The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age. The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone and claystone. The sediments that make up these rocks represent the remnants of the river plains that filled the basin left by the Eromanga Sea - an inland sea that covered large parts of Queensland and central Australia at least four times during the Early Cretaceous period. Great meandering rivers, forest pools and swamps, creeks, lakes and coastal estuaries all left behind different types of sediment.
In some areas, the Winton Formation is over 400 metres thick. To bring with them such a huge amount of sediment, the rivers that flowed across these plains must have been comparable in size to the present-day Amazon or Mississippi rivers. As more and more sediment was brought in, the margins of the inland sea slowly contracted. By around 95 million years ago, the deposition was complete and the inland sea would never be seen again.
By virtue of its age and the environmental conditions under which the rocks it consists of were deposited, the Winton Formation represents one of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils anywhere in Australia.
Fossil content A fossil footprint-(ichnite), Wintonopus, found with two other dinosaur genera footprints at the Lark Quarry in Australia, c.f. Tyrannosauropus and Skartopus, have been found in the Winton Formation.
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians Ornithischians of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImageAmblydactylusA. gethingi Lark Quarry. Multiple footprints. Ankylosauria Indet. Indeterminate Three isolated teeth from left and right dentary and right maxilla Neornithischia Indet. Indeterminate Tooth Ornithopoda Indet. Indeterminate Digested remains associated with the holotype of Confractosuchus Ornithopoda Indet.AN EXCEPTIONALLY PRESERVED SMALL-BODIED ORNITHOPOD DINOSAUR FROM THE LOWER CRETACEOUS (UPPER ALBIAN) WINTON FORMATION OF ISISFORD, CENTRAL-WESTERN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, AND THE DIVERSIFICATION OF GONDWANAN ORNITHOPODS SALISBURY, Steven W., University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; HERNE, Matthew C., University of New England, Armidale, Australia; LAMANNA, Matthew C., Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; NAIR, Jay P., University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; SYME, Caitlin, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; WITMER, Lawrence M., Ohio Univ, Athens, OH, United States of America SVP conference abstracts 2019 Undescribed A nearly complete skull and mandible and at least three partial postcranial skeletons. Small-bodied, recovered as part of "Elasmaria"WintonopusW. latomorum Snake Creek and Lark Quarry track site. Footprints. An ornithopod.
Sauropods Sauropods of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Australotitan A. cooperensis A partial scapula, humeri, ulna, pubes, ischia, femora, presacral vertebral centrum fragments, and rib fragments. A large diamantinasaurian sauropod that possesses a mosaic of features shared with titanosaurians with similar geographical and temporal range. Possibly a junior synonym of Diamantinasaurus. Diamantinasaurus D. matildae A squamosal, quadrates, braincase, surangular, atlas intercentrum axis, cervical vertebrae, middle cervical neural arch, co-ossified sacral centra, cervical ribs, dorsal vertebrae, numerous dorsal ribs, fragmentary gastralia, coalesced sacral vertebrae, isolated sacral processes, scapula, coracoid, partial sternal plate, humeri, ulnae, radius, metacarpals I–V, manual phalanges, ilium, pubes, both ischia, femur, tibia, fibula, astragalus, and numerous fragments. A diamantinasaurian sauropod known from partial cranial material. Savannasaurus S. elliottorum Posterior cervical vertebrae, cervical ribs, dorsal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, sacral vertebrae with processes, partial caudal vertebrae, fragmentary scapula, coracoid, sternal plates, incomplete humeri, shattered ulna, radius, metacarpals I–V, metacarpal IV, manual phalanges, fragments of ilia, pubes, ischia, astragalus, metatarsal III, and associated fragments. A wide-bodied diamantinasaurian sauropod that was well adapted to the wet, temperate floodplain environment it inhabited. Sauropoda Indet. Indeterminate Poorly preserved remains associated with the holotype of Confractosuchus Titanosauriformes Indet.NEW SAUROPOD DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES IN THE LOWER UPPER CRETACEOUS WINTON FORMATION (CENOMANIAN– LOWER TURONIAN) OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR TITANOSAURIAN EVOLUTION POROPAT, Stephen F., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; MANNION, Philip D., University College London, London, England; UPCHURCH, Paul, University College London, London, United Kingdom; ELLIOTT, David A., Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, Winton, Australia SVP conference abstracts 2019 Undescribed Partial skull, consisting of a braincase, quadrates, quadratojugals, a left squamosal, postorbitals, and several unprepared elements. associated with a hind limb Wintonotitan W. wattsi A scapula, both humeri, both ulnae, both radii, near complete metacarpus preserving complete metacarpals II–V with proximal half of metacarpal I, fragmentary dorsal and sacral vertebrae and ribs, partial ilium, ischium, caudal vertebral series including anterior caudals, middle caudals, posterior caudals, proximal chevrons, and numerous unidentifiable fragments. A diamantinasaurian sauropod that is likely to be closely related to Australotitan, Diamantinasaurus and Savannasaurus.
Theropods Theropods of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Australovenator A. wintonensis Dentaries, dorsal ribs and rib fragments, gastralial ribs and fragments, partial ilium, ulnae, radius, manus metacarpals, unguals, femur, tibiae, fibula, astragalus, metatarsals, pedal phalanges, humeri, radiale, distal carpal, and manual phalanxes. A megaraptorid theropod known from postcranial and cranial material. Megaraptoridae Indet. Indeterminate A partial skeleton, consisting of caudal vertebrae, metatarsals, a phalanx, and numerous unidentifiable fragments. Stated to be larger than Australovenator.
Pterosaurs Pterosaurs of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Ferrodraco F. lentoni A partial premaxillae, maxillae and dentaries, partial frontal, mandibular articular region comprising the surangular, angular and articular, partial cervical vertebrae, partial scapulocoracoid, partial ulna, partial radius, proximal and distal carpals, metacarpal IV, proximal end of metacarpal IV, fragmentary non-wing manual phalanges, partial first wing phalanx (IV-1), and associated fragments. A mythungin tropeognathine
Crocodylomorphs Crocodylomorphs of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Confractosuchus C. sauroktonos Nearly complete skeleton preserving a juvenile ornithopod in its abdomen A eusuchian crocodylomorph Isisfordia I. duncani Nearly complete skeleton and partial skull, referred complete skull A neosuchian metasuchian
Plesiosaurs Plesiosaurs of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Plesiosauria Indet. Indeterminate
Squamates Squamates of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Varanoidea Indet. Indeterminate A damaged posterior trunk vertebra Originally considered as dolichosaurid (cf. Coniasaurus), but reassigned
Turtles Turtles of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Chelidae Indet. Indeterminate
Mammals Mammals of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Cynodontia Indet. Indeterminate
Fish
Cartilaginous Fish Cartilaginous Fish of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Selachii Indet. Indeterminate A shark
Lobe-finned Fish Lobe-finned Fish of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Metaceratodus M. bonei Isolated tooth plates A ceratodontid lungfish M. ellioti M. wollastoni
Ray-finned Fish Ray-finned Fish of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Cladocyclus C. geddesi Nearly complete skull and partial skeleton A cladocyclid ichthyodectiform
Arthropods Arthropods of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Oribatida? Indet. Indeterminate Odonata Indet. Indeterminate Mecoptera Indet. Indeterminate Coleoptera Indet. Indeterminate
Molluscs Molluscs of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Melanoides IndeterminateHyridellaH (Protohyridella). goodiwindiensis H. macmichaeli Megalovirgus M. wintonensis PledgiaP. eyrensis
Plants Plants of the Winton FormationGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImage Angiospermae Indet. Indeterminate Leaf impressions, cuticle fragments At least ten distinct types, belonging to both monocots and dicotyledons Araucaria A. cf. mesozoica Leaves A member of Araucariaceae Araucariaceae Indet. Indeterminate Leaves ConiferAustrosequoia A. wintonensis Cones and leaved axes A member of Cupressaceae Carnoconites Indet. Indeterminate Female ovulate fruiting organ A member of the extinct seed plant order Pentoxylales, youngest record of the group in Australia Cheirolepidiaceae Indet. Four taxa Dispersed cuticle Conifer Emwadea E. microcarpa Seed cones A member of Araucariaceae, more closely related to Agathis and Wollemia than Araucaria. Equisetites Indeterminate Axes Horsetail Ginkgo G. wintonensis, four other possible species Leaf impressions (G. wintonensis) Dispersed cuticle A gingophyte, genus extant. Lovellea L. wintonensis Permineralised flower A member of Laurales Aff. Lygodium? Indeterminate Fern pinna Fern Marchantites M. marguerita Liverwort Microphyllopteris cf. M. gleichenoides Frond fragment impression A fern belonging to the family Gleicheniaceae Otozamites cf. O. bengalensis Leaves Member of Bennettitales Phyllopteroides P. macclymontae Numerous pinnule impressions A fern belonging to the family Osmundaceae Pterostoma Indeterminate Leaves A possible cycad Ptilophyllum Indeterminate Leaves Member of Bennettitales Sphenopteris Indeterminate Leaves A "seed fern" Taeniopteris Indeterminate Leaf impression A member of the extinct seed plant order Pentoxylales, youngest record of the group in Australia Tempskya T. judithae Permineralized false trunks A tree fern
See also Lark Quarry Conservation Park Australian Age of Dinosaurs, which operates the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, and holds annual dinosaur digs in the Winton Formation List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations South Polar region of the Cretaceous
References