Map showing the extent of the Winton Formaiton within Queensland, and in the vicinity of the town of Winton specifically
The Winton Formation is a Cretaceousgeological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age.[2] The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone and claystone. The sediments that make up these rocks represent the remnants of the river plains that filled the basin left by the Eromanga Sea - an inland sea that covered large parts of Queensland and central Australia at least four times during the Early Cretaceous period. Great meandering rivers, forest pools and swamps, creeks, lakes and coastal estuaries all left behind different types of sediment.
In some areas, the Winton Formation is over 400 metres thick. To bring with them such a huge amount of sediment, the rivers that flowed across these plains must have been comparable in size to the present-day Amazon or Mississippi rivers. As more and more sediment was brought in, the margins of the inland sea slowly contracted. By around 95 million years ago, the deposition was complete and the inland sea would never be seen again.
By virtue of its age and the environmental conditions under which the rocks it consists of were deposited, the Winton Formation represents one of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils anywhere in Australia.
A fossil footprint-(ichnite), Wintonopus, found with two other dinosaur genera footprints at the Lark Quarry in Australia, c.f. Tyrannosauropus and Skartopus, have been found in the Winton Formation.
A partial scapula, humeri, ulna, pubes, ischia, femora, presacral vertebral centrum fragments, and rib fragments.
A large diamantinasaurian sauropod that possesses a mosaic of features shared with titanosaurians with similar geographical and temporal range. Possibly a junior synonym of Diamantinasaurus.[12]
Partial skull, consisting of a braincase, quadrates, quadratojugals, a left squamosal, postorbitals, and several unprepared elements. associated with a hind limb[15]
A scapula, both humeri, both ulnae, both radii, near complete metacarpus preserving complete metacarpals II–V with proximal half of metacarpal I, fragmentary dorsal and sacral vertebrae and ribs, partial ilium, ischium, caudal vertebral series including anterior caudals, middle caudals, posterior caudals, proximal chevrons, and numerous unidentifiable fragments.
A titanosaur that is likely to be closely related to Australotitan, Diamantinasaurus and Savannasaurus.
A partial skeleton, consisting of caudal vertebrae, metatarsals, a phalanx, and numerous unidentifiable fragments. Stated to be larger than Australovenator.
A partial premaxillae, maxillae and dentaries, partial frontal, mandibular articular region comprising the surangular, angular and articular, partial cervical vertebrae, partial scapulocoracoid, partial ulna, partial radius, proximal and distal carpals, metacarpal IV, proximal end of metacarpal IV, fragmentary non-wing manual phalanges, partial first wing phalanx (IV-1), and associated fragments.
The most complete pterosaur from Australia and the youngest known anhanguerian.
Australian Age of Dinosaurs, which operates the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, and holds annual dinosaur digs in the Winton Formation
