| Cooper Canyon Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Dockum Group |
| Underlies | Redonda Formation |
| Overlies | Trujillo Formation, possibly Camp Springs Formation and Colorado City Formation |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 33°07′37″N 101°21′58″W / 33.127°N 101.366°W |
| Region |  Texas  New Mexico |
| Country |  United States |
  Cooper Canyon Formation (the United States)  Cooper Canyon Formation (Texas) | |
The Cooper Canyon Formation is a geological formation of Norian age in Texas and New Mexico. It is one of several formations encompassed by the Dockum Group.[1][2]
The type area of the formation is situated in Garza County, Texas, southeast of Lubbock. The Cooper Canyon Formation consist of reddish siltstone and mudstone with lenses of sandstone and conglomerate. Thickness of the formation in the type area is 161.5 meters. It increases to the south, and in some places exceeds 200 m. The formation contains diverse fossils, including vertebrate remains.[2]
Regional equivalents
The Bull Canyon Formation in eastern New Mexico is equivalent to the upper part of the Cooper Canyon Formation. Some researchers argue that the latter name should be abandoned.[2] The middle and lower parts of the Cooper Canyon are correlated to the Trujillo and Tecovas formations (respectively) further north in the Texas Panhandle. The lowermost part of the Cooper Canyon Formation may also be correlated to the Colorado City Formation further south at Otis Chalk (Howard County).[3][4][5]
Vertebrate fauna
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Temnospondyls
| Temnospondyls of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
|
A. gregorii[4] |
|
|
Partial skull, mandible and pectoral girdle[4] |
The lowest known stratigraphic occurrence of diagnostic Apachesaurus cranial material.[6] | ||
|
B. bakeri[6] |
|
|
Two skulls |
A metoposaurid temnospondyl. Species was originally assigned to Anaschisma or Metoposaurus before being given its own genus in 2022.[3][6] |
| |
|
R. cosgriffi[4] |
|
|
Skull and jaws, vertebral intercentra[4] |
An unusual small temnospondyl, known only by one specimen. | ||
Archosaurs
Phytosaurs
| Phytosaurs of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
|
L. sp.[4] |
|
|
Partial skull and mandibles[4] |
May represent a distinct species of Leptosuchus from L. crosbiensis and L. studeri.[4] |
||
|
M. lottorum[7] |
|
|
Two skulls[7] |
A derived mystriosuchin phytosaur closely related to and intermediate with Redondasaurus.[7] | ||
|
M. sp. |
|
|
One skull[7] |
A specimen of Machaeoprosopus that appears phylogenetically distinct from M. lottorum.[7] | ||
|
M. sp.[3] |
|
|
Squamosal[3] |
The lowest occurrence of Machaeoprosopus in the Dockum Group, defining the base of the Revueltian teilzone in the Cooper Canyon Formation.[3][4] | ||
|
"P." cf. sawini[3] |
|
|
Skull[3] |
A phytosaur similar to "Paleorhinus" sawini, although potentially representing a distinct species.[3] | ||
|
R. gregorii?[8] |
|
|
Skulls and postcranial skeleton[8] |
Specimens currently only described in unpublished theses, first referred to a new genus "Macysuchus" and then as a new species of Redondasaurus. Referred to R. gregorii by Spielmann and Lucas (2012).[9][10][8] | ||
Pseudosuchians
Indeterminate paracrocodylomorph and stagonolepidid material is known from the Boren Quarry (MOTT 3869).[11]
| Pseudosuchians of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
|
C. wellesi[11] |
|
|
A desmatosuchian aetosaur. Material from Post Quarry named as the new genus and species Scutarx deltatylus in 2016.[12] |
| ||
|
Crocodylomorpha indet.[4] |
Indeterminate |
|
Femora[4] |
A small crocodylomorph comparable to Hesperosuchus.[4] | ||
|
D. smalli[13] |
|
|
Several skulls and partial skeletons, osteoderms[13] |
An armoured aetosaur with large shoulder spines. Type locality of D. smalli, species also known from the Chinle Formation. Some skeletal postcranial material may belong to Paratypothorax.[12] | ||
|
G. muelleri[14] |
|
|
Osteoderms and some associated postcrania[14] |
Believed to be a paratypothoracin aetosaur, but with lateral osteoderms convergent with desmatosuchins.[14] | ||
|
P. sp.[12] |
|
|
Osteoderms and some associated postcrania[4] |
A paratypothoracin aetosaur. Potentially belongs to a distinct species from P. andressorum, as for other North American Paratypothorax.[12] | ||
|
P. gracilis[11] |
|
|
Femur, cervical vertebra[15] |
A bipedal predatory paracrocodylomorph. | ||
|
P. kirkpatricki[4] |
|
Two skeletons and isolated remains[4] |
A large predatory rauisuchid, type specimen from the Post Quarry. Most rauisuchid material from elsewhere in the southwestern US has also been assigned to Postosuchus kirkpatricki but it is unclear how much of it definitively belongs to Postosuchus.[16] A fifth metatarsal from the Boren Quarry (MOTT 3869) may belong to Postosuchus.[15] | |||
|
S. deltatylus[12] |
|
Osteoderms[17] |
A desmatosuchine aetosaur based on material formerly assigned to Calyptosuchus wellesi. Known more abundantly in the Chinle Formation.[12] | |||
|
S. inexpectatus[4] |
|
Skulls and skeleton[4] |
Originally named as an ornithomimid dinosaur based on its skull, later recognised to be synonymous with poposauroid postcrania named "Chatterjeea elegans". Type specimen is from the Post Quarry, Shuvosaurus has also reported from the Chinle Formation. | |||
|
Cf. Stagonolepis?[3] |
S.? sp. |
|
|
Lateral and caudal paramedian osteoderm[3] |
Aetosaur osteoderms compared favourably to Stagonolepis (including Calyptosuchus at the time).[3] | |
|
T. coccinarum |
|
Partial skeleton, braincase, and osteoderms |
A typothoracine aetosaur. Also commonly found in the Chinle Formation of Arizona and the Bull Canyon Formation of New Mexico. | |||
.jpg.webp)
Ornithodirans
Numerous bones from ornithodirans have been discovered throughout the Cooper Canyon Formation but cannot be assigned to specific genera or clades. However, they are at least variably identifiable as lagerpetids, dinosauromorphs, dinosaurs, saurischians and theropods.[17]
| Ornithodirans of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
|
|
|
|
Material since referred to indeterminate herrerasaurids and neotheropods. |
|||
|
Dinosauriformes indet.[5] |
Indeterminate |
|
|
Two left fibulae[5] |
The fibulae are most similar to those of Marasuchus, but notably are three times as long.[5] | |
|
D. gregorii[4] |
|
|||||
|
D. romeri[5] |
|
|
Proximal right tibia[5] | |||
|
Herrerasauridae indet.[4] |
Indeterminate |
|
|
Partial hip[4] |
Previously referred to Coelophysis bauri by Lehman and Chatterjee (2005).[18] | |
|
Neotheropoda indet.[4] |
Indeterminate |
|
|
Previously referred to Coelophysis bauri by Lehman and Chatterjee (2005).[18] | ||
|
S. aenigmaticus[19] |
|
|
A very small silesaurid dinosauriform, type specimen.[19] | |||
|
T. smalli[4] |
|
|
Premaxilla and dentary[4] |
A silesaurid dinosauriform, type and only specimen. | ||
Archosauromorphs
Fragmentary fossils are identifiable as archosauromorphs, namely members of the Allokotosauria+Prolacerta+Archosauriformes clade.[17]
| Non-crurotarsan archosauromorphs of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
| cf. Doswellia[3] |
cf. D. sp. |
|
|
Fragmentary osteoderm[3] |
An unusual armoured archosauriform. |
|
|
?M. langstoni |
|
A Malerisaurus-like taxon, a small carnivorous azendohsaurid allokotosaur. Three dentaries from the Boren Quarry were misinterpreted as the oldest saurischian dinosaurs in North America, but show affinity to malerisaurines.[21][22] | ||||
|
Tanystropheidae indet.[17] |
Indeterminate |
|
Two femora[17] |
Small tanystropheids comparable to Tanytrachelos and Langobardisaurus.[17] | ||
|
T. buettneri[23] |
|
|
Teeth |
Herbivorous trilophosaurid allokotosaurs. Of the three species represented in the Boren Quarry, T. dornorum and T. jacobsi are the more common, with T. buettneri represented by only two specimens.[3] T. jacobsi is also common at the Kahle Quarry (NMMNH L-3775) should it belong to the middle Cooper Canyon Formation.[23] | ||
|
Teeth, jaw elements[24] | |||||
|
T. jacobsi[23] |
|
|
Teeth | |||
|
V. campi[19] |
|
Postcervical vertebrae, osteoderms (MOTT 3624)[19] |
An unusual armoured semi-aquatic archosauriform. Additional limb bones from the Post and Kirkpatrick quarries may belong to Vancleavea or a related taxon. | |||
.jpg.webp)
Other amniotes
Numerous fragmentary limb bones of various reptiles have been collected that cannot be reliably diagnosed to specific clades, though some show similarities to drepanosauromorphs. Indeterminate procolophonid material is known from the Boren Quarry (MOTT 3869).[11]
| Miscellaneous amniotes of the Cooper Canyon Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus/Taxon | Species | Unit | Location | Material | Notes | Image |
| Argodicynodon[11] |
A. boreni |
|
|
A placeriine dicynodont, related to the later Placerias.[11] | ||
|
Cf. Clevosaurus[3] |
Cf. C. sp. |
|
|
Premaxilla[4] |
A sphenodontian lepidosauromorph, very similar to Clevosaurus. | |
| Dicynodontia indet.[3][18] |
Indeterminate |
|
Cranial fragments, sternum.[11] |
Isolated indeterminate dicynodont material.[11] | ||
|
Drepanosauromorpha indet.[4] |
Indeterminate |
|
Two scapulacoracoids (MOTT 3624)[4] |
An unusual, possibly arboreal diapsid reptile. | ||
|
Eucynodontia indet.[4] |
Indeterminate |
|
|
Jaw bones and teeth[4] |
Probable eucynodonts with teeth lacking a cingulum and possessing a large main cusp and 2–3 smaller posterior cusps.[4] | |
| Kannemeyeriiformes indet.[11] |
Indeterminate |
|
Isolated indeterminate kannemeyeriiforms, potentially distinct from Argodicynodon.[11] | |||
|
L. sheddi[25] |
|
A procolophonid parareptile, one of the only known from Late Triassic North America.[25] | ||||
|
|
|
|
Dentary with teeth[4] |
Named as a new species of Pachygenelus by Chatterjee (1983), assignment to this genus is doubtful. Material now provisionally regarded as eucynodont.[4] | ||
|
P. texensis[4] |
|
At least two partial skeletons |
A problematic taxon purported to be an early avialan, may be a chimaera of different fossils.[26] | |||
|
Sphenodontia indet.[3] |
Indeterminate |
|
Sphenodont lepidosauromorphs. | |||
See also
References
- ↑ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Triassic, North America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 518–521. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
- 1 2 3 Lehman T.; Chatterjee S.; Schnable J. (1992). "The Cooper Canyon Formation (Late Triassic) of western Texas". The Texas Journal of Science. 44 (3): 349–355.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Martz, J. W. (2008). Lithostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Dockum Group (Upper Triassic), of southern Garza County, West Texas (Unpublished PhD thesis). Texas Tech University. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Martz, J. W.; Mueller, B.; Nesbitt, S. J.; Stocker, M. R.; Parker, W. G.; Atanassov, M.; Fraser, N.; Weinbaum, J.; Lehane, J. (2013). "A taxonomic and biostratigraphic re-evaluation of the Post Quarry vertebrate assemblage from the Cooper Canyon Formation (Dockum Group, Upper Triassic) of southern Garza County, western Texas". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 103 (3–4): 339–364. doi:10.1017/S1755691013000376. S2CID 129744424.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sarıgül, V. (2016). "New basal dinosauromorph records from the Dockum Group of Texas, USA". Palaeontologia Electronica. 19 (2): 19.2.21A. doi:10.26879/564.
- 1 2 3 Gee, Bryan M.; Kufner, Aaron M. (2022). "Revision of the Late Triassic metoposaurid "Metoposaurus" bakeri (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) from Texas, USA and a phylogenetic analysis of the Metoposauridae". PeerJ. 10: e14065. doi:10.7717/peerj.14065. S2CID 252894139.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hungerbühler, Axel; Mueller, Bill; Chatterjee, Sankar; Cunningham, Douglas P. (September 2012). "Cranial anatomy of the Late Triassic phytosaur Machaeroprosopus , with the description of a new species from West Texas". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 103 (3–4): 269–312. doi:10.1017/S1755691013000364. S2CID 129442164.
- 1 2 3 4 Spielmann, J. A.; Lucas, S. G. (2012). "Tetrapod Fauna of the Upper Triassic Redonda Formation East-central New Mexico: The Characteristic Assemblage of the Apachean Land-vertebrate Faunachron". Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. 55.
- ↑ Chatterjee, Sankar; Tewari, Rajni; Agnihotri, Deepa (2013-06-01). "A Dicroidium flora from the Triassic of Allan Hills, South Victoria Land, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 37 (2): 209–221. doi:10.1080/03115518.2013.736799. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 129383334.
- ↑ McQuilkin, K. S. (1998). An Articulated Phytosaur Skeleton: Preparation Techniques From Field to Exhibit (PDF) (Unpublished MSc thesis). Texas Tech University.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Mueller, B. D.; Huttenlocker, A. K.; Small, B. J.; Pinto, J. L.; Dean-Wallace, K.; Chatterjee, S. (2023). "A new kannemeyeriiform dicynodont (Synapsida) from a Late Triassic vertebrate assemblage in west Texas, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2255236. doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2255236.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Parker, William (2016). "Revised phylogenetic analysis of the Aetosauria (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia); assessing the effects of incongruent morphological character sets". PeerJ. 4: e1583. doi:10.7717/peerj.1583. PMC 4727975. PMID 26819845.
- 1 2 3 Parker, W. G. (2005). "A new species of the Late Triassic aetosaur Desmatosuchus (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia)". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 4 (4): 327–340. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2005.03.002.
- 1 2 3 4 Reyes, W. A.; Martz, J. W.; Small, B. J. (2024). "Garzapelta muelleri gen. et sp. nov., a new aetosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Late Triassic (middle Norian) middle Cooper Canyon Formation, Dockum Group, Texas, USA, and its implications on our understanding of the morphological disparity of the aetosaurian dorsal carapace". The Anatomical Record. doi:10.1002/ar.25379.
- 1 2 Mueller, B. D. (2016). Triassic Tetrapod Paleontology and Taphonomy of the Boren Quarry, Dockum Group, Garza County, Texas (Unpublished PhD thesis). Texas Tech University. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ↑ Emily J. Lessner; Michelle R. Stocker; Nathan D. Smith; Alan H. Turner; Randall B. Irmis; Sterling J. Nesbitt (2016). "A new rauisuchid (Archosauria, Pseudosuchia) from the Upper Triassic (Norian) of New Mexico increases the diversity and temporal range of the clade". PeerJ. 4: e2336. doi:10.7717/peerj.2336. PMC 5018681. PMID 27651983.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Lessner, E. J.; Parker, W. G.; Marsh, A. D.; Nesbitt, S. J.; Irmis, R. B.; Mueller, B. D. (2018). "New insights into Late Triassic dinosauromorph-bearing assemblages from Texas using apomorphy-based identifications". PaleoBios. 35. doi:10.5070/P9351039960.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lehman, Thomas; Chatterjee, Sankar (2005). "Depositional setting and vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Triassic Dockum Group of Texas". Journal of Earth System Science. 114 (3): 325–351. Bibcode:2005JESS..114..325L. doi:10.1007/BF02702953. S2CID 128760266.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sarıgül, V.; Agnolín, F.; Chatterjee, S. (2018). "Description of a multitaxic bone assemblage from the Upper Triassic Post Quarry of Texas (Dockum group), including a new small basal dinosauriform taxon" (PDF). Historia Natural. 8 (1). ISSN 1853-6581.
- 1 2 3 Nesbitt, S. J.; Stocker, M. R.; Ezcurra, M. D.; Fraser, M. C.; Heckert, A. B.; Parker, W. G.; Mueller, B.; Sengupta, S.; Bandyopadhyay, S.; Pritchard, A. C.; Marsh, A. D. (2021). "Widespread azendohsaurids (Archosauromorpha, Allokotosauria) from the Late Triassic of western USA and India". Papers in Palaeontology. 8. doi:10.1002/spp2.1413. S2CID 245049571.
- 1 2 Sarigül, V. (2017). "New archosauromorph fragments from the Dockum Group of Texas and the assessment of earliest dinosaurs in North America". Historical Biology. 30 (8): 1059–1075. doi:10.1080/08912963.2017.1333609.
- ↑ Marsh, Adam D.; Parker, William G.; Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Kligman, Ben T.; Stocker, Michelle R. (2022). "Puercosuchus traverorum n. gen. n. sp.: a new malerisaurine azendohsaurid (Archosauromorpha: Allokotosauria) from two monodominant bonebeds in the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic, Norian) of Arizona". Journal of Paleontology. 96 (S90): 1–39. doi:10.1017/jpa.2022.49. ISSN 0022-3360.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kligman, B. T.; Marsh, A. D.; Nesbitt, S. J.; Parker, W. G.; Stocker, M. R. (2020). "New trilophosaurid species demonstrates a decline in allokotosaur diversity across the Adamanian-Revueltian boundary in the Late Triassic of western North America". Palaeodiversity. 13 (1): 25–37. doi:10.18476/pale.v13.a3.
- ↑ Müller, B. D.; Parker, W. G. (2006). "A new species of Trilophosaurus (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona" (PDF). Museum of Northern Arizona, Bulletin. 62: 119–125.
- 1 2 3 Small, Bryan J. (15 December 1997). "A new procolophonid from the Upper Triassic of Texas, with a description of tooth replacement and implantation". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 17 (4): 674–678. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10011016.
- ↑ Witmer, L. (2002). "The debate on avian ancestry: phylogeny, function, and fossils". In Chiappe, L. M.; Witmer, L. M. (eds.). Mesozoic birds: Above the heads of dinosaurs. Berkeley, Calif., USA: University of California Press. pp. 3–30. ISBN 0-520-20094-2.