Cerro Fortaleza Formation
Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Why It Matters
The Cerro Fortaleza Formation is significant for preserving some of the largest titanosaurian sauropods ever discovered, including Dreadnoughtus schrani, one of the most complete giant titanosaurs known. This formation provides crucial evidence for understanding the diversity and gigantism of South American titanosaurs during the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval.
How Fossils Survived
The formation consists primarily of sandstones, mudstones, and conglomerates deposited in a meandering river system with associated floodplains. The sediments indicate a temperate to warm climate with seasonal variations. Preservation conditions were favorable for large due to rapid burial in overbank flood deposits.
Discovery History
Paleontological exploration of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation intensified in the early 2000s with expeditions led by Argentine and American researchers. The discovery of Dreadnoughtus schrani was announced in 2014 by Kenneth Lacovara and colleagues, representing material collected between 2005 and 2009 from exposures near Estancia La Flecha.
Dinosaurs in the Vault
1 species in our database · sorted by size
Dreadnoughtus schrani from this formation had a femur measuring 1.91 meters in length, among the largest known for any land animal