Quiriquina Formation

Quiriquina Formation
Quiriquina Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Maastrichtian
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Arauco Group
Underlies	Lebu Group
Overlies	Granitic rocks
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	33°30′S 71°42′W / 33.5°S 71.7°W
Approximate paleocoordinates	35°36′S 59°12′W / 35.6°S 59.2°W
Region	Bío Bío, Concepción & Valparaíso Regions
Country	Chile
Extent	Arauco Basin
Type section
Named for	Quiriquina Island
Named by	Biró-Bagóczky
Year defined	1982
	Quiriquina Formation (Chile)

The Quiriquina Formation is a geological formation in Chile whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[1] The glauconitic sandstones and conglomerates of the formation were deposited in a marine environment.^[2]

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.

Reptiles

Birds

Birds reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Neogaeornis^[3]^[4]	N. wetzeli	Bahía San Vicente	Two tarsometatarsi	A diving bird, possibly a vegaviid

Mosasaurs

Mosasaurs reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
cf. Halisaurinae indet.^[5]	Indeterminate	Loanco	Isolated tooth (SGO.PV.6629)	A halisaurine, another specimen formerly given the same classification has been reclassified as Halisaurus sp.
Halisaurus^[5]^[6]^[7]	H. sp.	Cocholgüe	Jaw elements (CPOC/Q/3105)	Specimen formerly classified as cf. Plotosaurus sp. and cf. Halisaurinae indet.
Mosasauridae indet.^[5]^[8]	Indeterminate	Quiriquina Island	Dorsal vertebra (CPMC 18)	A mosasaur, specimen is too fragmentary and eroded for more precise identification
Mosasauridae indet.^[5]^[8]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Isolated tooth (SGO.PV.6570) Three isolated tooth crowns (SGO.PV.6571)	Material resembles the teeth of a specimen now referred to Halisaurus sp. (CPOC/Q/3105)
Plotosaurus^[6]^[7]	cf. P. sp.	Cocholgüe	Jaw elements (CPOC/Q/3105)	Specimen reassigned to Halisaurus sp.
Tylosaurinae indet.^[5]	Indeterminate	Cocholgüe Loanco	Two teeth (MPC 11000 & MPC 11001)	A tylosaurine

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Aristonectes^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]	A. quiriquinensis	Cocholgüe Las Tablas Bay	Partial skeleton (SGO.PV.957) Postcranial skeleton of a juvenile (SGO.PV.260) Complete femur (SGO.PV.135) Partial humerus (SGO.PV.169) Caudal vertebrae (SGO.PV.94)	An aristonectine, some specimens of this species were formerly reported as Aristonectinae indet. or Mauisaurus sp.
Aristonectinae indet.^[9]^[10]	Indeterminate	Las Tablas Bay	Postcranial skeleton of a juvenile (SGO.PV.260)	Specimen reassigned to Aristonectes quiriquinensis
Cimoliasaurus^[4]^[13]^[14]	C. andium		Vertebrae and limb elements	An elasmosaurid, species now deemed a nomen dubium
Elasmosauridae indet.^[8]^[14]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	21 articulated vertebrae (SGO.PV.90) 17 teeth (SGO.PV.6572)	An elasmosaurid
Elasmosauridae indet.^[8]^[14]	Indeterminate	Mariscadero	Postcranial skeleton (SGO.PV.6506)	May represent the same species as material referred to the dubious "Cimoliasaurus" andium
Mauisaurus^[12]^[15]	M. sp.	Las Tablas Bay	Complete femur (SGO.PV.135) Partial humerus (SGO.PV.169)	Specimens reassigned to Aristonectes quiriquinensis
Plesiosauria indet.^[8]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Partial left propodial (SGO.PV.6638)	May represent a young individual
Pliosaurus^[4]^[13]	P. chilensis		Vertebrae and limb elements (now lost)	Species now deemed a nomen dubium, material actually represents an elasmosaurid and not a pliosaur
Wunyelfia^[16]	W. maulensis	Pelluhue	Partial skeleton (SGO.PV.6507)	An aristonectine

Turtles

Turtles reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Australobaena^[17]^[18]	A. chilensis	Quiriquina	Skull (SFMF R 4151)	A baenid
Chelonioidea indet.^[8]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Partial left humerus (MPC.11001)	A sea turtle
cf. Dermochelyidae indet.^[8]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Associated ilium, scapula and pubis (SGO.PV.6573)	A possible dermochelyid, though the feature used to diagnose it as such may also be present in some protostegids
Euclastes^[19]	E. sp.	Cocholgüe	Skull (SGO.PV.6504)	A pancheloniid
Testudines indet.^[8]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Neural plate (MPC.11003) Peripheral plate (MPC.11002)	A turtle, specimens cannot be identified more precisely

Fish

Bony fish

Bony fish reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Belonostomus^[4]^[20]	B. longirostris	Algarrobo	Two rostrum fragments (SGO-PV 788 & SGO PV 790) Predentary (SGO-PV-789)	An aspidorhynchid
Enchodus^[21]	E. sp.	Algarrobo	Abdominal centrum (SGO.PV.6825) Dermopalatine with attached fang (SGO.PV.6820a) Broken dermopalatine with attached broken fang (SGO.PV.6820b) Incomplete right articular (SGO.PV.6824) Two isolated fangs (SGO.PV.6519)	An aulopiform
Pachycormidae indet.^[21]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Six teeth (SGO.PV.6620)	Specimens resemble the teeth of Protosphyraena but are much smaller
Pachyrhizodus^[21]	P. sp.	Algarrobo	Three isolated teeth (SGO.PV.6571)	A crossognathiform

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Biropristis^[22]	B. landbecki	Algarrobo	Oral teeth	A sawskate
Callorhynchus^[4]	C. sp.		Dental plates	A ratfish
Carcharias^[4]	C. sp.		Teeth	A sand shark
Centrophoroides^[4]	C. sp.		Teeth	A dogfish shark
Chimaera^[4]	C. sp.		Dental plates	A ratfish
Dasyatidae gen. et. sp. nov.^[4]	New species		Teeth	An unnamed species of stingray
Edaphodon^[4]	E. sp.		Dental plates	A ratfish
Ischyrhiza^[4]^[22]	I. chilensis	Algarrobo	Rostral teeth	A sawskate
Orectolobiformes gen. et. sp. nov.^[4]	New species		Teeth	An unnamed species of carpet shark
Paraorthacodus^[4]	P. sp.		Teeth	A paraorthacodontid
Squatina^[4]	S. sp.		Teeth	An angelshark

Crustaceans

Crustaceans reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Anomura indet.^[23]	Indeterminate	Algarrobo	Broken dactylus tip (SGO.PI.6408)	A possible hermit crab
Protocallianassa^[23]^[24]	P. saetosa	Algarrobo Loanco	Multiple specimens	A callianassid

Molluscs

Bivalves

Bivalves reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Cardium^[24]	C. acuticostatum	Loanco	82 specimens	A cockle

Cephalopods

Cephalopods reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Anagaudryceras^[25]	A. politissimum	Las Tablas Colchogüe Tomé	Five specimens	A gaudryceratid ammonite
Anagaudryceras^[25]	A. subtilineatum	Colchogüe Tomé Lirquén	Three juvenile specimens	A gaudryceratid ammonite
Baculites^[25]	B. anceps	Colchogüe Las Tablas Lirquén San Vicente Santa Sabina Tomé	40 specimens	A baculitid ammonite
Baculites^[25]	B. huenickeni	Colchogüe Las Tablas San Vicente Santa Sabina	32 specimens	A baculitid ammonite
Diplomoceras^[24]^[25]	D. cylindraceum	Colchogüe Las Tablas Loanco San Vicente	Seven specimens	A diplomoceratid ammonite
Gaudryceras^[25]	G. kayei	Colchogüe San Vicente Las Tablas Lirquén Tomé	Six specimens	A gaudryceratid ammonite
Eubaculites^[24]^[25]	E. carinatus	Colchogüe Las Tablas Laguna Lo Méndez Lirquén Loanco	56 specimens	A baculitid ammonite
Grossouvrites^[24]^[25]	G. gemmatus	Las Tablas Loanco San Vicente	Nine specimens	A kossmaticeratid ammonite
Grossouvrites^[24]^[25]	G. joharae	Colchogüe Las Tablas Loanco	Six specimens	A kossmaticeratid ammonite
Gunnarites^[25]	G. cf. bhavaniformis	San Vicente	Two fragments	A kossmaticeratid ammonite
Hoploscaphites^[25]	H. constrictus quiriquiniensis	Colchogüe Dichato	51 specimens	A scaphitid ammonite
Hypophylloceras^[25]	H. (Neophylloceras) hetonaiense	Las Tablas Colchogüe Tomé Lirquén	20 specimens	A phylloceratid ammonite
	H. (Neophylloceras) inflatum	Las Tablas Tomé	Seven specimens	A phylloceratid ammonite
	H. (Neophylloceras) ramosum	Las Tablas Los Viejos Colchogüe Tomé	17 specimens	A phylloceratid ammonite
	H. (Neophylloceras) surya	Las Tablas Colchogüe	Three specimens	A phylloceratid ammonite
Kitchinites^[25]	K. darwini	Colchogüe Las Tablas Santa Sabina	30 specimens	A desmoceratid ammonite
	K. ifrimae	Colchogüe	Four specimens	A desmoceratid ammonite
	K. vicentensis	San Vicente	Four specimens	A desmoceratid ammonite
Kossmaticeras^[25]	K. (Natalites) erbeni	Colchogüe Las Tablas San Vicente Tomé	Nine specimens	A kossmaticeratid ammonite
Maorites^[25]	M. densicostatus	Colchogüe Las Tablas	Six specimens	A kossmaticeratid ammonite
Menuites^[25]^[26]	M. gerardoi	San Vicente	Seven specimens	A pachydiscid ammonite
Menuites^[25]^[26]	M. fresvillensis	Las Tablas San Vicente	Eight specimens	A pachydiscid ammonite
Naefia^[27]	N. neogaeia	Quiriquina Island	Shell	A groenlandibelid
Pachydiscus^[25]	P. (Pachydiscus) gutierrezi	Colchogüe Las Tablas Lirquén Puente Perales	14 specimens	A pachydiscid ammonite
Pachydiscus^[25]	P. (Pachydiscus) jacquoti chilensis	Colchogüe Las Tablas	Three specimens	A pachydiscid ammonite
Phyllopachyceras^[25]	P. forbesianum	Las Tablas	One specimen	A phylloceratid ammonite
Phylloptychoceras^[25]	P. sp.	Tomé	Five fragments	A diplomoceratid ammonite
Pseudophyllites^[24]^[25]	P. indra	Colchogüe Las Tablas Loanco	Five specimen	A tetragonitid ammonite
Trachybaculites^[25]	T. vicentei	San Vicente	One specimen	A baculitid ammonite
Zelandites^[25]	Z. varuna	Colchogüe Las Tablas Los Viejos Lirquén Tomé	11 specimens	A gaudryceratid ammonite

Gastropods

Gastropods reported from the Quiriquina Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Anisomyon^[28]	A. patelliformis			A siphonariid
Austrosphaera^[28]	A. difficilis			A buccinoid
Avellana^[28]	A. (Eriptycha) chilensis			A ringiculid
Brunonia^[28]	B. sp.			A carinariid
Calyptraea^[28]	C. (Trochita) laevis			A calyptraeid
Concepcionella^[28]	C. bonillana
Crenilabium^[28]	C. (Nonacteonina) chilensis			An acteonid
Crenilabium^[28]	C. (Eacteon) valdovinosensis	Quiriquina Island		An acteonid
Gyrodes^[28]	G. (Dockeryella) euryomphalus			A naticid
Petropoma^[28]	P. biroensis	Quiriquina Island		A colloniid
Polinices^[28]	P. (Polinella) ganae			A naticid
Pyrifusus^[28]	P. (Deussenia) gigantea	Quiriquina Island		A pholidotomid
Pyropsis^[28]	P. (Chilenopsis) quinzioensis	Quiriquina Island		A pyropsid
Tegula^[28]	T. ovallei		Numerous specimens, very common	A tegulid
Tephlon^[28]	T. tummidus			A pugnellid
Trochifusus^[28]	T. hombroniana			A pyropsid

References

^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 600-604. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
^ Cocholgüe village, sea coast at Fossilworks.org
^ Olson, Storrs (1991). "Neogaeornis wetzeli Lambrecht, a Cretaceous loon from Chile (Aves: Gaviidae)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 12 (1): 122–124. doi:10.1080/02724634.1992.10011438. S2CID 4807730.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Suarez, Mario E.; Quinzio, L.A.; Fritis, Omar; Bonilla, Ramiro (2003). "Aportes al conocimiento de los vertebrados marinos de la Formación Quiriquina". 10°Congreso Geológico Chileno 2003 (in Spanish).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jiménez-Huidobro, Paulina; Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Suárez, Mario E. (2015). "Mosasaurios (Squamata: Mosasauroidea) del Cretácico Superior de Chile". Publicación Ocasional del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile (in Spanish): 99–111. ISSN 0716-0224.
^ ^a ^b Frey, Eberhard; Mulder, Eric W. A.; Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang; Salazar, Christian; Héctor Quinzio-Sinn, Luis Arturo (2016-06-01). "A mosasaur, cf. Plotosaurus, from the upper Maastrichtian Quiriquina Formation in Central Chile". Cretaceous Research. 61: 17–25. Bibcode:2016CrRes..61...17F. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.12.006. ISSN 0195-6671.
^ ^a ^b Jiménez-Huidobro, Paulina; Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Caldwell, Michael W. (2019-11-01). "Reassessment of cf. Plotosaurus from the upper Maastrichtian of Chile, with comments on the South American distribution of halisaurine mosasaurs". Cretaceous Research. 103: 104162. Bibcode:2019CrRes.10304162J. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.06.008. ISSN 0195-6671.
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^ ^a ^b Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; O'Keefe, Frank Robin; O’Gorman, José P.; Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang; Suárez, Mario E.; Rubilar-Rogers, David; Salazar, Christian; Quinzio-Sinn, Luis Arturo (2014). "Aristonectes quiriquinensis, sp. nov., a new highly derived elasmosaurid from the upper Maastrichtian of central Chile". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (1): 100–125. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..100O. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.780953. hdl:11336/79718. ISSN 0272-4634.
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^ ^a ^b Otero, Ra; O'Gorman, Jp; Hiller, N (2015-07-03). "Reassessment of the upper Maastrichtian material from Chile referred to Mauisaurus Hector, 1874 (Plesiosauroidea: Elasmosauridae) and the taxonomical value of the hemispherical propodial head among austral elasmosaurids". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 58 (3): 252–261. Bibcode:2015NZJGG..58..252O. doi:10.1080/00288306.2015.1037775. hdl:11336/53493. ISSN 0028-8306.
^ ^a ^b Steinmann, Gustav (1895). Das Alter und die Fauna der Quiriquina-Schichten in Chile (in German). E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagshandlung (E. Koch).
^ ^a ^b Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Vargas, Alexander O.; Rubilar-Rogers, David (2014). "A new postcranial skeleton of an elasmosaurid plesiosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of central Chile and reassessment of Cimoliasaurus andium Deecke". Cretaceous Research. 50: 318–331. Bibcode:2014CrRes..50..318O. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.05.008.
^ Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Rubilar-Rogers, David (2010). "Presence of the elasmosaurid plesiosaur Mauisaurus in the Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of central Chile". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 55 (2): 361–364.
^ Otero, Rodrigo A.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio (2021-02-01). "Wunyelfia maulensis gen. et sp. nov., a new basal aristonectine (Plesiosauria, Elasmosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of central Chile". Cretaceous Research. 118: 104651. Bibcode:2021CrRes.11804651O. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104651. ISSN 0195-6671.
^ Karl, Hans-Volker; Tichy, Gottfried (2002). "Australobaena chilensis n. gen. n. sp., and the homology of secondary palatines in turtles (Anapsida: Testudines)". Stvdia Geologica Salamanticensia. 38: 11–19.
^ Karl, Hans-Volker; Safi, Amtyaz; Tichy, Gottfried (2024-12-23). "Cranial anatomy and holotype reconstruction of the Late Cretaceous turtle, Australobaena chilensis from the Quiriquina Formation, Chile". Mesozoic. 1 (4): 474–482. doi:10.11646/mesozoic.1.4.5. ISSN 3021-1867.
^ Parham, James F.; Otero, Rodrigo A.; Suárez, Mario E. (2014-05-01). "A sea turtle skull from the Cretaceous of Chile with comments on the taxonomy and biogeography of Euclastes (formerly Osteopygis)". Cretaceous Research. 49: 181–189. Bibcode:2014CrRes..49..181P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.03.004. ISSN 0195-6671.
^ Brito, Paulo M; Suárez, Mario E (2003). "Late Cretaceous Belonostomus (Pisces, Actinopterygii, Aspidorhynchidae) from Algarrobo, Chile, with comments on aspidorhynchid paleodistribution in South America". Revista geológica de Chile. 30 (1). doi:10.4067/S0716-02082003000100008. ISSN 0716-0208.
^ ^a ^b ^c Otero, Rodrigo A.; Suárez, Mario E. (2022-02-01). "Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) from the lower Maastrichtian of Algarrobo, central Chile". Cretaceous Research. 130: 105027. Bibcode:2022CrRes.13005027O. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105027. ISSN 0195-6671.
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^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Salazar, Christian; Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang; Quinzio-Sinn, Luis Arturo (2010-08-01). "Ammonites from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) Quiriquina Formation in central Chile". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 257 (2): 181–236. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2010/0072. ISSN 0077-7749.
^ Salazar, Christian (2013). "The largest Menuites fresvillensis (Seunes, 1890) (Ammonoidea, Pachydiscidae) from the Maastrichtian Quiriquina Formation, Chile". Boletín del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile. 62 (3): 31–40.
^ Bandel, Klaus; Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang (2006). "Naefia Wetzel 1930 from the Quiriquina formation (Late Maastrichtian, Chile) : Relationship to modern Spirula and ancient coleoidea (Cephalopoda)". Acta Universitatis Carolinae - Geologica. 49 (1): 21–32.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Bandel, K.; Stinnesbeck, W. (2000). "Gastropods of the Quiriquina Formation (Maastrichtian) in Central Chile: Paleobiogeographic relationships and the description of a few new taxa". Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie, Teil I: 757–788. S2CID 91132446.