Densuș-Ciula Formation

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]

Densuş-Ciula Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Lower, Middle and Upper Members
Underlies	Cenozoic deposits
Overlies	Flysch
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, sandstone, conglomerate
Location
Country	Romania
Extent	Northwest Hațeg Basin

Fossil content

Indeterminate dromaeosaurid and possible indeterminate troodontid remains present in Judetul Hunedoara, Romania.^[1] An unnamed theropod is also present.^[1]

Amphibians

Amphibians
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Albanerpeton	Indeterminate		Albanerpetontid
Paralatonia	P. transylvanica		Alytid
Hatzegobatrachus	H. grigorescui		Bombinatorid

Squamates

Squamates
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Nidophis	N. insularis		Madtsoiid snake

Turtles

Turtles
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Kallokibotion	K. bajazidi
Dortokidae	Indeterminate

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Allodaposuchus	A. precedens
Doratodon	Indeterminate
Sabresuchus	S. sympiestodon		Formerly thought to be Theriosuchus

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Balaur	B. bondoc		Probably a junior synonym of Elopteryx[3][4]
Telmatosaurus	T. transsylvanicus
Zalmoxes	Z. robustus	Hunedoara County	[1]
	Z. shqiperorum	Hunedoara County

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Hatzegopteryx[5]	H. thambema[5]

Mammals

Mammals
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Hainina	Indeterminate		Two species

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations

References

1. 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.
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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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