Moreno Formation

Moreno Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian 70–66 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofChico Group
UnderliesUnconformity with the Martinez Formation and Tejon Formation
OverliesPanoche Formation
Thickness1,600–2,000 ft (487.68–609.60 m)
Lithology
PrimaryShale
OtherSandstone
Location
RegionSan Joaquin Valley, California
CountryUnited States

The Moreno Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation located in San Joaquin Valley (California).
Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Paleofauna

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.

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fishes reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images
Heptranchias H. sp

Ray-finned fish

Ray-finned fishes reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Bonnerichthys

B. gladius

A large, filter-feeding pachycormid.
Bonnerichthys

Saurodon

S. sp.

An ichthyodectid.
Saurodon

Dinosaurs

Indeterminate saurolophine hadrosaur remains have been unearthed in the area as far back as the 1930s.

Dinosaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Augustynolophus

A. morrisi

 saurolophine.
Augustynolophus
Saurolophus

S. morrisi

 Reclassified as Augustynolophus morrisi.

Mosasaurs

Mosasaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Kolposaurus

K. bennisoni

The name Kolposaurus was preoccupied and its two constituent species moved to the new genus Plotosaurus.

K. tuckeri

Plesiotylosaurus

P. crassidens
Plesiotylosaurus crassidens

Plotosaurus

P. bennisoni
Plotosaurus bennisoni
P. tuckeri A junior synonym of P. bennisoni.

Prognathodon

P. cf. waiparaensis

cf. Mosasaurus

cf. M. sp.

Halisaurus

H. sp.

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Aphrosaurus

A. furlongi
Aphrosaurus

Fresnosaurus

F. drescheri
Fresnosaurus

Hydrotherosaurus

H. alexandrae
Hydrotherosaurus

Morenosaurus

M. stocki
Morenosaurus

Turtles

Testudines reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Adocus

J. Howard Hutchison later referred the specimen originally identified as Adocus by to the genus Basilemys.

Basilemys

Osteopygis

Foraminifera

Forams reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images
Anomalina A. pseudopopillosa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Bulimina B. obtusa Tierra Loma Shale Member 99% of the foraminifera sampled at the Tierra Loma Shale Member belonged to B. obtusa.
Dentalina D. legumen Tierra Loma Shale Member
Frondicularia F. undulosa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Gyroidina G. depressa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Nodosaria N. monile Tierra Loma Shale Member
N. pomuligera
N. spinifera
N. sp
Nodosarella N. sp Tierra Loma Shale Member

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  3. 1 2 Friedman, Matt; Shimada, Kenshu; Everhart, Michael J.; Irwin, Kelly J.; Grandstaff, Barbara S.; Stewart, J. D. (8 January 2013). "Geographic and stratigraphic distribution of the Late Cretaceous suspension-feeding bony fish Bonnerichthys gladius (Teleostei, Pachycormiformes)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (1): 35–47. Bibcode:2013JVPal..33...35F. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.713059. S2CID 128958842.
  4. ↑ Hesse, Curtis J.; Welles, S. P. (1936-08-14). "The First Record of a Dinosaur from the West Coast". Science. 84 (2172). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 157–158. doi:10.1126/science.84.2172.157.b.
  5. ↑ Stock, Chester (December 1939). "Occurrence of Cretaceous Reptiles in the Moreno Shales of the Southern Coast Ranges, California". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 25 (12): 617–620. Bibcode:1939PNAS...25..617S. doi:10.1073/pnas.25.12.617. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1077983. PMID 16588308.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Prieto-Márquez, Albert; Wagner, Jonathan R.; Bell, Phil R.; Chiappe, Luis M. (2014). "The late-surviving 'duck-billed' dinosaur Augustynolophus from the upper Maastrichtian of western North America and crest evolution in Saurolophini". Geological Magazine. 152 (2): 225–241. doi:10.1017/S0016756814000284. S2CID 131049979.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "4: The Marine Reptiles; Mosasaurs," in Hilton (2003) p. 107-110
  8. 1 2 "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 273
  9. 1 2 3 Lindgren, Johan; Schulp, Anne (15 September 2010). "New material of Prognathodon (Squamata: Mosasauridae), and the mosasaur assemblage of the Maastrichtian of California, U.S.A.". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (5): 1632–1636. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30.1632L. doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.501444. S2CID 131124198.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 276
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 277
  12. ↑ "4: The Marine Reptiles; Turtles," in Hilton (2003) p. 114
  13. ↑ "Panoche Hills 5, UCMP V3735 (Cretaceous of the United States)". PBDB.org.
  14. 1 2 Welles, S. P. (1943). "Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs with description of new material from California and Colorado" (PDF). Memoirs of the University of California. 13.

References