Judith River Formation

The Judith River Formation is a fossil-bearing geologic formation in Montana, and is part of the Judith River Group. It dates to the Late Cretaceous, between 79 and 75.3 million years ago,[4] corresponding to the "Judithian" land vertebrate age. It was laid down during the same time period as portions of the Two Medicine Formation of Montana[5] and the Oldman Formation of Alberta.[6] It is an historically important formation, explored by early American paleontologists such as Edward Drinker Cope, who named several dinosaurs from scrappy remains found here on his 1876 expedition (such as Monoclonius). Modern work has found nearly complete skeletons of the hadrosaurid Brachylophosaurus.

Judith River Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian,
Judith River Formation, Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofJudith River Group
Sub-unitsParkman Sandstone Member, McClelland Ferry Member, Coal Ridge Member, Woodhawk Member
UnderliesBearpaw Formation
OverliesClaggett Formation, Pakowki Formation
Thicknessmax 360 meters (1,180 ft)[1]
Lithology
PrimaryMudstone and sandstone
Location
Region Montana
Country United States
Type section
Named forJudith River near the confluence with the Missouri River
Named byF.V. Hayden, 1871;[2] F.B. Meek, 1876.[3]

Lithology

The Judith River Formation is composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.[1] Coal beds, bentonite and coquinas are also observed.

Judith River Formation, Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument

Relationship with other units

The Judith River Formation conformably overlies the Claggett Formation and Pakowki Formation. It is overlain by the Bearpaw Formation.[1] It is equivalent to the Belly River Formation in the southern Canadian Rockies foothills, the Lea Park Formation in central Alberta and the Wapiti Formation in the northwestern plains.

Sub-divisions
Missouri River carved through the Judith River Formation, Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument

The Judith River Formation is divided into four members, the Parkman Sandstone Member, the McClelland Ferry Member, the Coal Ridge member, and the Woodhawk Member.[7] The McClelland Ferry Member (78.7-76.3 Ma) is believed to be equivalent to the Oldman Formation, with the Coal Ridge Member (76.3-75.3 Ma) equivalent to the Dinosaur Park Formation.[4]

Fauna

Faunal list follows a review published by Ashok Sahni in 1972 unless otherwise noted.[8]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
 Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Amphibians

There are three potential species of discoglossid frogs. Hip bones, possibly representing a North American member of the European spadefoot toad family are also known from the formation.

Amphibians of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Habrosaurus

H. dilatus

A siren.

Lisserpeton

L. bairdi

A scapherpetonid salamander.

Opisthotriton

O. kayi

A possible lungless salamander.

Prodesmodon

P. copei

A lungless salamander.

Scapherpeton

S. tectum

A scapherpetonid salamander.

Bony fish
Bony fishes of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Belonostomus Belonostomus longirostris An aspidorhynchiform.
Kindleia K. fragosa A bowfin.
Lepisosteus L. occidentalis Scales[9] A gar.
?Paralbula ?P. sp. A bonefish.
Priscosturion P. longipinnis McClelland Ferry[10] Upper Campanian[10] A Sturgeon.
Psammorhynchus P. longipinnis McClelland Ferry[10] Upper Campanian[10] Preoccupied name, renamed Priscosturion.[11]

Cartilaginous fish
Cartilaginous fishes of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Myledaphus

M. bipartitus

A stingray.

Choristoderes
Choristoderes of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Champsosaurus

C. sp.
Champsosaurus

Crocodilians
Crocodilians of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Brachychampsa

B. montana

 An alligatorid.
Brachychampsa
Deinosuchus

Leidyosuchus

L. canadensis

 An alligatorid.
Deinosuchus D. hatcheri[12] Teeth

Lizards
Lizards of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images

Chamops

C. segnis

 A whiptail.

Exostinus

E. lancensis

A knob-scaled lizard.

Leptochamops

L. denticulatus

A whiptail.

Paraderma

P. bogerti

A parasaniwid.

Parasaniwa

P. wyomingensis

A parasaniwid.

Ornithischian dinosaurs
Ornithischians reported from the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Albertaceratops

A. nesmoi[13]

Reclassified as Medusaceratops lokii
Avaceratops
Brachylophosaurus
Edmontonia
Furcatoceratops
Judiceratops
Medusaceratops
Mercuriceratops
Monoclonius
Probrachylophosaurus
Spiclypeus
Zuul

Avaceratops

A. lammersi[13]

 lower McClelland Ferry

"[Two] partial skulls, skeleton, juvenile,"[14] type specimen

A ceratopsid

Brachylophosaurus

B. canadensis

 middle McClelland Ferry

A hadrosaurid which was one of the more common dinosaurs in the area.[15]

Ceratops

C. montanus

"occipital condyle, paired horn cores,"[16] type specimen

A dubious ceratopsid

Corythosaurus C. sp.[17] middle Coal Ridge two partial skeletons A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid

Diclonius

D. calamarius

"Teeth."[18]

Nomen dubium

D. pentagonius

"Fragmentary dentary with teeth,"[18] type specimen

A dubious hadrosaurid

D. perengulatus

"Teeth."[18]

Nomen dubium

Dysganus

D. bicarinatus

"Isolated teeth."[16]

Nomen dubium

D. encaustus

"Single tooth and [five] tooth fragments."[18] "Isolated teeth."[16]

Nomen dubium

D. haydenianus

"Isolated teeth."[16]

Nomen dubium

D. peiganus

"Tooth."[16]

Nomen dubium

Edmontonia E. longiceps Isolated teeth[19]
Furcatoceratops F. elucidans Fergus County, Montana.[20] Upper Coal Ridge[20] Nearly complete subadult skeleton.[20] A ceratopsid

Hadrosaurus

H. paucidens

Reclassified as Lambeosaurus? paucidens

Hanssuesia H. sternbergi A pachycephalosaurid. Also present in the Dinosaur Park and Oldman Formations. Possible synonym of Stegoceras.

Judiceratops[21]

J. tigris[21]

 lower McClelland Ferry

A ceratopsid

?"Kritosaurus"

?"K." breviceps

A dubious hadrosaurid

?Lambeosaurus

?L. paucidens

"Squamosal, maxilla."[18]

Nomen dubium. An indeterminate lambeosaurine.[22]

Medusaceratops

M. lokii[23]

 lower McClelland Ferry

Bonebed[23]

A ceratopsid

Mercuriceratops

M. gemini[24]

 lower Coal Ridge

"one apomorphic squamosal"[24]

A ceratopsid

Monoclonius

M. crassus[13]

 lower Coal Ridge

"[Five] skulls, [one] complete."[14] Type specimen

A dubious ceratopsid

Paleoscincus

P. costatus

"Tooth,"[9] type specimen

A dubious ankylosaur

Probrachylophosaurus

P. bergei

 lower McClelland Ferry

A brachylophosaurin hadrosaur

Pteropelyx

P. grallipes

"Skeleton lacking skull."[25]

A dubious hadrosaurid

Trachodon

T. mirabilis

Isolated teeth, type specimen[9]

A dubious hadrosaurid

Spiclypeus S. shipporum McClelland Ferry[26] Partial skull, vertebrae, ribs, humerus, ilium, femur, tibia, and fibula. A ceratopsid
Zuul Z. crurivastator middle Coal Ridge Cranial and postcranial skeletal remains and soft tissue, type specimen An ankylosaurid

Theropod dinosaurs
Theropods reported from the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images

Aublysodon

A. lateralis

"Isolated teeth,"[27][28] type specimen

Junior synonym of Deinodon horridus[8]
Daspletosaurus
Dromaeosaurus
Gorgosaurus
Hesperornis
Saurornitholestes
Troodon

A. mirandus

Teeth, type specimen

Possible junior synonym of Deinodon horridus[8]

Hesperornis

H. altus

Partial tibiotarsus

One of the only known freshwater occurrences of a hesperornithid.[29]

Daspletosaurus D. torosus Maxilla[30] A large tyrannosaurid.
D. wilsoni[31] Jack’s B2 Partial skull, cervical, sacral, and caudal vertebrae, and a rib, chevron, and first metatarsal A transitional species between D. torosus and D. horneri

Deinodon

D. falculus

Teeth

Isolated tyrannosaur teeth classified in the dubious genus Deinodon

D. hazenianus

Teeth

Junior synonym of Deinodon horridus[8]

D. horridus

"Teeth,"[9] type specimen

Isolated tyrannosaur teeth that formed the basis of the dubious genus Deinodon

D. incrassatus

Teeth

Junior synonym of Deinodon horridus[8]

D. lateralis

Junior synonym of Deinodon horridus[8]

Dromaeosaurus

D. albertensis

 Ox Hill Quarry, Careless Creek Quarry, Hidden Valley Quarry & Blackbird Ridge Quarry.[32]

Teeth[32]

A dromaeosaurid, also found in the Dinosaur Park Formation

D. explanatus

"Tooth."[33]

Possible relative of Saurornitholestes

D. laevifrons

"Tooth."[33]

Possible relative of Saurornitholestes

Gorgosaurus G. libratus Postorbital[30] A large tyrannosaurid, also found in the Dinosaur Park Formation and possibly the Two Medicine Formation.

Ornithomimus

O. tenuis

"Fragmentary metatarsal."[34]

A possible troodontid or juvenile tyrannosaurid

Paronychodon

P. lacustris

Teeth, type specimen

An indeterminate maniraptoran, also found in the Dinosaur Park, Milk River, and Kirtland Formations

Richardoestesia R. gilmorei Careless Creek, Emily's Ankle, Hidden Valley & Blackbird Ridge quarries.[32] 12 teeth[32] A coelurosaur
Saurornitholestes S. langstoni Careless Creek, Emily's Ankle, Top Cat, Hidden Valley & Blackbird Ridge quarries.[32] Numerous teeth[32] A dromaeosaurid
Theropod "A" Antelope Head, Careless Creek, Emily's Ankle, Top Cat, Hidden Valley, Blackbird Ridge & Jensen Ranch quarries.[32] 28 teeth[32] Teeth of a large theropod distinct from those of tyrannosaurids

Troodon

T. formosus

 Antelope Head, Careless Creek, Emily's Ankle, Top Cat & Hidden Valley quarries.[32]

Teeth (type specimen),[9][32] egg

A troodontid, possibly dubious.

Zapsalis[35]

Z. abradens

"Teeth,"[33] type specimen

A dromaeosaurid

Turtles
Turtles of the Judith River Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Adocus A. sp.

Basilemys

B. sp.

A Mesoamerican river turtle.

See also

References
  1. Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Judith River Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  2. Hayden, F.V., 1871. Geology of the Missouri Valley: Preliminary report (4th annual) of the Geol. Surv. of Wyoming and portions of contiguous territories.
  3. Meek, Fielding Bradford, 1876. A report on the invertebrate Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils of the upper Missouri country, Hayden, F.V., Geologist in Charge; United States Geologic and Geographic Survey of the Territories, vol. 9, page 629
  4. Ramezani, Jahandar; Beveridge, Tegan L.; Rogers, Raymond R.; Eberth, David A.; Roberts, Eric M. (2022-09-26). "Calibrating the zenith of dinosaur diversity in the Campanian of the Western Interior Basin by CA-ID-TIMS U–Pb geochronology". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 16026. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-19896-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 9512893. PMID 36163377.
  5. Sullivan, R.M. and Lucas, S. G. (2006). "The Kirtlandian land-vertebrate "age"–faunal composition, temporal position and biostratigraphic correlation in the nonmarine Upper Cretaceous of western North America." Pp. 7-29 in Lucas, S. G. and Sullivan, R.M. (eds.), Late Cretaceous vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35.
  6. Eberth, David A. (1997). "Judith River Wedge". In Currie, Philip J.; Padian Kevin (eds.). Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 379–380. ISBN 0-12-226810-5.
  7. Rogers, Raymond R.; Kidwell, Susan M.; Deino, Alan L.; Mitchell, James P.; Nelson, Kenneth; Thole, Jeffrey T. (2016-01-01). "Age, Correlation, and Lithostratigraphic Revision of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Judith River Formation in Its Type Area (North-Central Montana), with a Comparison of Low- and High-Accommodation Alluvial Records". The Journal of Geology. 124 (1): 99–135. Bibcode:2016JG....124...99R. doi:10.1086/684289. ISSN 0022-1376. S2CID 130555911.
  8. Sahni, A. (1972). "The vertebrate fauna of the Judith River Formation, Montana." Bulletin of the AMNH, v. 147 article 6: 321-415.
  9. Leidy, J. (1856-12-31). "Notice of remains of extinct reptiles and fishes, discovered by Dr. FV Hayden in the Bad Lands of the Judith River, Nebraska Territory". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 8: 72–73. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1038128.
  10. Grande, Lance; Hilton, Eric J. (July 2006). "An Exquisitely Preserved Skeleton Representing a Primitive Sturgeon from the Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana (Acipenseriformes: Acipenseridae: N. Gen. and Sp.)". Journal of Paleontology. 80 (S65): 1–39. doi:10.1666/05032.1. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 131689748.
  11. Grande, Lance; Hilton, Eric J. (March 2009). "A replacement name for †Psammorhynchus Grande & Hilton, 2006 (Actinopterygii, Acipenseriformes, Acipenseridae)". Journal of Paleontology. 83 (2): 317–318. doi:10.1666/08-137.1. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 85233540.
  12. Schwimmer, David (2002). King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus. 601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. p. 200.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  13. Ryan and Evans, 2005
  14. "Table 23.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 495.
  15. Trexler, David; Murphy, Nate; Thompson, Mark (June 2007). ""Leonardo," a Mummified Brachylophosaurus (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) from the Judith River Formation of Montana". In Carpenter, Kenneth (ed.). Horns and Beaks. IU Office of Scholarly Publishing Herman B Wells Library E350 1320 E 10th Street E4 Bloomington, IN 47405-3907: Indiana University Press. pp. 117–133.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  16. "Table 23.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 496.
  17. Takasaki, Ryuji; Chiba, Kentaro; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Brink, Kirstin S.; Evans, David C.; Fanti, Federico; Saneyoshi, Mototaka; Maltese, Anthony; Ishigaki, Shinobu (2022-10-23). "Description of the first definitive Corythosaurus (Dinosauria, Hadrosauridae) specimens from the Judith River Formation in Montana, USA and their paleobiogeographical significance". The Anatomical Record. 306 (7): 1918–1938. doi:10.1002/ar.25097. ISSN 1932-8486. PMID 36273398. S2CID 253081338.
  18. "Table 20.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 442.
  19. Sahni, Ashok (1972). "The vertebrate fauna of the Judith River Formation, Montana. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 147, article 6". hdl:2246/1099. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. Ishikawa, Hiroki; Tsuihiji, Takanobu; Manabe, Makoto (2023-07-20). "Furcatoceratops elucidans, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA". Cretaceous Research. 151: 105660. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105660. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 260046917.
  21. Nicholas R. Longrich (2013). "Judiceratops tigris, a New Horned Dinosaur from the Middle Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 54 (1): 51–65. doi:10.3374/014.054.0103. S2CID 129801786.
  22. Prieto-Márquez, Alberto; Weishampel, David B.; Horner, John R. (2006). "The dinosaur Hadrosaurus foulkii, from the Campanian of the East Coast of North America, with a reevaluation of the genus" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 51 (1): 77–98.
  23. Ryan, Michael J.; Russell, Anthony P., and Hartman, Scott. (2010). "A New Chasmosaurine Ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation, Montana", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, 656 pp. ISBN 0-253-35358-0.
  24. Ryan, Michael J.; Evans, David C.; Currie, Phillip J.; Loewen, Mark A. (2014). "A New chasmosaurine from northern Laramidia expands frill disparity in ceratopsid dinosaurs". Naturwissenschaften. doi:10.1007/s00114-014-1183-1
  25. "Table 20.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 443.
  26. Fowler, Denver Warwick (2017-11-22). "Revised geochronology, correlation, and dinosaur stratigraphic ranges of the Santonian-Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) formations of the Western Interior of North America". PLOS ONE. 12 (11): e0188426. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1288426F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188426. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5699823. PMID 29166406.
  27. "Table 4.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 78.
  28. "Table 5.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 114.
  29. Fox, R.C. (1974). "A middle Campanian, nonmarine occurrence of the Cretaceous toothed bird Hesperornis Marsh." Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 11: 1335-1338.
  30. Carr, Thomas D. (2018). "Significant geographic range extension for the sympatric tyrannosaurids Albertosaurus libratus and Daspletosaurus torosus from the Judith River Formation (Late Campanian) of northern Montana" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (Supplement 1): 102.
  31. Warshaw, Elías A.; Fowler, Denver W. (2022). "A transitional species of Daspletosaurus Russell, 1970 from the Judith River Formation of eastern Montana". PeerJ. 10. e14461. doi:10.7717/peerj.14461. PMC 9703990. PMID 36452080.
  32. Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Currie, Philip J. (1994-03-31). "Theropod teeth from the Judith River Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of south-central Montana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 14 (1): 74–80. doi:10.1080/02724634.1994.10011539. ISSN 0272-4634.
  33. "Table 9.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 186.
  34. "Table 6.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 139.
  35. Larson, D. W.; Currie, P. J. (2013). "Multivariate Analyses of Small Theropod Dinosaur Teeth and Implications for Paleoecological Turnover through Time". In Evans, Alistair Robert. PLoS ONE 8: e54329. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054329. edit
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