Malargüe Group
Encyclopedia
The Malargüe Group is a group
of geologic formation
s found in Argentina
. Rocks in the Malargüe Group fall within the late Campanian
to Danian
stages of the Late Cretaceous
Period, about 80 million to 61.7 million years in age. It overlies the older Neuquen Group
.
Fossils of dinosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mammals have been recovered from the strata that make up The Malargüe Group.
There are three formations within the Neuquén Group:
Geologic unit
A geological unit is a volume of rock or ice of identifiable origin and age range that is defined by the distinctive and dominant, easily mapped and recognizable petrographic, lithologic or paleontologic features that characterize it....
of geologic formation
Geologic formation
A formation or geological formation is the fundamental unit of lithostratigraphy. A formation consists of a certain number of rock strata that have a comparable lithology, facies or other similar properties...
s found in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Rocks in the Malargüe Group fall within the late Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...
to Danian
Danian
The Danian is the oldest age or lowermost stage of the Paleocene epoch or series, the Paleogene period or system and the Cenozoic era or erathem. The beginning of the Danian age is at the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event...
stages of the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
Period, about 80 million to 61.7 million years in age. It overlies the older Neuquen Group
Neuquén Group
The Neuquén Group is a group of geologic formations found in Argentina. Rocks in the Neuquén Group fall within the Cenomanian to early Campanian stages of the Late Cretaceous Period, about 100 million to 80 million years in age...
.
Fossils of dinosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mammals have been recovered from the strata that make up The Malargüe Group.
There are three formations within the Neuquén Group:
- Allen FormationAllen FormationThe Allen Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous The Allen Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous The Allen Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the...
(middle Campanian to early MaastrichtianMaastrichtianThe Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
) - Jagüel Formation (middle to late Maastrichtian)
- Roca Formation (Danian)