The Dinosaur Beds is a geological formation in Malawi whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. The age of the deposit is poorly constrained, but is likely to date from the Barremian to Aptian. Dinosaurs, turtles and crocodylomorphs remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. . It is correlated with the Galula Formation in Tanzania. It consists of two members, a lower unfossiliferous member consisting of deep red stained sandstones, and an upper fossiliferous member consisting of white sands and grey to red mudstones and siltstones. The upper member is 210 m thick in the vicinity of the CD-9 locality.
Fossil content
Dinosaurs
Sauropoda Sauropods of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images KarongasaurusGomani, E.M. 2005. Sauropod dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of Malawi, Africa: Palaeontologia Electronica 8 (issue 1 - n. 27a): 37 pages. K. gittelmani A titanosaurian sauropod Malawisaurus M. dixeyi A titanosaurian sauropod
Theropoda Theropods of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Theropoda indet. Indeterminate
Crocodyliformes Crocodyliformes of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Malawisuchus M. mwakasyungutiensis A candidodontid notosuchian
Turtles Turtles of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Platycheloides P. nyasae A pelomedusid turtle
Amphibians Amphibians of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Anura indet. Indeterminate
Crutaceans Crustaceans of the Dinosaur Beds Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images Hourcqia H. sp. A non-marine ostracod
See also List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Malawi
References