The Lecho Formation is a geological formation in the Salta Basin of the provinces Jujuy and Salta of northwestern Argentina. Its strata date back to the Early Maastrichtian, and is a unit of the Salta Group. The fine-grained bioturbated sandstones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial to lacustrine coastal plain environment.
Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel et al., 2004, "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." pp. 600-604
According to Frankfurt and Chiappe (1999), the Lecho Formation is composed of reddish sandstones. The Lecho is part of the Upper/Late Cretaceous Balbuena Subgroup (Salta Group), which is a near-border stratigraphic unit of the Andean sedimentary basin. Fossils from this formation include the titanosaur Saltasaurus along with a variety of avian and non-avian theropods.
Fossil content Dinosaurs Dinosaurs from the Lecho Formation Genus Species Location Material Notes ImagesAbelisauridaeIndeterminateEl BreteIsolated teeth.May represent more than one species of abelisaurid Elbretornis E. bonapartei El Brete Scapula, partial coracoid, humerus, partial radius, partial ulna An enantiornithine bird Enantiornis E. leali El Brete Postcranial elements An enantiornithine birdEuenantiornithes indet.IndeterminateEl BretePartial right lower jaw An enantiornithine bird Lectavis L. bretincola El Brete Tarsometatarsus and tibiotarsus An enantiornithine bird Martinavis M. minor El Brete Partial humerus An enantiornithine bird M. saltariensis El Brete Humerus M. vincei El Brete Humeri M. whetstonei El Brete Partial humerus Noasaurus N. leali El Brete Isolated elements from the head (maxilla, quadrate), vertebral column (cervical and dorsal? vertebrae, ribs), manus (phalanx, unguals) and foot (metatarsal II). A Noasaurid abelisaur Saltasaurus S. loricatus El Brete "Partial skeletons of at least [six] individuals, including jaws and armor.""Table 13.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.270 A saltasaurid titanosaur Soroavisaurus S. australis El Brete Tarsometatarsus and phalanges. An enantiornithine bird Yungavolucris Y. brevipedalis El Brete Tarsometatarsi An enantiornithine bird
See also List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations Marília Formation
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