{{Short description|Geologic formation in Argentina}} {{Infobox rockunit|name=Coli Toro Formation|image=|caption=|type=Formation|period=Maastrichtian|age=Maastrichtian-Danian<br />|prilithology=Sandstone|otherlithology=|namedfor=|namedby=|region=Río Negro Province|country=Argentina|coordinates={{coord|41.0|S|69.5|W|display=inline,title}}|paleocoordinates={{coord|43.6|S|55.4|W|display=inline}}|unitof=|subunits=|underlies=|overlies=Angostura Colorada Formation|thickness=|extent=Neuquén Basin|area=|map={{Location map+ | Argentina | relief = 1 | width = 250 | float = center | places = {{Location map~ | Argentina | lat_deg = -41.0 | lon_deg = -69.5 | mark = Lightgreen pog.svg | marksize = 12 }} }}|map_caption=}}The '''Coli Toro''' '''Formation''' is a Maastrichtian-Danian geological formation in Argentina. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.<ref name="dinosaurdistribution">Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.</ref> The rocks of the formation were deposited in a marine environment, in opposition to the marginal underliying sedimentary environment.
The formation in later publications has been reassigned as the Coli Toro Member at the basal levels of the Los Alamitos Formation, containing fossil remains of ''Sulcusuchus erraini''.<ref>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=142118 Cari-Laufqen Grande Pond] at Fossilworks.org</ref> The formation partly overlies the Angostura Colorada Formation.<ref name="Ottone2009_p3772">Ottone, 2009, p.377</ref>
== Fossil content == {| class="wikitable" |+Dinosaurs from the Coli Toro Formation |- !Genus !Species !Location !Stratigraphic Position !Material !Notes !Images |- |Hadrosauridae<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Paulina-Carabajal |first1=Ariana |last2=Méndez |first2=Ariel |last3=Ulloa-Guaiquin |first3=Karen |last4=González-Dionis |first4=Javier |last5=Irazoqui |first5=Facundo |date=2025 |title=The First Record of Theropod Dinosaur Remains From the Angostura Colorada and Coli Toro Formations (Campanian-Maatrichtian) in the Ingeniero Jacobacci Area (Rio Negro Province, Argentina) |url=https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/147 |journal=Ameghiniana |doi=10.5710/AMGH.17.09.2025.3643|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |Isolated caudal vertebrae |Indeterminated hadrosaurids, probably related to other south american Austrokritosaurians | |- |Titanosauria<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |A tooth (MHJG-NCP, formerly 5/4/7-3) |Indeterminated Titanosaurian sauropod | |- |Abelisauridae<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Estancia Yuquinche | |A tooth (MHJG-NCP 299) |The first theropod from the Coli Toro Formation | |- |Parankylosauria<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Becerra |first1=Marcos G. |last2=Juárez Valieri |first2=R.D |last3=Meso |first3=J.G |last4=Guzmán |first4=F.A |last5=Heredia |first5=J. |date=2024 |title=New remains of ankylosaurs in Río Negro (Argentina) found while revisiting collections in museums expand their presence to new late Cretaceous localities. |url=https://bicyt.conicet.gov.ar/fichas/produccion/11857603 |access-date=October 7, 2025 |website=Conicet}}</ref> |Indeterminate |Bajo Colorado | |Osteoderm associated to a cranial fragment (MJHG 77-33) and a rib piece (MJHG 271B-17) |The osteorderm is similar to the jugal-quadratojugal osteoderm of the La Colonia Parankylosaur, and the rib is T-shaped in cross view, as in other parankylosaurs and euankylosaurs May also be from the Angostura Colorada Formation | |} {| class="wikitable" |+Other reptiles from the Coli Toro Formation |- !Genus !Species !Location !Stratigraphic Position !Material !Notes !Images |- |Peirosauridae ?<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |A tooth (MHJG Pa 614 106) |A indeterminated crocodyliform tooth, probably belonging to the Notosuchian family Peirosauridae | |- |''Sulcusuchus''<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=O’gorman |first1=José P. |last2=Gasparini |first2=Zulma |date=2013-06-01 |title=Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2013.736788 |journal=Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=163–176 |doi=10.1080/03115518.2013.736788 |bibcode=2013Alch...37..163O |hdl=11336/2489 |issn=0311-5518|hdl-access=free }}</ref> |''S. erraini'' |Cerro Yeso and near Laguna Cari-Laufquén Grande | |Teeth (Cerro Yeso) and a fragmentary mandibular ramus (Laguna Cari-Laufquén Grande) |The only named Polycotylid from the Southern Hemisphere, and the most recent one worldwide. Also found in La Colonia Formation<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=O’Gorman |first1=José P. |last2=Aspromonte |first2=Franco R. |last3=Matelo Mirco |first3=Gonzalo |title=First record of lithophagy in Sulcusuchus erraini (Plesiosauria; Polycotylidae) with comments on the taphonomic and collect bias in gastroliths |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2548329 |journal=Historical Biology |date=2025 |volume=0 |pages=1–13 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2025.2548329 |issn=0891-2963|url-access=subscription }}</ref> | |- |Testudines<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |Turtle plates are reportly commonly found in the Cerro Yeso locality |Perhaps related to the other Pleurodirans from neighbouring Maastrichtian formations | |} {| class="wikitable" |+FIsh from the Coli Toro Formation |- !Genus !Species !Location !Stratigraphic Position !Material !Notes !Images |- |''Metaceratodus''?<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |Dental plates |A lungfish, if confirmed, also found in the La Colonia Formation | |- |Osteichthyes<ref name=":0" /> |Indeterminate |Cerro Yeso | |Vertebrae and ganoid scales | | |}
== See also == {{Portal|Earth sciences|Paleontology|Dinosaurs}} * Angostura Colorada Formation * La Colonia Formation * Los Alamitos Formation * Allen Formation * Jaguel Formation * Chorrillo Formation * Calafate Formation * El Molino Formation * Yacoraite Formation * Vilquechico Formation * Serra da Galga Formation * List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations ** List of stratigraphic units with indeterminate dinosaur fossils
== References == <references responsive="1"></references>
=== Bibliography ===
* {{citation |last=Ottone |first=Eduardo G |title=La flora cretácica de Cuenca Neuquina, su significado paleoambiental y paleoclimático |journal=Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina |volume=65 |pages=373–386 |year=2009 |url=http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/raga/v65n2/v65n2a11.pdf |accessdate=2018-09-08}} * {{citation |last1=Weishampel |first1=David B. |title=The Dinosauria, 2nd edition |pages=1–880 |year=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZFDb_iw40C |publisher=Berkeley: University of California Press |isbn=0-520-24209-2 |last2=Dodson |first2=Peter |last3=Osmólska |first3=Halszka |author1-link=David B. Weishampel |author2-link=Peter Dodson |author3-link=Halszka Osmólska |accessdate=2019-02-21}}
== Further reading ==
* R. M. Casamiquela. 1964. Sobre un dinosaurio hadrosáurido de la Argentina. Ameghiniana 3(9):285-312 * J. O'Gorman and Z. Gasparini. 2013. Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Alcheringa 37(2):163-176
Category:Geologic formations of Argentina Category: Maastrichtian Category: Danian