Sânpetru Formation

The Sânpetru Formation is an early Maastrichtian geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[1] It is located in Romania, near Sânpetru village, part of Sântămăria-Orlea commune. It forms a component of the Hațeg Island fauna.

Sânpetru Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Maastrichtian ~70–68 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Sibișel River near the Sânpetru Formation
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Lower & Upper Members
Underlies	Miocene deposits
Overlies	Strei Formation, flysch
Thickness	2,500 m (8,200 ft) of which 860 m (2,820 ft) exposed
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, sandstone
Other	Conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	45.6°N 22.9°E / 45.6; 22.9
Approximate paleocoordinates	30.5°N 22.1°E / 30.5; 22.1
Region	Hunedoara
Country	Romania
Extent	Central Hațeg Basin
Type section
Named for	Sânpetru
Sânpetru Formation (Romania)

Description

The Sânpetru Formation crops out in the central to southern Hațeg Basin along the Bărbat River and comprises sandstones and mudstones deposited in a wet floodplain environment characterized by braided fluvial channels. The formation is correlated with the Densuș-Ciula Formation of the northern section of the same basin, both dating to the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous.^[2]

Fossil content

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

Amphibians of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Albanerpeton	Indeterminate				Albanerpetontid
Paralatonia	P. transylvanica				Frog

Turtles

Turtles of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Kallokibotion	K. bajazidi
Dortokidae	Indeterminate
Emydidae	Indeterminate

Squamates

Squamates of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Barbatteius	B. vremiri
Becklesius	B. nopcsai
Bicuspidon	B. hatzegiensis
Lacertilia	Indeterminate				5 distinct taxa
Madtsoiidae	Indeterminate				Snake

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Allodaposuchus[3]	Indeterminate
Sabresuchus	S. sympiestodon

Ornithischians

Ornithischians of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Struthiosaurus[4]	S. transylvanicus[4]	Szentpéterfalva.		A skull and partial skeleton.	A nodosaur.
Telmatosaurus[4][5]	T. transsylvanicus[4]			"[Five to ten] fragmentary skulls, some with associated postcrania, mixed age classes."[6]	A small hadrosauromorph.
Zalmoxes[4]	Z. robustus[4]				A Rhabdodontid ornithopod.
	Z. shqiperorum[4]		Upper	A left dentary, sacrum, right scapula, right coracoid, partial left ilium, partial right ilium, right ischium, left distal ischium and left femur.

Sauropods

Sauropods of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Abundance	Notes	Images
Magyarosaurus[4]	M. dacus[4]				A dwarf sauropod.
Paludititan[7]	P. nalatzensis			A partial skeleton lacking the skull.	A dwarf sauropod	Dorsal vertebra of Paludititan
Petrustitan[8]	P. hungaricus	Sibisel River Valley.	Upper	Partial skeleton composed of caudal vertebrae, right ulna, right radius, right metacarpal, right ilium, and left fibula.	A dwarf sauropod, originally assigned to the genus Magyarosaurus

Theropods

Theropods of the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Gargantuavis	Indeterminate			Pelvis[9]
Bradycneme[4]	B. draculae[4]			"Distal tibiotarsus."[10]
Elopteryx[4][11]	E. nopcsai[4]			"Fragmentary femur."[10]
Euronychodon[12]	Indeterminate[12]
Heptasteornis[4]	H. andrewsi[4]			"Distal tibiotarsus."[13]
Megalosaurus[4]	M. hungaricus			"Tooth."[14]

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs reported from the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Eurazhdarcho	E.langendorfensis				An azhdarchid pterosaur.
Hatzegopteryx	H.thambema				A giant azhdarchid pterosaur.

Mammals

Mammals from the Sânpetru Formation
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Barbatodon	B. transylvanicus				Kogaionid
Kogaionon	K. ungureanui				Kogaionid

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• Hațeg Island