^a ^b SALGADO, LEONARDO; CORIA, RODOLFO A. (2009-09-07). "Barrosasaurus casamiquelai gen. et sp. nov., a new titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Anacleto Formation (Late Cretaceous: early Campanian) of Sierra Barrosa (Neuquén, Argentina)". Zootaxa. 2222 (1): 1–16. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2222.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
^ ^a ^b Gallina, Pablo Ariel (October 2015). "Reassessment of Laplatasaurus araukanicus (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina". Ameghiniana. 52 (5): 487–501. doi:10.5710/AMGH.08.06.2015.2911. S2CID 131595654.
^ "A new titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of North Patagonia, Argentina - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica". www.app.pan.pl. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
^ Salgado, Leonardo; Apesteguía, Sebastián; Heredia, Susana E. (2005). "A New Specimen of Neuquensaurus australis, a Late Cretaceous Saltasaurine Titanosaur from North Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (3): 623–634. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0623:ANSONA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. JSTOR 4524482. S2CID 85606492.
^ Filippi, L.; Garrido, Alberto (September 2008). "Pitekunsaurus macayai gen. et sp. nov., New titanosaur (Saurischia, Sauropoda) From Upper Cretaceous NeuquéN Basin, Argentina". Ameghiniana. 45 (3): 575–590.
^ ^a ^b Tomaselli, María Belén; Ortiz David, Leonardo Daniel; González Riga, Bernardo Javier; Coria, Juan Pedro; Mercado, Claudio Ramón; Guerra, Mauricio; Sánchez Tiviroli, Germán (2022-01-01). "New titanosaurian sauropod tracks with exceptionally well-preserved claw impressions from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina". Cretaceous Research. 129: 104990. Bibcode:2022CrRes.12904990T. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104990. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 238695181.
^ Coria et al. (2002), Lockley et al. (2006)
^ Chiappe (1993), Coria et al. (2002), Lockley et al. (2006)
^ ^a ^b Gianechini, Federico A.; Apesteguía, Sebastián; Landini, Walter; Finotti, Franco; Juárez Valieri, Rubén; Zandonai, Fabiana (2015-05-01). "New abelisaurid remains from the Anacleto Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Patagonia, Argentina". Cretaceous Research. 54: 1–16. Bibcode:2015CrRes..54....1G. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.11.009. hdl:11336/37727. ISSN 0195-6671.
^ ^a ^b Baiano, Mattia A.; Coria, Rodolfo A.; Canale, Juan I.; Gianechini, Federico A. (October 2021). "New abelisaurid material from the Anacleto Formation (Campanian, Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia, Argentina, shed light on the diagnosis of the Abelisauridae (Theropoda, Ceratosauria)". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 110: 103402. Bibcode:2021JSAES.11003402B. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103402. ISSN 0895-9811.
^ ^a ^b Bonaparte, J.; Novas, E.E. (1985). "Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria del Crétacico Tardio de Patagonia" [Abelisaurus comahuensis, n.g., n.sp., Carnosauria from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia]. Ameghiniana. 21: 259–265 – via ResearchGate.
^ ^a ^b Sereno, Paul C.; Martinez, Ricardo N.; Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Varricchio, David J.; Alcober, Oscar A.; Larsson, Hans C. E. (2008-09-30). "Evidence for Avian Intrathoracic Air Sacs in a New Predatory Dinosaur from Argentina". PLOS ONE. 3 (9): e3303. Bibcode:2008PLoSO...3.3303S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003303. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2553519. PMID 18825273.
^ ^a ^b Coria, Rodolfo A.; Chiappe, Luis M.; Dingus, Lowell (2002). "A New Close Relative of Carnotaurus sastrei Bonaparte 1985 (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 22 (2): 460–465. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0460:ANCROC]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 4524238. S2CID 131148538. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
^ ^a ^b Baiano, Mattia; Coria, Rodolfo (2018-05-14). "Revisiting Theropod Material from the Late Cretaceous Nesting Site Auca Mahuevo and the Possible Record of a Giant Megaraptoran". ResearchGate (Abstract).
^ ^a ^b Scanferla, Carlos Agustín; Canale, Juan Ignacio (2007). "The Youngest Record of the Cretaceous Snake Genus Dinilysia (Squamata, Serpentes)". South American Journal of Herpetology. 2 (1): 76–81. doi:10.2994/1808-9798(2007)2[76:TYROTC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1808-9798. S2CID 86744198.
^ ^a ^b Maniel, Ignacio J.; de la Fuente, Marcelo S.; Filippi, Leonardo F. (2022-09-28). "A new chelid turtle, Prochelidella palomoi sp. nov., from campanian Anacleto Formation, Neuquén Basin, North-Western Patagonia, Argentina". The Anatomical Record. 306 (6): 1365–1376. doi:10.1002/ar.25074. ISSN 1932-8486. PMID 36169187. S2CID 252566916.
^ ^a ^b de la Fuente, Marcelo S.; Maniel, Ignacio J.; Jannello, Juan M.; Filippi, Leonardo S.; Cerda, Ignacio (2015-09-01). "Long-necked chelid turtles from the Campanian of northwestern Patagonia with comments on K/P survivorship of the genus Yaminuechelys". Comptes Rendus Palevol. A tribute to France de Lapparent de Broin / Un hommage à France de Lapparent de Broin. 14 (6): 563–576. Bibcode:2015CRPal..14..563D. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2015.04.008. hdl:11336/57605. ISSN 1631-0683.

Bibliography

Chiappe, Luis M. (1993): Enantiornithine (Aves) Tarsometatarsi from the Cretaceous Lecho Formation of Northwestern Argentina. American Museum Novitates 3083: 1-27. [English with Spanish abstract] PDF fulltext
Coria, Rodolfo A.; Currie, Philip J.; Eberth, David & Garrido, Alberto (2002): Bird footprints from the Anacleto Formation (Late Cretaceous), Neuquén, Argentina. Ameghiniana 39(4): 453-463. [English with Spanish abstract] PDF fulltext
Fossa Mancini, E.; Feruglio, E.; Yussen de Campana, J.C. (1938). "Una reunión de geólogos de YPF y el problema de la terminología estratigráfica ("A YPF geologists' reunion and the problem of stratigraphy terminology")". Boletín de Informaciones Petroleras. 15: 1–67.
Leanza, H.A.; Apesteguia, S.; Novas, F.E.; De la Fuente, M.S. (2004). "Cretaceous terrestrial beds from the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and their tetrapod assemblages". Cretaceous Research. 25 (1): 61–87. Bibcode:2004CrRes..25...61L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2003.10.005. Retrieved 2019-02-16 – via ResearchGate.
Lockley, Martin; Matsukawa, Masaki; Ohira, Hiroto; Li, Jianjun; Wright, Joanna; White, Diane & Chen, Peiji (2006): Bird tracks from Liaoning Province, China: New insights into avian evolution during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition. Cretaceous Research 27(1): 33-43. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2005.10.007 (HTML abstract). Erratum: doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2008.06.002
Salgado, L.; Coria, R.A. & Chiappe, Luis M. (2005): Osteology of the sauropod embryos from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50(1): 79–92. PDF fulltext
Sánchez, María Lidia; Heredia, Susana; Calvo, Jorge O. (2006). "Paleoambientes sedimentarios del Cretácico Superior de la Formación Plottier (Grupo Neuquén), Departamento Confluencia, Neuquén (Sedimentary paleoenvironments in the Upper Cretaceous Plottier Formation (Neuquen Group), Confluencia, Neuquén)". Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina. 61: 3–18. Retrieved 2019-02-16 – via ResearchGate.