Densuș-Ciula Formation

{{Short description|Late Cretaceous geological formation in Romania}} {{Infobox rockunit | name = Densuș-Ciula Formation | image = | caption = | type = Geological formation | age = {{fossilrange|Maastrichtian}} | period = Maastrichtian | prilithology = Mudstone, sandstone, conglomerate | otherlithology = | namedfor = | namedby = | region = | country = Romania | coordinates = | unitof = | subunits = Lower, Middle and Upper Members | underlies = Cenozoic deposits | overlies = Flysch | thickness = | extent = Northwest Hațeg Basin | area = | map = | map_caption = }}

The '''Densuș-Ciula Formation''' is a geological formation in Romania, with strata dating to the Late Cretaceous. It forms part of the Hațeg Island assemblage, with dinosaur remains among the fossils recovered from the formation.<ref name="cretaceousdistribution">Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 588-593. {{ISBN|0-520-24209-2}}.</ref>

The formation is divided into three members. The lower member contains a high proportion of volcanogenic material and is poorly fossiliferous. The middle member consists of silty mudstones, sandstones, and conglomerates containing volcanogenic clasts, and is richly fossiliferous. The upper member is composed of matrix-supported red conglomerates and contains few fossils.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=VASILE|first1=ŞTEFAN|last2=CSIKI|first2=ZOLTÁN|last3=GRIGORESCU|first3=DAN|date=2011|title=Reassessment of the Spatial Extent of the Middle Member, Densuş-Ciula Formation (Maastrichtian), Haţeg Basin, Romania|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae|pages=335–342}}</ref>

== Fossil content == Indeterminate dromaeosaurid and possible indeterminate troodontid remains present in Județul Hunedoara, Romania.<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" /> An unnamed theropod is also present.<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" />

=== Amphibians === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="5" align="center" | '''Amphibians''' |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Albanerpeton'' | Indeterminate | | Albanerpetontid | center|200px |- | ''Paralatonia'' | ''P. transylvanica'' | | Alytid | |- | ''Hatzegobatrachus'' | ''H. grigorescui'' | | Bombinatorid | |}

=== Squamates === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="5" align="center" | '''Squamates''' |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Nidophis'' | ''N. insularis'' | | Madtsoiid snake | center|150px |}

=== Turtles === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="5" align="center" | '''Turtles''' |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Kallokibotion'' | ''K. bajazidi'' | | | 200px|center |- | Dortokidae | Indeterminate | | | |}

=== Crocodyliformes === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="6" align="center" | '''Crocodyliformes''' |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Material !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Allodaposuchus'' | ''A. precedens'' | | A skull | A crocodyliform. | rowspan = 100| center|thumb|250px|''Allodaposuchus precedens'' skullcenter|thumb|250px|Life restoration of ''Doratodon'' |- | ''Doratodon'' | Indeterminate | | | |- | ''Sabresuchus'' | ''S. sympiestodon'' | | | A neosuchian, formerly thought to be ''Theriosuchus'' |}

=== Dinosaurs === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="6" align="center" | '''Dinosaurs''' of the Densuș-Ciula Formation |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Material !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Balaur'' | ''B. bondoc'' | | | A paravian, possibly a junior synonym of ''Elopteryx''<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Brusatte | first1 = S. L. | last2 = Vremir | first2 = M. T. S. | last3 = Csiki-Sava | first3 = Z. N. | last4 = Turner | first4 = A. H. | last5 = Watanabe | first5 = A. | last6 = Erickson | first6 = G. M. | last7 = Norell | first7 = M. A. | title = The Osteology of Balaur bondoc, an Island-Dwelling Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Romania | doi = 10.1206/798.1 | journal = Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History | volume = 374 | pages = 1–100 | year = 2013 | s2cid = 59932467 | url = http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/2246/6419/5/B374-cover.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Stoicescu, V.|author2=Codrea, V.A.|author3=Bordeianu, M.|author4=Solomon, A.A.|year=2024|title=''Elopteryx'' at Nălaț-Vad: new theropod material described from the Hațeg Basin (Romania)|journal=North-Western Journal of Zoology|volume=20|issue=1|pages=73–80|url=https://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content/v20n1/nwjz_e241901_Stoicescu.pdf}}</ref> | center|200px |- |''Ferenceratops''<ref name="Maidment2026">{{Cite journal |last1=Maidment |first1=Susannah C. R. |author1-link=Susannah Maidment |last2=Butler |first2=Richard J. |author2-link=Richard J. Butler |last3=Brusatte |first3=Stephen L. |author3-link=Stephen L. Brusatte |last4=Meade |first4=Luke E. |last5=Augustin |first5=Felix J. |last6=Csiki-Sava |first6=Zoltán |last7=Ősi |first7=Attila |author7-link=Attila Ősi |date=2026-01-07 |title=A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe |journal=Nature |language=en |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1038/s41586-025-09897-w |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}</ref> | ''F. shqiperorum'' | Hunedoara County |A partial skeleton of a juvenile individual and a left dentary |Originally "''Zalmoxes''" ''shqiperorum'' but subsequently recognized as a distinct ceratopsian taxon closely related to ''Ajkaceratops''. Only the pelvic material has been referred to ''Ferenceratops'' as of the taxon's description in 2026. |center|200px |- | ''Kryptohadros''<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Magyar |first1=J. |last2=Ősi |first2=A. |last3=Csiki-Sava |first3=Z. |last4=Budai |first4=S. |last5=Botfalvai |first5=G. |year=2026 |title=New early Maastrichtian 'duck-billed' dinosaur from Hațeg Basin (Densuș-Ciula Formation, Romania) documents an endemic clade of non-hadrosaurid hadrosauroids in the south-eastern Late Cretaceous European Archipelago |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |volume=24 |article-number=2607800 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2025.2607800 }}</ref> | ''K. kallaiae'' | Hunedoara County |A partial skull and skeleton | A hadrosauroid |center|200px |- | ''Telmatosaurus'' | ''T. transsylvanicus'' | | A skull. | A hadrosauromorph. | center|200px |- | ''Uriash'' | ''U. kadici''<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Díez Díaz |first1=Verónica |last2=Mannion |first2=Philip D. |last3=Csiki-Sava |first3=Zoltán |last4=Upchurch |first4=Paul |title=Revision of Romanian sauropod dinosaurs reveals high titanosaur diversity and body-size disparity on the latest Cretaceous Haţeg Island, with implications for titanosaurian biogeography |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |date=20 February 2025 |volume=23 |issue=1 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516|doi-access=free }}</ref> | Locality VI of Kadić. | A partial skeleton composed of incomplete vertebrae, metatarsal, femur, and humerus. | A titanosaur. | center|200px |- | ''Zalmoxes'' | ''Z. robustus'' | Hunedoara County | |A small rhabdodontid ornithopod<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" /> | center|200px |- |}

=== Pterosaurs === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="6" align="center" | '''Pterosaurs''' of Densuș-Ciula Formation. |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Material !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Hatzegopteryx''<ref name="buffetautetal2002">Buffetaut, E., Grigorescu, D., and Csiki, Z. (2002). "A new giant pterosaur with a robust skull from the latest Cretaceous of Romania." ''Naturwissenschaften'', '''89'''(4): 180-184. [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00114-002-0307-1 Abstract]</ref> | ''H. thambema''<ref name="buffetautetal2002" /> | Valioara | A preserved robust skull, incomplete left humerus, and unidentified bone fragments. | A giant azhdarchid pterosaur. | center|200px |- |}

=== Mammals === {| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! colspan="5" align="center" | '''Mammals''' |- ! Genus !! Species !! Presence !! Notes !! Images |- | ''Hainina'' | Indeterminate | | Two species | |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Densuș-Ciula Formation}} Category:Geologic formations of Romania Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of Europe Category:Maastrichtian Stage Category:Mudstone formations Category:Sandstone formations Category:Conglomerate formations