The Densuș-Ciula Formation is a geological formation in Romania whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. It forms part of the Hațeg Island assemblage. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1] It is divided up into three members, the lower member is noted for high content of volcanogenic material and is poorly fossiliferous. While the Middle member consists of silty mudstones, sandstones and conglomerates containing volcanogenic clasts and is richly fossiliferous, while the upper member consists of matrix supported red conglomerates and is poorly fossiliferous.[2]
Fossil content
Indeterminate dromaeosaurid and possible indeterminate troodontid remains present in Județul Hunedoara, Romania.[1] An unnamed theropod is also present.[1]
Amphibians
Squamates
Turtles
Dinosaurs
| Dinosaurs of the Densuș-Ciula Formation
|
| Genus |
Species |
Presence |
Material |
Notes |
Images
|
| Balaur
|
B. bondoc
|
|
|
A paravian probably a junior synonym of Elopteryx[3][4]
|
|
| Telmatosaurus
|
T. transsylvanicus
|
|
A skull.
|
A hadrosauromorph.
|
|
| Uriash
|
U. kadici[5]
|
Locality VI of Kadić.
|
A partial skeleton composed of incomplete vertebrae, metatarsal, femur, and humerus.
|
A titanosaur.
|
|
| Zalmoxes
|
Z. robustus
|
Hunedoara County
|
|
A small rhabdodontid ornithopod[1]
|
|
| Z. shqiperorum
|
Hunedoara County
|
|
Pterosaurs
| Pterosaurs of Densuș-Ciula Formation.
|
| Genus |
Species |
Presence |
Material |
Notes |
Images
|
| Hatzegopteryx[6]
|
H. thambema[6]
|
Valioara
|
A preserved robust skull, incomplete left humerus, and unidentified bone fragments.
|
A giant azhdarchid pterosaur.
|
|
Mammals
| Mammals
|
| Genus |
Species |
Presence |
Notes |
Images
|
| Hainina
|
Indeterminate
|
|
Two species
|
|
See also
References
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ VASILE, ŞTEFAN; CSIKI, ZOLTÁN; GRIGORESCU, DAN (2011). "Reassessment of the Spatial Extent of the Middle Member, Densuş-Ciula Formation (Maastrichtian), Haţeg Basin, Romania". Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae: 335–342.
- ^ Brusatte, S. L.; Vremir, M. T. S.; Csiki-Sava, Z. N.; Turner, A. H.; Watanabe, A.; Erickson, G. M.; Norell, M. A. (2013). "The Osteology of Balaur bondoc, an Island-Dwelling Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Romania" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 374: 1–100. doi:10.1206/798.1. S2CID 59932467.
- ^ Stoicescu, V.; Codrea, V.A.; Bordeianu, M.; Solomon, A.A. (2024). "Elopteryx at Nălaț-Vad: new theropod material described from the Hațeg Basin (Romania)" (PDF). North-Western Journal of Zoology. 20 (1): 73–80.
- ^ Díez Díaz, Verónica; Mannion, Philip D.; Csiki-Sava, Zoltán; Upchurch, Paul (20 February 2025). "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 of Systematic Palaeontology. 23 (1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516.
- ^ a b 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. Abstract