BOLETÍN DE LA SOCIEDAD GEOLÓGICA MEXICANA

Vol 61, Núm. 2, 2006, P. 239-244

http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2009v61n2a12

Preliminary Report on a Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Fossil Assemblage in Northwestern Coahuila, Mexico

Reporte preliminar de una asociación fósil de vertebrados del Cretácico Tardío en Coahuila noroccidental, México

Héctor E. Rivera–Sylva1,*, Eberhard Frey2, Francisco J. Palomino–Sánchez3, José Rubén Guzmán–Gutiérrez4, Jorge A. Ortiz–Mendieta5

1 Departamento de Paleontología, Museo del Desierto. Pról. Pérez Treviño 3745, 25015, Saltillo, Coah., México.
2 Geowissenschaftliche Abteilung,Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe, Alemania.
3 Laboratorio de Petrografía y Paleontología, Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática, Aguascalientes, Ags., México.
4 Centro para la Conservación del Patrimonio Natural y Cultural de México, Aguascalientes, Ags., México.
5 Subdirección de Investigación y Colecciones, Museo de Historia Natural y de Cultura Ambiental, México D.F., México.

 * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

A new vertebrate fossil assemblage of Late Cretaceous age is reported here. This discovery represents the results of the 2007 and 2008 field seasons in the locality known as "Las Jicoteas" situated in the municipality of Ocampo, in northwestern Coahuila, Mexico.

The stratigraphic sequence where this fossil fauna occurs can be correlated to the Lower Member of the continental Aguj a Formation that outcrops in the neighbouring Big Bend region of Texas.

This new fauna bears the first record of a nodosaur for Mexico, and, also additional dinosaur remains attributed to the families Tyrannosauridae and Hadrosauridae are recorded. Associated fossil taxa include lepisosteid fishes, turtles and crocodile remains.

The palaeocological conditions inferred by this new faunal assemblage suggest a paralic system with prodelta, marshes, lagoons, and nearshore marine deposits.

Keywords: Late Cretaceous, Coahuila, Mexico, Fossil vertebrates, Dinosaurs.