Faunae and Formations

   Now and again in the comments you'll find me referring to mysterious places like "Morrison" and "Wealden."   I am not referring to dead rock stars, or misspelling the name of the body of water at which Henry Thoreau spent some time, but to very important dinosaur-producing formations.  
    There are some locales and formations which become familiar names to anyone who spends some time reading about the great beasts, like Tendaguru, Nemegt, Hell Creek, Solnhofen, and Lameta.  Each of these is famous in paleontological circles for their fossils.  I will detail some of the most well-known of these formations in the following section.
    Note that you use "lower" or "upper" instead of "early" or "late" when describing the stratigraphic position of rocks, but "early" or "late" when describing age, including the ages.

Late or Upper Triassic:
        Ischigualasto Formation:  The Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina is where the earliest good remains of dinosaurs are found.  Absolute dating using isotopes indicates that the base of the formation is about 230 million years old, putting it around the Carnian-Norian boundary.  It has produced early saurischians Eodromaeus, Eoraptor, Herrerasaurus, and Sanjuansaurus, basal sauropodomorphs Chromogisaurus and Panphagia, and the basal ornithischian Pisanosaurus, and is roughly contemporaneous with the Santa Maria Formation in Brazil which produced Staurikosaurus and basal sauropodomorph Saturnalia.
        Lower Elliot Formation: "Prosauropod" Central, this formation gives you the basal sauropodomorphs Antetrionitrus, Blikanasaurus, Eucnemesaurus, Melanorosaurus, and Plateosauravus, along with the basal ornithischian Eocursor.

Lower Jurassic:
        Upper Elliot Formation:  Similar in dinosaur composition to the Kayenta, the Upper Elliot of southern Africa is Hettangian in age, and has produced the coelophysid Coelophysis rhodesiensis, basal sauropodomorph Ignavusaurus, prosauropod Massospondylus, more derived sauropodmorph Aardonyx, the basal ornithischian Lesothosaurus, and the heterodontosaurids Heterodontosaurus, Lycorhinus, and Abrictosaurus.  There is a Lower Elliot as well, in the Upper Triassic, with a variety of sauropodomorphs, but not as diverse overall as far as dinosaurs go.
        Lower Lufeng Series: The Lower Lufeng Series of China, Prosauropod Central (Asia), is divided into two members.  There are the Dull Purplish Beds, believed to be Hettangian in age, featuring engimatic Eshanosaurus, possible ceratosaurian Lukousaurus, and prosauropod-thingies Lufengosaurus, Yunnanosaurus, Jingshanosaurus, and "Gyposaurus" sinensis; and the Dark Red Beds, believed to be Sinemurian, with theropods "Dilophosaurus" sinensis and Lukousaurus, reruns of Lufengosaurus and Yunnanosaurus, possible sauropod material, possible basal stegosaurian Tatisaurus, and possible basal ankylosaurian Bienosaurus.  Not surprisingly, these rocks are very important for those studying early dinosaur diversification.
        Kayenta Formation:  The Kayenta Formation of the southwest United States is Sinemurian-middle Pliensbachian in age, and has yielded Dilophosaurus and the small coelophysid "Syntarsus" kayentakatae (both animals possessing dual vertical crests on the skull), possible basal tetanuran Kayentavenator, sauropodomorph Sarahsaurus, the basal thyreophorans Scutellosaurus and Scelidosaurus, and heterodontosaurid material.

Middle Jurassic:
        Xiashaximiao Formation: The most diverse dinosaur fauna before the Late Jurassic, the Xiashaximiao is Bathonian-Callovian in age and is best known for its sauropods.  It has produced dinosaurs including the possible tetanuran Xuanhanosaurus, the basal avetheropods Gasosaurus and Kaijiangosaurus, the sauropods and eusauropods Shunosaurus, Datousaurus, Omeisaurus, and "Omeisaurus", the basal neornithischians Hexinlusaurus and Agilisaurus, and the stegosaurian Huayangosaurus.

Upper Jurassic:
        Morrison Formation: Possessing what is hands-down the best known dinosaur fauna before the Campanian of the Late Cretaceous, the Morrison Formation of the western United States is much like a gift that keeps on giving: It has been worked by paleontologists since the 1870s, and new dinosaurs continue to pop up, including Koparion, Mymoorapelta, Gargoyleosaurus, new species of Ceratosaurus, and Suuwassea since 1990, with more in the pipeline.  It is Kimmeridgian in age, with some early material grazing the latest Oxfordian and late material grazing the earliest Tithonian, or at least it was thought to be; newer study incorporating radiometric dates confirms a rough age of 148 ma for the top of the formation in Colorado, but not in SE Wyoming, which has a bit more on top.  Just when you thought it was safe to correlate within the Morrison...  
        Its theropods include the ceratosaurians Ceratosaurus and Elaphrosaurus; the megalosaurid Torvosaurus; the allosaurid Allosaurus; the basal coelurosaurians Coelurus, Ornitholestes, and Tanycolagreus; and the ?troodontid Koparion; its sauropods include the brachiosaurid Brachiosaurus; the diplodocoid Haplocanthosaurus; the "camarasaurid" Camarasaurus; and the diplodocoids Suuwassea, Apatosaurus, Eobrontosaurus, Supersaurus, Barosaurus, and Diplodocus; its basal ornithischians include the heterodontosaurid Fruitadens and the not-quite ornithopods Nanosaurus and Othnielosaurus; its polacanthids include Mymoorapelta and Gargoyleosaurus; its stegosaurians are represented by Stegosaurus, ?Hypsirophus and basal Hesperosaurus; and its ornithopods include Drinker (if not a not-quite ornithopod) and the iguanodontians Dryosaurus and Camptosaurus.  The Morrison is interpreted as having been a seasonally wet and dry area, instead of a lush jungle like the kind dinosaurs are usually pictured as grazing their ways through.  Additional taxa, including several theropods of differing size (including teeth from possible dromaeosaurids and other possible troodontids, and an "enigmosaur" [therizinosaurian or oviraptorosaurian] cervical vert) and a couple of undescribed ornithischians of various persuasions are also known.
        Tendaguru Formation:  The Tanzanian counterpart to the Morrison, the Tendaguru Formation (most dinosaurs from levels of late Kimmeridgian to Tithonian age) is most famous for its amazingly tall Giraffatitan specimens, but also has produced the dicraeosaurid sauropod Dicraeosaurus, diplodocids Australodocus and Tornieria, macronarian Janenschia, the ceratosaurian Elaphrosaurus, the carcharodontosaurid Veterupristisaurus, the stegosaurid Kentrosaurus, and the ornithopod Dysalatosaurus.  Unnamed small ceratosaurians of an abelisauroid persuasion and larger tetanurans were also present.
        Portuguese LJ dinosaurs: Numerous Portuguese localities spanning the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian preserve a dinosaur fauna that similar to the Morrison in many ways.  It borrows several theropods (Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Torvosaurus) to add to basal carnosaur Lourinhanosaurus, basal tyrannosauroid Aviatyrannis, eusauropod Lourinhasaurus, diplodocoid Dinheirosaurus, brachiosaurid Lusotitan, stegosaurid Dacentrurus, basal ornithopod Phyllodon, and camptosaur-grade iguanodont Draconyx. 
        Solnhofen:  The ?Tithonian-age Solnhofen of Germany is well-known in paleontological circles for the amazingly well-preserved specimens it produces, that included feather and skin impressions.  Aside from the multitude of pterosaurs it has yielded, the Solnhofen has produced excellent remains of the small coelurosaurian Compsognathus and flying maniraptor Archaeopteryx.
        Shangshaximiao Formation:  This Chinese Oxfordian formation has just been examined in the last quarter-century, and has produced many marvels, including its crested theropods.  It has yielded dinosaurs including the tetanuran Szechuanosaurus, the sinraptorids Lehsansaurus and Yangchuanosaurus, the sauropods and eusauropods "Omeisaurus", Mamenchisaurus, and "Mamenchisaurus", the stegosaurids Tuojiangosaurus, Chungkingosaurus, and Chialingosaurus, and ornithopod Yandusaurus.

Lower Cretaceous:
        Tiourarén Formation: A small but important assemblage for understanding dinosaur evolution and diversification, the Hauterivian-Barremian Tiourarén Formation of Niger preserves ceratosaurian Spinostropheus, tetanuran Afrovenator, and possible basal macronarian Jobaria.
        Wealden:  The Wealden of Europe, best known for its Barremian Wessex Formation exposures in England (especially the Isle of Wight), is one of the earliest formations to have been explored, and as a result has a good deal of both good remains and poor remains which were given names.  The best material has given us the spinosaurian Baryonyx, the carcharodontosaurid Neovenator, the basal tyrannosauroid Eotyrannus, the brachiosaurid Pelorosaurus, the ornithopods Hypsilophodon and Iguanodon, and the polacanthid Polacanthus, with more animals yet to be published, including a new coelurosaurian and theropods bigger than either Baryonyx or Neovenator.  The Isle of Wight in particular preserves an unusual fauna of theropods that is unfortunately quite incomplete.
        Yixian Formation, Jehol Group, et al.: The Yixian (part of a larger group of formations from the lower Cretaceous with similar lithologies) is famous because it preserves the remains of both classic and avian dinosaurs with feathers and other integumentary features.  Although once dated as Tithonian, the most famous material now has been placed in the upper lower Cretaceous.  There are two main strata of interest, the Yixian Formation (including the Lujiatun Beds) and the overlying Jiufotang Formation.  The Yixian Formation has basal tyrannosauroids Dilong and Raptorex, maniraptoran Yixianosaurus, basal troodontids Mei, Sinovenator, and Sinusonasus, microraptorian Graciliraptor, enigmatic ?basal ornithopod Jeholosaurus, psittacosaurids Hongshanosaurus and Psittacosaurus, and basal ceratopsian Liaoceratops.  This level dates from between 129.7 to 122.1 million years ago, somewhere between the base of the Barremian and the early Aptian, and the rocks tend not to preserve things like dinofuzz.  Instead, 3D skeletons are most common.  The upper level, the Jiufotang Formation, has produced the compsognathids Huaxiagnathus and Sinosauropteryx, the tyrannosauroid Sinotyrannus (largest known Jiufotang theropod), the "aerial dromaeosaurid"-type theropod Shenzhouraptor, the microraptorian dromaeosaurids Cryptovolans, Microraptor, and Sinornithosaurus, the basal oviraptorosaurians Caudipterx and Protarchaeopteryx, the basal therizinosaurian Beipiaosaurus, all the latter with dinofuzz and/or feathers; ankylosaurian Liaoningosaurus, and psittacosaurid Psittacosaurus (bristly).  This level is younger than the Yixian and older than about 120.3 million years, putting it in the early Aptian range.  It is famous for its fine preservation of integumentary structures like dinofuzz and true feathers, but its specimens tend to be flattened into more-or-less 2D slabs.
        Khukhtekskaya Svita (also known as the Oshih Formation):  This Mongolian formation, approximately Barremian-early Aptian in age, has produced remains of the basal ornithomimosauroid Harpymimus, the ankylosaurid Shamosaurus, the iguanodonts Altirhinus and ?Iguanodon, and Psittacosaurus.
        Cedar Mountain Formation:  This formation from Utah is just starting to be explored.  It has four members: the Barremian-early Aptian-age Yellow Cat, which has produced, among others, the basal coelurosaurian Nedcolbertia, the dromaeosaurid Utahraptor, the basal therizinosaurian Falcarius, the brachiosaurid Cedarosaurus, the polacanthid Gastonia, and the iguanodontians Hippodraco and Iguanacolossus; the middle Aptian Poison Strip (recent suggestions put it closer to the Yellow Cat in age and faunal makeup; titanosaurian Venenosaurus, iguanodontians Cedrorestes and Planicoxa) and late Aptian-late Albian Ruby Ranch, which correspond to the Aptian-Albian Cloverly fauna; and the Mussentuchit, which is latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian in age, and has produced a mostly-undescribed fauna including narrow-toothed brachiosaurids (Abydosaurus), derived iguanodontians (Eolambia), ankylosaurians (Animantarx, Cedarpelta, Peloroplites) and others.
        Cloverly Formation:  The Cloverly of the western United States is roughly Aptian-Albian in age and includes a fauna which is very similar to that of the rest of the U.S. at this time.  It includes the dromaeosaurid Deinonychus, the ornithopods Zephyrosaurus and Tenontosaurus, the nodosaurid Sauropelta, and the oviraptorosaurian Microvenator.  Remains from contemporaneous formations add the large carcharodontosaurid Acrocanthosaurus and macronarian Astrodon to this general fauna.
        Elrhaz Formation: You may not have heard of this formation, from the late Aptian of Niger, but you've probably heard of its dinosaurs.  Here is where we get Baryonyx (as Suchomimus), rebbachisaurid Nigersaurus, and iguanodontians Elrhazosaurus, Lurdusaurus, and the ever-popular Ouranosaurus.
        Santana Formation: The Santana Formation of Brazil, Albian in age, is justly famous for its fish and pterosaurs, fantastically preserved in concretions.  A few dinosaurs are known from it at this point, and more will doubtless be found.  Spinosaurid Irritator, basal coelurosaurian Santanaraptor, and compsognathid Mirischia are the currently named dinosaurs. 

Upper Cretaceous:
        The ages of many of the famous Asian localities and formations are in flux at the moment.  When I wrote this page, the Djadochta was considered to be early Campanian, while the Iren Dabasu and Baynshirenskaya were usually thought of as older, possibly as old as the Cenomanian.  New evidence suggests that the Iren Dabasu is Maastrichtian, the Baynshirenskaya not connected, and the Djadochta more likely 75-71 million years old, in the late Campanian.  Where this leaves the Baruungoyot, usually considered to be between the Djadochta and Nemegt, is unclear.
        I also need to cover the famous LK dinosaur-producing formations of Argentina, but at this point the stratigraphy is pretty confusing to me.
        Baharija Formation: From the Cenomanian of Egypt, this formation provides many of the famous EK-LK dinosaurs collected by Germans before World War II, and, well, you may know the rest of the story.  Ceratosaurian Bahariasaurus, spinosaurid Spinosaurus, carcharodontosaurid Carcharodontosaurus, and titanosaurians Aegyptosaurus and Paralititan are known from here.  Moroccan sediments of the same approximate age (the Kem Kem and Continental Red Beds) provide us with an unending stream of spinosaurid and carcharodontosaurid teeth for sale on Ebay and rock shops everywhere, and add odd ceratosaur Deltadromeus to the picture.
        Baynshirenskaya Svita (Bayn Shireh):  From the ?pre-Campanian (?Santonian) of Mongolia, this formation has produced the ornithomimosauroid Garudimimus, the therizinosaurids Enigmosaurus, Erlikosaurus, and Segnosaurus, the ankylosaurine Talarurus, and the pachycephalosaurid Amtocephale.
        Baruungoyot Formation: The least famous of the major Mongolian Cretaceous formations, this ?middle Campanian formation has produced the alvarezsaurid Parvicursor, ankylosaurine Saichania, pachycephalosaurid Tylocephale, and neoceratopsian Bagaceratops.
        Dinosaur Park and Judith River Formations:  This group of western North American formations, late middle to early late Campanian (~77 to ~75 million years ago) in age, preserves the most diverse population of classic dinosaurs known (the animals from this age can be called Judithian, a term borrowed from the North American Land Mammal Ages, as are Edmontonian and Lancian below; NALMAs are small subdivisions of time based on mammal remains).  In Canada, the major dinosaur-bearing formations of this time are the Oldman and younger Dinosaur Park formations, while in Montana both are equivalent to the Judith River Formation.  They include, not all at the same time, dromaeosaurids Dromaeosaurus and Saurornitholestes, troodontid Troodon, ornithomimids Dromiceiomimus and Struthiomimus, tyrannosaurids Gorgosaurus and Daspletosaurus, elmisaurid Chirostenotes, ankylosaurians Edmontonia, Panoplosaurus, and Euoplocephalus, basal ornithopod Orodromeus, saurolophines Brachylophosaurus, Gryposaurus, Prosaurolophus, and Maiasaura, lambeosaurines Corythosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and Parasaurolophus, pachycephalosaurid Stegoceras, centrosaurines Centrosaurus and Styracosaurus, and chasmosaurine Chasmosaurus.  This set of formations is interpreted as more temperate than the Morrison.  The stratigraphy of these formations is becoming better resolved, and it is known, for example, that Centrosaurus brinkmani predates C. apertus which predates Styracosaurus albertensis, that Corythosaurus predates Lambeosaurus lambei which predates L. magnicristatus, that Brachylophosaurus is from the oldest sediments (Oldman Formation and lower Judith River), and that Prosaurolophus maximus is only found in younger sediments.  A distinctive subset of the Judithian fauna, from the Two Medicine Formation, a possible upland fauna, is known.  Many eggs are known from this formation, and the characteristic dinosaurs include Maiasaura, Orodromeus, and Troodon.
        Kirtland Formation: So far the best known portion of the New Mexican formations from the end of the Cretaceous (as far as dinosaurs are concerned), the De-na-zin member of the Kirtland (roughly 75-73 million years old, a stretch of time sometimes called Kirtlandian) has produced the tyrannosauroid Bistahieversor, dromaeosaurid Saurornitholestes, lithostrotian Alamosaurus, ankylosaurid Nodocephalosaurus, problematic saurolophine Kritosaurus, lambeosaurine Parasaurolophus, pachycephalosaurid Sphaerotholus, and chasmosaurine Pentaceratops. The upper part of the formation, the Naashoibito Member, dates roughly from 70 to 68.5 MYA.
        Djadochta or Djadokhta Formation:  Late Campanian in age, this famous Mongolian formation is known for the oviraptorids Oviraptor, Citipati, and Khaan, troodontids Saurornithoides and Byronosaurus, dromaeosaurids Mahakala, Tsaagan, and Velociraptor, alvarezsaurids Kol, Mononykus, and Shuvuuia, neoceratopsians Protoceratops, Udanoceratops, and Bainoceratops, and ankylosaurine Pinacosaurus.
        Horseshoe Canyon (Edmonton) Formation (Edmontonian NALMA): Intermediate in age to and less well known than the Judithian and Lancian-age faunae, this Albertan formation begins in the late Campanian and ends in the early late Maastrichtian, covering the early Maastrichtian (~73~67 MYA).  Dinosaurs characteristic of this age (several genera overlap this age from the Judith; they won't be listed here) include the tyrannosaurid Albertosaurus, the ankylosaurid Anodontosaurus, the basal ornithopod Parksosaurus, the saurolophines Edmontosaurus and Saurolophus, the lambeosaurine Hypacrosaurus, the neoceratopsian Montanoceratops, the centrosaurine Pachyrhinosaurus, and the chasmosaurines Arrhinoceratops, Anchiceratops, and Eotriceratops.  Again, they didn't all exist at the same time; Edmontosaurus and Pachyrhinosaurus, for example, are mostly known from the lower part of the formation.
        Nemegt Formation:  Somewhere in the Maastrichtian in age, probably early, this Mongolian formation has yielded dinosaurs including the tyrannosaurid Tarbosaurus, the therizinosaurid Therizinosaurus, the ornithomimosauroids Deinocheirus and Gallimimus, the elmisaurid Elmisaurus, the oviraptorids Nemegtomaia and Rinchenia, the troodontid Zanabazar, the lithostrotians Nemegtosaurus and Opisthocoelicaudia, the ankylosaurine Tarchia, the saurolophines Barsboldia and Saurolophus, and the pachycephalosaurians Homalocephale and Prenocephale. 
        Iren Dabasu Formation: Of about the same early Maastrichtian age as the Nemegt, the Iren Dabasu Formation of China (Inner Mongolia) contributes tyrannosaurid Alectrosaurus, ornithomimid Archaeornithomimus, therizinosaurids Neimongosaurus and Erliansaurus, super oviraptorosaur Gigantoraptor, alvarezsaurid Mononykus, saltasaurid Sonidosaurus, and hadrosauroids Bactrosaurus and Gilmoreosaurus.
        Lameta Formation:  From the Maastrichtian of India, the Lameta is poorly known but very productive.  Its best-known members include the abelisaurids Rahiolisaurus, Rajasaurus, Indosaurus, and Indosuchus, and the titanosaurians Isisaurus, Jainosaurus, and Titanosaurus.
        Sânpetru Formation: From the early-mid Maastrichtian of Romania, this formation has the most diverse described dinosaurian fauna of the Late Cretaceous of Europe.  Named theropods include maniraptoran Bradycneme, dromaeosaurid Balaur, ?troodontid Elopteryx, and alvarezsaurid Heptasteornis (larger theropods are known but not named), titanosaurians Magyarosaurus and Paludititan, nodosaurid Struthiosaurus, iguanodontian Zalmoxes, and basal hadrosaurid Telmatosaurus.  Interestingly, all of these are small dinosaurs or dwarfed compared to relatives, which makes sense in an area that has been interpreted as made up of islands.
        Maevarano Formation: From the middle Maastrichtian of Madagascar, the Maevarano has produced several interesting finds in recent years, including noasaurid Masiakasaurus, abelisaurid Majungasaurus, flying dromie maniraptoran Rahonavis, and nemegtosaurine saltasaurid Rapetosaurus.
        Hell Creek/Lance/Scollard/Frenchman\etc. (Lancian NALMA) Formations: Approximately 68 to 65 million years old, this group includes the latest known classic dinosaurs.  The formations of this age stretch from New Mexico's Ojo Alamo Formation and Texas's Javelina Formation to the Scollard of Alberta and the Frenchman of Saskatchewan.  Dinosaurs characteristic of this age include the tyrannosaurid Tyrannosaurus, the saltasaurid Alamosaurus (possibly), the ankylosaurine Ankylosaurus, the basal ornithopod Thescelosaurus, the saurolophine Edmontosaurus, the pachycephalosaurid Pachycephalosaurus, the neoceratopsian Leptoceratops, and the chasmosaurines Torosaurus and Triceratops.

    Many other important formations, including most of those from the K of South America, are either undergoing restudy or are very new, and thus have not been included here, although they are also important.