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Winton Formation

The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in the Eromanga Basin of central-western Queensland, Australia, extending into parts of northeast South Australia and northwest New South Wales, deposited during the late Albian to early Turonian stages approximately 100 to 93 million years ago in a fluvial to lacustrine environment characterized by meandering rivers, floodplains, and seasonal wetlands.^[1]^[2]^[3] Composed primarily of heterogeneous sedimentary rocks including volcanolithic sandstones, mudstones, siltstones, claystones, minor conglomerates, and coal seams, the formation reaches thicknesses of up to 1,100 meters, with typical ranges of 400 to 1,000 meters in the central Eromanga Depression.^[1]^[2] The depositional setting reflects a warm, humid paleoclimate with annual rainfall exceeding 1,300 mm and multi-year cycles of wet and dry seasons, supporting diverse ecosystems on alluvial plains at a paleolatitude of about 50°S.^[2]^[3] The Winton Formation is globally significant for its exceptional fossil record, preserving mid-Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrates and plants from the Manuka Subgroup of the Rolling Downs Group, including theropod dinosaurs such as Australovenator and sauropods like Wintonotitan, alongside crocodyliforms, turtles, lungfish, and early angiosperms.^[2] Recent studies (as of 2025) have identified new sauropod specimens and fossilized gut contents, further highlighting its paleobiological importance.^[4]^[5] Iconic sites like the Lark Quarry Trackways, featuring over 3,000 dinosaur footprints in the upper member, highlight its role in understanding Cretaceous biodiversity and behavior.^[3] Additionally, the formation hosts substantial low-rank coal resources (lignite to sub-bituminous) at shallow depths, with low sulfur and ash content, influencing regional resource assessments.^[1]

Geology

Location and Extent

The Winton Formation is primarily exposed in the central-western region of Queensland, Australia, within the Eromanga Basin, and extends into the northeast of South Australia and the northwest of New South Wales.^[2] It forms part of the broader Great Artesian Basin system, with its distribution mapped across these jurisdictions based on surface outcrops and subsurface interpretations.^[6] Key outcrop areas are concentrated around the town of Winton (22°23′S 143°02′E), including sites at Elderslie Station, Belmont Station, Lovelle Downs Station, Lark Quarry Conservation Area, and Bladensburg National Park.^[2]^[7] The formation's surface coverage blankets extensive areas of the Eromanga Basin, with outcrops often limited by overlying Paleogene or younger strata, resulting in patchy exposures across low-relief plains and hills.^[8] Subsurface extent is delineated through borehole data, revealing a regional distribution that aligns with the basin's geometry, where the formation underlies younger sediments over a broad area interpreted at a 1:1,000,000 scale.^[6] Thickness varies significantly, reaching up to 1,000 meters or more in depocenters based on drillhole intercepts, though surface expressions are thinner due to post-depositional erosion.^[2] In relation to modern topography, the Winton Formation is exposed primarily through Cenozoic erosion and local faulting, which have removed overlying cover and revealed the unit in erosional windows across the arid outback landscape.^[8] This exposure is most prominent in the gently undulating terrain of central-western Queensland, where weathering has shaped accessible outcrops for geological study, while subsurface continuity is confirmed by petroleum and groundwater exploration boreholes.^[6]

Stratigraphy

The Winton Formation constitutes the uppermost unit of the Rolling Downs Group within the intracratonic Eromanga Basin of northeastern Australia.^[1] It represents a significant non-marine component of the Late Cretaceous stratigraphic succession in the region, marking a transition from underlying marine deposits to terrestrial sediments.^[2] The formation conformably overlies the marine Mackunda Formation across much of its extent, with local variations where it directly overlies the older Allaru Formation due to depositional pinching out of the Mackunda.^[1] In areas of exposure or erosion, it is unconformably overlain by Quaternary or Cenozoic sediments, including those of the Lake Eyre Basin.^[1] The type section is designated near Winton in central-western Queensland, specifically in the vicinity of Elderslie and Lovelle Downs Stations, where the formation's lower and upper divisions are well-exposed.^[2] Thickness of the Winton Formation varies regionally, attaining up to approximately 200 meters in eastern Queensland portions of the Eromanga Basin and thickening westward to over 1,000 meters in depocenters toward South Australia. This lateral variation reflects depositional gradients in the ancient fluvial systems that accumulated the sediments.^[9] Stratigraphically, the Winton Formation correlates with equivalent non-marine units in the adjacent Surat Basin to the east, including the Springbok Sandstone and Gubberamunda Sandstone, based on lithostratigraphic and palynological similarities. These correlations highlight the interconnected depositional history across the broader Great Artesian Basin system during the mid-Cretaceous.

Lithology and Depositional Environment

The Winton Formation consists primarily of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks, including fine- to medium-grained volcanolithic sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, and claystones, with minor occurrences of conglomerates and coal seams.^[10] These rocks are characterized by feldspatholithic to lithofeldspathic arenites, often featuring current ripple cross-lamination, trough and tabular cross-stratification, and sandstone concretions formed during early diagenesis.^[11] The presence of minor coal indicates localized organic-rich accumulation in swampy settings.^[10] Sedimentary facies within the formation reflect a range of fluvial and associated environments, including channel sandstones indicative of meandering rivers, overbank mudstones and siltstones from floodplain deposits, and finer-grained lacustrine and mire facies in minor lakes and swamps.^[12] These facies exhibit repetitive sequences with low-energy features such as ripple cross-lamination and probable oxbow lake deposits, suggesting deposition in a low-gradient system with infrequent scouring floods.^[10] The depositional model for the Winton Formation involves meandering river systems traversing coastal alluvial plains, which filled the subsiding Eromanga Basin following the regression of the epicontinental Eromanga Sea.^[11] This transition from marine to terrestrial conditions is evident in the lowermost units, where fluvial channels and flood basins formed proximal to the retreating seaway, with mixed marine and meteoric influences during early deposition.^[11] Paleogeographically, the formation records low-gradient alluvial plains situated proximal to the waning Eromanga Sea in central-western Queensland, at approximately 50°S paleolatitude, as part of the broader infilling of the Eromanga Basin during the final stages of marine regression.^[10] This setting supported a freshwater-dominated landscape with seasonal rainfall and warm temperatures, facilitating the development of extensive riverine and wetland environments.^[10] Taphonomic conditions in the Winton Formation favored fossil preservation through rapid burial in floodplain and overbank settings, as well as early diagenetic processes in silica-rich, anaerobic environments that led to minimal compression and silicification of remains.^[10] Sandstone concretions, cemented by calcite and formed syndepositionally via sulfate reduction and methanogenesis of organic matter, commonly encase vertebrate and plant fossils with preserved three-dimensional structure.^[11]

Age and Geochronology

The Winton Formation spans the late Albian to early Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous, corresponding to approximately 104–92 million years ago.^[13] This temporal framework is established through integrated biostratigraphic, radiometric, and stratigraphic correlations, providing constraints on the deposition of its fluvial and lacustrine sediments.^[14] Biostratigraphic evidence primarily derives from palynomorph assemblages, which align the formation with the Coptospora paradoxa Zone (Burger's Assemblage Zone III), indicative of late Albian to early Cenomanian ages.^[15] These spore-pollen taxa, including Coptospora paradoxa and Phimopollenites pannosus, dominate preserved organic matter and confirm the formation's position above the late Albian marine Mackunda Formation, which yields ammonites such as Szivesites sp. diagnostic of that stage.^[1] No Cenomanian or younger marine index fossils occur within the Winton Formation itself, supporting its nonmarine character and relative dating.^[16] Radiometric dating via U-Pb analysis of detrital zircons from volcaniclastic sandstones provides maximum depositional ages, with the youngest concordant grains clustering around 100.5–103 Ma (latest Albian) for lower sections and as young as 92.5–93.9 Ma (earliest Turonian) in upper, fossil-rich horizons.^[14] These results, derived from laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on over 300 grains across multiple sites, indicate initial sedimentation no earlier than ~103 Ma and ongoing deposition through the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary.^[17] Magnetostratigraphic correlation is limited by the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (quiet magnetic zone spanning ~120–83 Ma), rendering polarity reversals unavailable for fine-scale resolution; instead, global stage correlations rely on the aforementioned biostratigraphy and radiometric data.^[14] Post-2013 studies have refined these constraints through additional detrital zircon analyses, confirming maximum ages of 100.5–102.2 Ma for lower Albian sections at sites like Isisford and extending the upper range to lowermost Turonian (~92 Ma) based on integrated provenance and stratigraphic modeling.^[18] These updates enhance correlations with contemporaneous Gondwanan units, such as the Griman Creek Formation in eastern Australia.^[19]

History of Research

Naming and Early Studies

The Winton Formation was formally named in 1955 by Frederick William Whitehouse, who designated its type section based on borehole data from water and exploration wells in and around the town of Winton, Queensland. Whitehouse described the unit as comprising blue shales, sandstones, and intercalated coal seams, representing fluvial and lacustrine deposits that form the uppermost part of the Rolling Downs Group in the Eromanga Basin. This naming refined earlier informal references to the sediments and emphasized their distinction from underlying marine units, drawing on both subsurface cores and limited surface outcrops across central-western Queensland.^[20]^[21] Prior to Whitehouse's work, the rocks now assigned to the Winton Formation had been noted in early 20th-century regional geological surveys as part of broader Cretaceous sequences. In 1916, Benjamin Dunstan referred to them as the "Winton Series," describing interbedded sandstones, shales, mudstones, and coal measures overlying marine strata in the Winton district. These early accounts, based on surface observations and initial well logs, placed the series within the non-marine upper Cretaceous of the Eromanga Basin, though without precise boundaries or type sections.^[22]^[2] Initial stratigraphic assignments often conflated the Winton Formation with adjacent units, particularly the conformably underlying Mackunda Formation, due to their transitional depositional environments from shallow marine to fluvial settings. Before 1955, both were commonly grouped under terms like "Rolling Downs Shales" in regional mappings, leading to ambiguities in correlations across the basin. Whitehouse's 1955 definitions resolved much of this confusion by using borehole lithology and fossil content to delineate the contact, with the Mackunda characterized by glauconitic sands and the Winton by coarser, coal-bearing clastics.^[2]^[20] First paleontological notes on dinosaur bones in the Cretaceous strata of the Eromanga Basin region were reported in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by pastoralists and explorers, who encountered large fossilized remains during land management activities on stations near Winton and Richmond. These informal reports, including fragments sent to museums, highlighted the potential for vertebrate fossils in the non-marine Cretaceous units and preceded formal descriptions such as that of Austrosaurus mckillopi from nearby strata in 1933.^[23]

Major Discoveries and Fossil Sites

One of the most iconic fossil sites in the Winton Formation is the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park, located about 110 km southwest of Winton in central-western Queensland. Discovered in 1976 by local pastoral workers, the site preserves approximately 3,300 individual theropod dinosaur footprints in a single sandstone layer, dated to around 95 million years ago. This trackway assemblage, covering an area of about 120 square meters, was originally interpreted as recording a "stampede" event with small- to medium-sized theropods pursuing larger ornithopod prey, providing evidence of predatory behavior in the Late Cretaceous; however, subsequent studies (as of 2013) suggest the tracks may represent multiple individuals traversing the site over time, possibly including swim tracks, rather than a single event. The site's significance led to its designation as a national monument in 2004, with ongoing conservation efforts by Queensland's Department of Environment and Science.^[24]^[25]^[22] In the Richmond and Winton districts, extensive bone beds have yielded significant sauropod remains, highlighting the formation's role as a key repository for titanosaur fossils. A notable example is the partial skeleton of Australotitan cooperensis, dubbed the "Eromanga Titan," excavated from a site near Eromanga starting in 2007 by the Eromanga Natural History Museum. This specimen, comprising vertebrae, limb bones, and other elements, represents one of Australia's largest known dinosaurs and was formally described in 2021 based on material recovered over more than a decade of fieldwork. These bone beds, often exposed in outcrops along river systems, have produced multiple associated skeletons, underscoring the depositional environment's favorability for preserving large vertebrate remains.^[26]^[27] The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, established near Winton, has been central to ongoing excavations since 2006, when operations relocated to a dedicated 1,400-hectare site at The Jump-Up donated by local landowners. Annual digs, involving museum staff, volunteers, and collaborations with institutions like the Queensland Museum, have uncovered numerous dinosaur specimens from the Winton Formation, including partial skeletons of sauropods and theropods such as those contributing to the descriptions of Diamantinasaurus matildae and Australovenator wintonensis. By 2010, these efforts had yielded over 20 major fossil sites on nearby properties like Elderslie and Belmont Stations, with preparations ongoing for hundreds of bone fragments in the museum's laboratory. This systematic program has significantly expanded the known vertebrate diversity from the region.^[28]^[29] More recent discoveries (2020–2025) include fragmentary megaraptorid theropod remains near the type locality of Australovenator wintonensis (described 2020), additional sauropod specimens re-evaluated in comprehensive studies (2021), and the Snake Creek Tracksite, a diverse vertebrate ichnoassemblage preserving the first sauropod tracks from the formation (reported 2021). These finds continue to enhance understanding of the Winton Formation's faunal diversity through ongoing museum and academic collaborations.^[30]^[31]^[25] Early 20th-century collections laid the groundwork for Winton Formation paleontology, with museums like the Queensland Museum acquiring initial specimens through regional surveys. For instance, the holotype of Austrosaurus mckillopi, consisting of seven dorsal vertebrae and other elements, was discovered in 1932 on Clutha Station near Richmond by station overseer Henry Burgoyne Wade and described the following year. Later mid-century finds, such as the partial sauropod skeleton later named Wintonotitan wattsi recovered near Winton in the 1970s, further enriched institutional collections and prompted renewed interest in the formation's potential. These historical efforts, often opportunistic during pastoral activities, established the area's reputation as a dinosaur hotspot.^[32] Expeditions in the 2010s, including surveys tied to resource exploration in the Eromanga Basin, have revealed additional non-dinosaurian fossils, such as crocodyliform remains from Elderslie Station excavated in 2010 and pterosaur bones from Belmont Station found in 2017. The crocodyliform specimen, including a partial skull and postcranial elements, represents a primitive eusuchian and was recovered during targeted paleontological assessments. The pterosaur material, comprising wing elements of the anhanguerid Ferrodraco lentoni, marks the first such discovery in the Winton Formation and was unearthed by grazier Bob Elliott, leading to formal description in 2019. These finds, often from private land holdings, have broadened understanding of the formation's aquatic and aerial faunas through collaborative academic and museum-led initiatives.^[31]^[33]

Paleontology

Flora

The flora of the Winton Formation is characterized by a diverse assemblage of vascular plants, reflecting a transitional phase in Australian Cretaceous vegetation from gymnosperm-dominated ecosystems to those with increasing angiosperm influence. Dominant groups include early angiosperms, conifers such as Araucariaceae and podocarps, ferns, bennettitaleans (cycad-like plants), and ginkgophytes, with angiosperms and conifers co-dominating the assemblage. Over 50 macrofossil plant taxa have been identified, underscoring high diversity in this mid-Cretaceous setting.^[34]^[35] Key taxa are represented primarily by leaf impressions and fragmentary reproductive structures. Angiosperms are evidenced by simple to lobed dicotyledonous leaves, including forms suggestive of early laurel-like or hamamelid affinities. Conifers include Araucaria-like foliage and shoots, as well as podocarp woods assigned to Protophyllocladoxylon wintonense, indicating a significant podocarp component supported by palynological data. Bennettitales are present through fronds such as Otozamites and Ptilophyllum, while ferns like Cladophlebis and Phyllopteroides occur sporadically, and ginkgophytes are represented by Ginkgoites leaves. Cycad-like elements are noted but less abundant.^[34] Plant fossils are predominantly preserved as compressions and impressions in fine-grained siltstones, mudstones, and thin coal seams, derived from swampy, low-energy depositional settings such as floodplains and channel margins. These preservation modes capture delicate leaf venation and cuticular details, though permineralized woods and rare cones provide additional anatomical insights. Paleoecologically, the Winton flora suggests a humid subtropical forest environment with riparian vegetation along meandering rivers, where angiosperms were radiating and occupying mid- to upper-canopy niches alongside conifers. This assemblage indicates seasonally wet conditions supporting diverse understory elements like ferns and bennettitaleans, marking a key stage in the Cretaceous angiosperm diversification across Gondwana.^[36]^[34]

Invertebrate Fauna

The invertebrate fauna of the Winton Formation is notably sparse relative to the abundant vertebrate remains, yet it includes key molluscan and arthropod fossils that illuminate the mid-Cretaceous fluvial and lacustrine paleoenvironments of central-western Queensland.^[2] These fossils, primarily body impressions and rare trace structures, occur in fine-grained siltstones and mudstones, preserving evidence of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.^[37] Molluscan remains dominate the known invertebrate record, consisting mainly of freshwater bivalves adapted to slow-flowing rivers and associated with lacustrine deposits. At least two types of small bivalves or mussels have been identified, including the species Prohyria macrimichaeli, whose presence supports interpretations of low-energy fluvial settings.^[37] Gastropods are exceptionally rare, with only two poorly preserved freshwater specimens documented as the first such records from the formation, highlighting their limited occurrence in these continental sediments.^[38] Arthropod fossils, particularly from Insecta, are represented by isolated impressions of beetle wing cases, dragonfly wings, damselfly wing fragments, and cicadids, often found in association with sauropod bonebeds in siltstone layers.^[37] Trace fossils further indicate arthropod activity, including crayfish-like burrows (Camborygma ichnospecies) that suggest burrowing behavior by decapod crustaceans in marginal aquatic zones.^[39] Overall, the low diversity of these invertebrates—contrasting sharply with the richer vertebrate assemblage—emphasizes their role as environmental indicators, particularly signaling persistent freshwater conditions amid a warm, humid continental landscape.^[2]

Fish Fauna

The fish fauna of the Winton Formation, primarily preserved in fluvial and floodplain deposits, consists mainly of disarticulated teeth, scales, and partial skeletons indicative of freshwater environments with seasonal variations.^[3] These assemblages reflect adaptation to riverine and lacustrine systems, where lungfish dominated and predatory ray-finned fishes occupied higher trophic levels.^[40] Chondrichthyes are represented by indeterminate shark teeth, suggesting the presence of freshwater-adapted elasmobranchs in the formation's deltaic and riverine settings.^[41] These remains, often fragmented and associated with floodplain sediments, indicate sharks as occasional inhabitants of the aquatic ecosystems, though no formal species have been described from the unit.^[42] Dipnoans, particularly ceratodontid lungfish, form a significant component of the fauna, with three species documented: Ceratodus sp., Metaceratodus ellioti, and Metaceratodus wollastoni.^[40] These taxa, known from isolated tooth plates and dentaries, exhibit endemic radiation and adaptations such as robust dentition for crushing, suited to the seasonal drying of rivers and lakes in the mid-Cretaceous landscape.^[43] Lungfish remains are abundant in overbank deposits, underscoring their ecological dominance in low-oxygen, variable aquatic habitats.^[44] Actinopterygians include primitive ray-finned forms, with notable records of an elopomorph resembling modern tarpons (Megalops) and the ichthyodectiform Cladocyclus gardneri. The elopomorph, represented by a partial skeleton exceeding 1 meter in length from near Isisford, features a predatory morphology adapted to fast-flowing rivers.^[45] Cladocyclus gardneri, based on an articulated skull and anterior body (QM F44329) from upper Albian strata near Isisford, measures 0.6–1.05 meters and marks the first eastern Gondwanan occurrence of this genus, highlighting its freshwater incursions. A possible halecomorph is also reported from Isisford, though its affinities remain unconfirmed pending further study. These ray-finned fishes, preserved as disarticulated elements in volcaniclastic sandstones, played key roles as predators in the formation's river systems.^[40]

Non-Dinosaurian Reptiles

The non-dinosaurian reptiles of the Winton Formation represent a modest but significant component of the mid-Cretaceous vertebrate assemblage, primarily comprising semi-aquatic forms adapted to the fluvial and deltaic environments of eastern Gondwana. These taxa, including squamates, turtles, and crocodyliformes, are preserved as isolated elements or partial skeletons within sandstone concretions and claystones, often indicating burial in low-energy channel sands or overbank deposits associated with riverine systems. Their diversity, estimated at around 5–10 taxa based on body fossils and tracks, underscores the formation's role as a mosaic of freshwater and brackish habitats proximal to the Eromanga Sea.^[46]^[47]^[15] Squamates are sparsely represented, with the most notable find being a single posterior trunk vertebra (QM F52673) identified as a dolichosaurid lizard, cf. Coniasaurus. This procoelous vertebra, measuring approximately 1.5 times longer than wide and exhibiting varanoid features without pachyostosis, marks the earliest or second-earliest record of a squamate in Australia and the first from non-marine Gondwanan deposits. Recovered from silty claystone in the lower (latest Albian) portion of the formation via wet sieving, it suggests adaptation of marine dolichosaurids to freshwater settings, possibly facilitated by warming sea-surface temperatures and oceanic connectivity during the mid-Cretaceous. Indeterminate skink-like remains further hint at terrestrial or semi-aquatic lizard diversity, though these are fragmentary and lack formal description.^[48]^[15] Turtles (Testudines) are primarily chelids, reflecting the dominance of freshwater pleurodires in Australian Cretaceous ecosystems. Identifiable remains consist of carapace fragments and internal molds from multiple sites, including the Matilda Site (AODL 85), preserved in fine-grained clays indicative of oxbow lakes or low-energy fluvial settings. These chelids, potentially akin to basal forms like Chelodina, exhibit flattened, oval carapaces suited to riverine navigation, with no named species yet erected from the formation. A rare chelonioid sea turtle carapace cast (QM F12413) from the lowermost Albian section, featuring reduced costal plates and fontanelles, suggests occasional marine incursions into tidal-fluvial zones, though its euryhaline nature remains debated.^[15]^[49] Crocodyliformes dominate the reptile record, with at least two named eusuchian genera highlighting semi-aquatic predation in delta-plain habitats. Isisfordia duncani, a basal eusuchian reaching 1.1 m in length, is known from multiple specimens including a near-complete articulated holotype (QM F36211) and partial skeletons (e.g., QM F34642, QM F44319), preserved in calcite-cemented sandstone concretions with minimal abrasion, denoting autochthonous burial by floodwaters. These fossils, from the upper Albian near Isisford, include juveniles and adults, implying brackish-water tolerance and thermoregulation in standing pools. Confractosuchus sauroktonos, a larger macro-generalist (2–2.5 m), is represented by a near-complete skull and semi-articulated postcrania (AODF 0890) from Cenomanian strata, containing gastric residues of a juvenile ornithopod dinosaur, evidencing ambush predation and dismemberment capabilities. Both genera's partial skeletons in channel sands reflect lifestyles tied to distributary channels and overbanks.^[46]^[47] Sauropterygia are rare, with marine-influenced occurrences limited to proximal fluvial areas. An elasmosaur specimen discovered in 2022 from Elderslie Station, comprising a partial skull and neck, represents one of Australia's most complete such finds from the formation (~100 Ma), suggesting occasional upstream migration into riverine systems. These fragmentary remains align with the semi-aquatic theme, preserved in sediments transitional to marine influences.^[50]

Dinosaurs

The dinosaurian fauna of the Winton Formation is characterized by a predominance of sauropodomorphs, with theropods and ornithischians represented by more fragmentary remains. Fossils primarily consist of partial skeletons, isolated bones, and teeth, reflecting a fluvial depositional environment that favored the preservation of large-bodied herbivores alongside opportunistic predators. This assemblage provides key insights into mid-Cretaceous dinosaur evolution in eastern Gondwana, highlighting a community structured around abundant vegetation supporting multiple titanosauriform lineages. Ornithischian remains are exceedingly rare in the Winton Formation, with no complete specimens documented. Fragmentary osteoderms and possible limb elements suggest the presence of ankylosaurians, representing the first evidence of thyreophorans in this unit and indicating a minor role for armored herbivores in the ecosystem. Referrals of material to the ornithopod Muttaburrasaurus have been proposed based on isolated postcranial elements but remain debated due to stratigraphic and morphological uncertainties, as the genus is primarily known from underlying formations. Sauropods dominate the known dinosaur diversity, all belonging to the Titanosauriformes clade and comprising medium- to large-bodied quadrupedal herbivores adapted to the formation's floodplain settings. Diamantinasaurus matildae, described from a partial skeleton including fore- and hindlimbs, pelvis, and vertebrae, exemplifies a robust diamantinasaurian titanosaur with a body length estimated at 12–15 meters. In 2025, fossilized gut contents preserved within a specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae provided the first direct evidence of sauropod herbivory, revealing a diet of diverse plant material from low- to high-level browsing with minimal chewing.^[51] Wintonotitan wattsi, known from a partial neck, dorsal vertebrae, and limb elements, represents a more slender wintonotitanin with an estimated length of 10–13 meters, distinguished by its elongated cervicals. Savannasaurus elliottorum, based on an incomplete skeleton preserving much of the axial and appendicular skeleton, features notably wide hips (over 1.1 meters across) and a body length of about 15 meters, showcasing plesiomorphic titanosaur traits alongside derived pelvic adaptations for enhanced stability. In 2021, Australotitan cooperensis was named from large limb bones (including a 1.7-meter-long humerus), suggesting a gigantic titanosaur up to 30 meters long and weighing 70 tons, the largest dinosaur known from Australia; however, ongoing analyses question its distinctiveness, proposing potential synonymy with Diamantinasaurus based on proportional similarities and phylogenetic placement. At least four valid sauropod taxa are recognized, with additional unnamed specimens indicating further diversity within this herbivore guild.^[52] Theropod remains are less common but include significant carnivorous forms, primarily megaraptorans that likely preyed on juvenile or subadult sauropods. Australovenator wintonensis, the best-known theropod from the formation, is represented by a partial skeleton including the hindlimbs, pelvis, and partial forelimbs, revealing a bipedal predator about 5–6 meters long with hypertrophied manual claws suited for grasping; initially classified as a carcharodontosaurid, it is now firmly placed within Megaraptoridae based on updated phylogenetic analyses. Isolated teeth and postcranial fragments hint at possible spinosaurid presence, though these await formal description and confirmation. Trackways, such as those at the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede site, preserve tridactyl impressions attributed to theropods, depicting a group of small- to medium-sized individuals in a preserved "stampede" event interpreted as defensive behavior against a larger predator. Overall, the Winton Formation yields at least 6–8 dinosaur taxa, underscoring a sauropod-dominated herbivore community supplemented by diverse but low-abundance carnivores, consistent with a productive riparian ecosystem. Recent 3D digitization efforts have refined understandings of ontogenetic variation and taxonomic boundaries among sauropods, enhancing reconstructions of this Gondwanan fauna.^[52]

Mammaliaforms

Mammaliaforms, the clade encompassing mammals and their closest extinct relatives, are currently unknown from the Winton Formation, despite the unit's rich record of other terrestrial vertebrates such as dinosaurs and crocodyliforms.^[53] Extensive surveys and excavations in the formation's fine-grained sediments, which preserve isolated teeth and small bones of other taxa, have not recovered any synapsid remains, including jaw fragments or dental elements typical of indeterminate mammaliaforms.^[2] This absence contrasts with the low-diversity but documented Cretaceous mammaliaform records elsewhere in Australia, primarily from Early Cretaceous deposits in southern states, where australosphenids and haramyid-like multituberculates indicate insectivorous habits and Gondwanan affinities.^[54] The lack of mammaliaform fossils in the Winton Formation underscores a broader gap in mid-Cretaceous mammalian paleontology for northern Gondwana, with no evidence of therapsid-grade or more derived forms like cynodonts reclassified post-2000 studies.^[55] Preservation biases toward larger diapsids may contribute, as fine sediments at sites like Isisford and Richmond yield small aquatic taxa but few terrestrial micromammals.^[37] If present, any mammaliaforms would represent the earliest Late Cretaceous evidence for Australia, potentially filling biogeographic voids between southern Early Cretaceous australosphenids and Paleogene marsupials.^[56]

References

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1.2.1.1.5 Winton Formation - Bioregional Assessments |
Jan 3, 2019 · The Winton Formation is a heterogeneous package of sedimentary rocks that include lithic and feldspathic sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, coal, minor ...
[2]
The palaeoenvironment of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian ...
Sep 7, 2018 · The Winton Formation covers a large geographic area of western Queensland, northeast South Australia and northwest New South Wales (Fig. 1; Gray ...
[3]
Investigating the stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments for a suite of ...
The Winton Formation of central Queensland is recognized as a quintessential source of mid-Cretaceous terrestrial faunas and floras in Australia.
[4]
https://peerj.com/articles/17180/
[5]
GPS coordinates of Winton, Queensland, Australia. Latitude
GPS coordinates of Winton, Queensland, Australia. Latitude: -22.3913 Longitude: 143.0381.
[6]
The Winton Formation - Dinosaur Lab - University of Queensland
The Winton Formation is a rock unit that blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone and ...
[7]
[PDF] Stratigraphy, sedimentation and age of the upper cretaceous Winton ...
Winton Formation and moderately common in the lower Winton Formation. In core, FA5 is identified in all sections of the Winton Formation in most cores. This ...
[8]
https://dinosaurs.group.uq.edu.au/winton-formation
[9]
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/34439/1/JCU_34439-tucker-2014-thesis.pdf
[10]
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5513
[11]
https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2016.67
[12]
Sauropod dinosaur teeth from the lower Upper Cretaceous Winton ...
Jul 13, 2022 · The Winton Formation is a non-marine, mid-Cretaceous sedimentary unit that crops out extensively across the Eromanga Basin of northeast ...
[13]
Detrital zircon age constraints for the Winton Formation, Queensland
The Winton Formation provides an important snapshot of Australia's late Mesozoic terrestrial biota, boasting a vertebrate fauna that includes dinosaurs, ...Missing: extent | Show results with:extent
[14]
New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton ...
The Winton Formation is approximately 1100 m thick and is ascribed a late Albian-Cenomanian age by Burger [10]. This was based on the extensive formation ...
[15]
The palaeoenvironment of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian ...
Sep 7, 2018 · The Winton Formation is increasingly recognised as an important source of information about the Cretaceous of Australia, and, more broadly, ...
[16]
Detrital zircon age constraints for the Winton Formation, Queensland
Aug 6, 2025 · The goal of this study was to use U–Pb isotope dating of detrital zircons by laser ablation to refine the depositional age range of selected ...
[17]
Depositional Environment of the Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian ...
Sep 1, 2016 · The lower most Winton Formation is thought to have formed in a fluvial channel or flood-basin setting proximal to the Eromanga Sea, but due to ...
[18]
Revised geology, age, and vertebrate diversity of the dinosaur ...
The GCF at Lightning Ridge is therefore equivalent to the middle part of the Winton Formation (Queensland) and several million years older than the sauropod- ...Missing: coordinates | Show results with:coordinates
[19]
[PDF] STRATIGRAPHY, PALAEONTOLOGY, MALACOLOGY - Jurassic.ru
General: The age of the Oodnadatta Formation is generally considered to be middle to late Albian (Lud brook, 1966, 1978; McNamara, 1980), based on its ammonite ...
[20]
[PDF] department of mines and energy - NET
Winton Formation (Kw). The Winton Formation was named by Whitehouse (1955) for freshwater sediments with coal seams encountered in bores near Winton in ...
[21]
[PDF] Reevaluation of the Lark Quarry dinosaur Tracksite (late Albian ...
Jan 8, 2013 · The Winton Formation (late Albian–Cenomanian), originally described by Dunstan (1916) as the 'Winton Series,' consists of sandstones, shales, ...Missing: naming | Show results with:naming
[22]
(PDF) Vertebrate Palaeontology in Queensland - ResearchGate
Aug 7, 2025 · ... Edgeworth David,. Professor of d66Togy=t Sydney, qui.pped "Fancy. a ... Winton Formation (mid-. Cretaceous) of Queensl-and: Memoirs of the.
[23]
[PDF] Fine Art Prints - Australian Museum
The Winton dinosaur trackways owe most of their in- terest to the unique discovery of a dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry in 1976. A much-trampled drinking spot ...
[24]
A diverse Late Cretaceous vertebrate tracksite from the Winton ...
This tracksite preserves the first sauropod tracks reported from the Winton Formation—and, indeed, from eastern Australia—as well as numerous tridactyl tracks ...
[25]
A new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov ...
The Winton Formation consists of interbedded volcanolithic sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, minor coals and intraformational conglomerates (Gray, McKillop & ...
[26]
Meet Australia's largest dinosaur – Australotitan, the southern titan!
Jun 7, 2021 · The fossilised skeleton was originally nicknamed 'Cooper' after Cooper Creek, when first discovered in 2007 by the Eromanga Natural History ...
[27]
Our History - Australian Age of Dinosaurs
In 1999 while mustering sheep on his property Belmont near Winton, David Elliott discovered the fossilised bone of what was, at the time, Australia's largest ...
[28]
[PDF] Specimen Australovenator wintonensis from Winton, - Dinodata.de
Jun 27, 2012 · The holotype of Australovenator is derived from the lowermost part of the Winton Formation, in the northern Eromanga Basin. (Figure 1). The ...
[29]
Dinosaurs - Wintonotitan wattsi - The Australian Museum
More material of the same species was found in 2004 and 2006 at Elderslie Station, about 60 km north-west of Winton. This material was excavated and prepared ...
[30]
New discoveries - Australian Age of Dinosaurs
The crocodile specimen was discovered on Elderslie Station, near Winton and excavated by staff and volunteers from the Museum in 2010. Preserved in a soft ...Missing: mining surveys
[31]
Ferrodraco lentoni gen. et sp. nov., a new ornithocheirid pterosaur ...
discovered in April 2017 by one of the authors (RAE) — is the first pterosaur reported from the Winton Formation, and is also ...
[32]
https://australian.museum/learn/dinosaurs/fact-sheets/wintonotitan-wattsi/
[33]
A new species of Protophyllocladoxylon from the Upper Cretaceous ...
The recognition of Protophyllocladoxylon in the Winton Formation supports previous palynological frequency counts that suggest a dominance of podocarp conifers.
[34]
paleoclimate of the late cretaceous (cenomanian–turonian) portion ...
Mar 1, 2014 · The Winton Formation has until recently been regarded as mid-Cretaceous (latest Albian–Cenomanian) in age based on palynology, corresponding ...
[35]
Other Winton Formation fossils - UQ Dinosaur Lab
The Winton Formation fossils include theropod dinosaurs, crocodilians, turtles, insects, mussels, and plant impressions like araucaria pines and ginkgos.
[36]
First record of fossil freshwater gastropods within the winton formation
The Winton Formation is a mid Cretaceous (latest Albian to Cenomannian) terrestrial deposit which covers significant parts of the central west of Queensland ...
[37]
A trace fossil made by a walking crayfish or crayfish-like arthropod ...
Jan 26, 2021 · Fossil burrows (Camborygma ispp.), usually attributed to ... Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia. Stephen F. Poropat, PeerJ ...
[38]
[PDF] The first record of the ichthyodectiform fish Cladocyclus from eastern ...
Dec 2, 2014 · At present, the only freshwater fishes to be described from the Winton Formation are three species of ceratodont lungfish, all based on ...
[39]
Winton Formation - A biography of the Australian continent
Jul 25, 2009 · The waters of this delta system left fossils of lungfish, sharks, crocodiles, many teeth of which have been found in the sediments associated ...
[40]
A review of Australia's Mesozoic fishes: Alcheringa
Mar 3, 2020 · The vast majority of chondrichthyans are yet to be formally described; to the contrary all of the known lungfish specimens have been described.
[41]
Four Species of Metaceratodus (Osteichthyes - jstor
At le species of Metaceratodus also occurs in the Lower Cretaceous Coli-Toro Formation of South America. ... Winton, Queensland, Winton Formation, Upper Cret.
[42]
A diverse Late Cretaceous vertebrate tracksite from the Winton ...
Jun 17, 2021 · The Upper Cretaceous 'upper' Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia is world famous for hosting Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at ...
[43]
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4523782
[44]
Taphonomy of Isisfordia duncani specimens from the Lower ...
Mar 28, 2018 · Detailed outcrop and core-based sedimentological and stratigraphic investigations of the Winton Formation at Isisford indicate that these ...Missing: coordinates | Show results with:coordinates
[45]
Abdominal contents reveal Cretaceous crocodyliforms ate dinosaurs
Of further interest, these ornithopod bones represent the first skeletal remains of the group from the Winton Formation, previously only known from shed ...
[46]
(PDF) A dolichosaurid lizard from the latest Albian (mid-Cretaceous ...
Aug 5, 2025 · A dolichosaurid lizard from the latest Albian (mid-Cretaceous) Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia ... Formation model via organic matrices ( ...
[47]
[PDF] Cretaceous marine amniotes of Australia - Museums Victoria
All other identifiable Winton Formation turtle remains pertain to chelids (Hocknull et al., 2009). However, the lower- most Albian section of the Winton ...
[48]
Queensland graziers unearth 100m-year-old plesiosaur remains ...
Dec 6, 2022 · A group of female graziers from outback Queensland who hunt fossils in their downtime have uncovered the remains of a 100m-year-old creature.
[49]
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/media/4238/017-028_mmv74_kear_2_web.pdf
[50]
A nearly complete skull of the sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus ...
Apr 12, 2023 · A nearly complete skull of the sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Australia
[51]
Diversity of Early Cretaceous Mammals from Victoria, Australia
Aug 7, 2025 · Abstract and Figures. At least six different taxa are represented among the 21 specimens of mammals found at the Early Cretaceous Flat Rocks ...
[52]
(PDF) An enigmatic (Synapsid?) tooth from the Early Cretaceous of ...
Aug 10, 2025 · ... indeterminate mammal from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar (Krause ... Further north, in Queensland (Winton and Mackunda formations) ...
[53]
Australia's Polar Cretaceous mammals - Deposits
Dec 5, 2017 · Marsupials include the kangaroo and the American opossum. This southern group was named the Australosphenida – “the southern ones with grinding ...