Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Cerro Azul Formation

The Cerro Azul Formation, also described as Epecuén Formation, is a geological formation of Late Miocene age in the Colorado Basin of the Buenos Aires and La Pampa Provinces in northeastern Argentina.

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
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≈ 15 min
Length
3,558 w
Citations
205
Source
Cerro Azul Formation
Stratigraphic range: Tortonian (Huayquerian)
~
Fossil burrow fills in the Cerro Azul Formation
TypeGeological formation
Underliesalluvium
OverliesArroyo Chasicó Formation or
Crystalline basement
Thickness54 m (177 ft) (outcrop)
180 m (590 ft) (subsurface)
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone, sandstone
OtherConglomerate
Location
Coordinates35°42′S 64°42′W / 35.7°S 64.7°W / -35.7; -64.7
Approximate paleocoordinates35°54′S 62°42′W / 35.9°S 62.7°W / -35.9; -62.7
RegionBuenos Aires & La Pampa Provinces
CountryArgentina
ExtentColorado Basin
Type section
Named forCerro Azul, Epecuén Lake
Named byLinares et al.
Year defined1980
Cerro Azul Formation (Argentina)

The Cerro Azul Formation (Spanish: Formación Cerro Azul), also described as Epecuén Formation, is a geological formation of Late Miocene (Tortonian, or Huayquerian in the SALMA classification) age in the Colorado Basin of the Buenos Aires and La Pampa Provinces in northeastern Argentina.12

The fluvial and aeolian siltstones, sandstones and tuffs of the formation contain many mammals, such as Thylacosmilus and Huayqueriana, reptiles, amphibians and fossils of terror birds as well as Argentavis, the largest flying bird ever discovered.

Description

Sedimentary logs of the Cerro Azul Formation source ↗

The Cerro Azul Formation crops out in patches in the southwestern Buenos Aires Province and southeastern Pampa Province. The Epecuén Formation has been correlated to the Cerro Azul Formation in the early 2000s. The Cerro Azul and Epecuén Formations were named after the Cerro Azul ("Blue Hill") and Epecuén Lake where the formation crops out.3 The formation overlies crystalline basement or the Arroyo Chasicó Formation.4 The mammal assemblage of the Cerro Azul-Epecuén unit is the most diverse for the Huayquerian Late Miocene age, possibly ranging into the Pliocene.5 The formation is considered contemporaneous with the Río Negro Formation of the Colorado Basin.67

Outcrop map of the Cerro Azul Formation source ↗

The unit is characterized by a monotonous succession of loess containing moderately developed paleosols. In particular, the formation is considered to represent the interval between 10 and 5.7 Ma. The maximum exposed thickness in outcrop is 54 metres (177 ft), although the unit reaches about 180 metres (590 ft) in the subsurface.8

The Cerro Azul Formation deposits were described by Linares et al. in 1980.3 They are discontinuous along the whole occupied area in the provinces of La Pampa and Buenos Aires. They are composed of silts, sandy silts, and very thin silty sands, reddish and brown colored, with a homogeneous and compact general aspect, and frequent carbonate nodules and evidence of pedogenic processes. Visconti et al. (2010) interpreted them as eolian deposits characterized by loessic materials, with a high percentage of lithic fragments and volcaniclastic sediments.9

The sediments and their fauna belong to a sedimentary and faunal cycle, which followed the withdrawal (around 10 Ma) of a widespread marine transgression that extended from central Argentina to western Uruguay and southern Paraguay and Brazil, the "Paraná Sea" or mar paranense in Spanish.10

Large cylindrical sediment-filled structures, 115 of which are interpreted as mammal burrows, occur within the loess-paleosol sequence of the formation.11

Fossil content

The following fossils have been recovered from the formation:1

Locations:

La Pampa
  • Barrancas Coloradas - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Caleufú - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Cerro El Chancho - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Cerro Patagua - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Estancia Don Mariano - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Estancia El Recado - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Estancia Ré - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • El Guanaco - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Huayquerías de San Carlos - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Laguna Chillhué - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Laguna Guatraché - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Quehué - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
  • Telen - Cerro Azul Formation - La Pampa
Buenos Aires
  • Bajo Giuliani - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Barrancas de Sarmiento - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Eduardo Castex - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Estancia los Médanos - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Estancia Quiñi-Malal - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Grünbein Cantera Seminario - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Grünbein Cantera Seminario Level 2 - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Laguna Epecuén - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Laguna La Paraguaya - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Puesto Colorado - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Ruta 14 - Cerro Azul Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Arroyo Guaminí - Epecuén Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Carhué - Epecuén Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Laguna de los Paraguayos - Epecuén Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Robilote Field - SE of Epecuén lagoon & E of Laguna de Epecuén - Epecuén Formation - Buenos Aires
  • Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo - Epecuén Formation - Buenos Aires

Amphibians

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Ceratophrynidae C. sp. Quehué 12
Lepidobatrachus L. sp.

Birds

Cathartid

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Argentavis A. magnificens Carhué An associated partial skeleton with portions of the skull, right quadrate, and parts of the legs and arms. A giant teratornithidae bird
source ↗
13

Phorusrhacids

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Devincenzia D. pozzi Carhué 14
Procariama P. simplex Salinas de Hidalgo
source ↗
15
Phorusrhacidae indet. 14

Tinamou

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Eudromia E. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 14
Nothura N. sp. Bajo Giuliani
El Guanaco
Salinas de Hidalgo
14

Rheidae

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Rhea R. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 14

Mammals

Carnivora

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Cyonasua C. brevirostris Salinas de Hidalgo A procyonid mammal. 13
C. prebrevirostris Salinas de Hidalgo
C.sp. Telén 16

Sparassodonts

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Borhyaenidium B. musteloides Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Dimartinia D. pristina Arroyo Chasicó A left dentary and its associated teeth A thylacosmiliform 17
Thylacosmilus T. atrox El Guanaco
Quehué
Salinas de Hidalgo
A saber-toothed thylacosmilid
source ↗
1318
Borhyaenidae indeterminate. Telén 16

Didelphimorphs

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Didelphinae indet. Telén 16
Hyperdidelphys H. pattersoni El Guanaco
Telén
1816
H. sp. Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo 19
Lutreolina L. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Sparassocynidae indet. Telen 1816
Thylamys T. pinei Laguna Chillhué 20
T. zetti Estancia Ré
Arroyo Guaminí
2122
Thylatheridium T. dolgopolae El Guanaco
Quehué
Telén
2316
T. hudsoni Bajo Giuliani
Telén
1816
T. sp. Estancia Ré
Telén
2116
Zygolestes Z. tatei Bajo Giuliani 1820

Polydolopimorphia

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Argyrolagus A. rusconii Bajo Giuliani
El Guanaco
Barrancas Coloradas
18
Argyrolagidae indet. Telén 16
Pliolestes P. venetus Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
18

Rodents

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Abrocoma A. antiqua Estancia Ré 21
Cardiatherium C. aff. orientalis Laguna Chillhué
Laguna Guatraché
24
Cardiomys C. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Chasichimys C. bonaerense Cerro Patagua 25
C. scagliai Laguna Chillhué
C. sp. Bajo Giuliani
Caviidae indet. Barrancas de Sarmiento 26
Clyomys C. aff. sp. Barrancas Coloradas 20
Ctenomyidae indet. Telén 16
Dolicavia D. sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
Echimyidae indet. Telén 16
Hydrochoeridae indet. Salinas de Hidalgo 18
Neocavia N. pampeana Estancia El Recado 27
Lagostomus L. pretrichodactyla Salinas de Hidalgo 13
L. (Lagostomopsis) sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Barrancas de Sarmiento
Estancia Ré
Salinas de Hidalgo
132126
Neocavia N. sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
Neophanomys N. pristinus Estancia Don Mariano
Quehué
28
N. sp. Estancia Ré 29
Palaeocavia P. sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Barrancas de Sarmiento
Estancia Ré
132126
Palaeoctodon P. aff. simplicidens Bajo Giuliani 3020
Pampamys P. emmonsae Laguna Chillhué
Bajo Giuliani
Estancia Ré
2031
Phtoramys P. hidalguense Barrancas Coloradas
Salinas de Hidalgo
2032
P. cf. hidalguense Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
P. sp. Estancia Ré 21
Proctenomys P. simpsoni El Guanaco
Barrancas Coloradas
33
Protabrocoma P. chasicoensis Telén 1634
Octodontoidea indet. Estancia Ré 29
Orthomyctera O. sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Salinas de Hidalgo
2613
Reigechimys R. octodontiformis Bajo Giuliani
Estancia Ré
35
R. plesiodon Laguna Chillhué 36
R. simplex Bajo Giuliani 35
Tetrastylus T. araucanus Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Tetrastylus sp. Telén 16
Theridomysops T. parvulus Telén 16
Xenodontomys X. ellipticus Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Barrancas de Sarmiento
26

Xenarthrans

Cingulata
Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Aspidocalyptus A. castroi Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
1337
A. sp. Telén 16
A. cf. sp. Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2 26
Chasicotatus C. ameghinoi Laguna Chillhué
Estancia Don Mariano
Cerro Patagua
Cerro El Chancho
Cerro de los Guanacos
Puesto Colorado
Estancia Quiñi-Malal
Bajo Giuliani
El Guanaco
Telen
El Recado
Laguna Guatraché
Loventué
Quehué
Barrancas Coloradas
Estancia Ré
Salinas de Hidalgo
1638
3940
C. cf. peiranoi Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2 26
C. sp. El Recado 2640
Chorobates C. villosissimus Laguna Chillhué
Estancia Don Mariano
Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2
Puesto Colorado
Ruta 14
Estancia Quiñi-Malal
El Guanaco
Telen
El Recado
Loventué
Quehué
Estancia Ré
Salinas de Hidalgo
132638
3940
Chorobates sp. Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
Coscinocercus C. brachyurus Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
1337
C. marcalaini Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
1337
C. sp. Telén 16
Doellotatus D. chapadmalensis El Recado
Salinas de Hidalgo
1340
D. inornatus Laguna Chillhué
Estancia Don Mariano
Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Puesto Colorado
Ruta 14
El Guanaco
El Recado
Laguna Guatraché
Loventué
Quehué
Barrancas Coloradas
Estancia Ré
Telén
Salinas de Hidalgo
1326
3839
4016
D. cf. praecursor Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
D. sp. Laguna La Paraguaya 40
Eosclerocalyptus E. sp. Laguna La Paraguaya
source ↗
41
Eumysops E. sp. Laguna Chillhué 20
Glyptodontidae indet. Laguna La Paraguaya
Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo
41
Hoplophorus H. sp. Telén 16
Hoplophractus H. tapinocefalus Laguna de los Paraguayos
Salinas de Hidalgo
1342
H. sp. Telén 16
Macrochorobates M. chapalmalensis El Guanaco
Barrancas Coloradas
38
M. scalabrinii Laguna Chillhué
Estancia Don Mariano
Telen
Loventué
Quehué
Salinas de Hidalgo
1338
3916
Macroeuphractus M. morenoi Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2
Puesto Colorado
Laguna Chillhué
Telen
El Recado
Laguna Guatraché
Loventué
Quehué
Barrancas Coloradas
Estancia Ré
Salinas de Hidalgo
1326
3839
4016
M. retusus Salinas de Hidalgo 13
M. sp. Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2
El Recado
2640
Paleuphractus P. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Plohophorus P. araucanus Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Proeuphractus P. limpidus Laguna Chillhué
Telén
3816
P. sp. Laguna Chillhué
Cerro Patagua
Telen
El Recado
Laguna Guatraché
Quehué
Salinas de Hidalgo
1338
3940
16
Pseudoplohophorus P. cf. sp. Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2 26
Vetelia V. perforata Cerro Patagua
Cerro de los Guanacos
Telén
383916
Zaedyus Z. pichiy Laguna Chillhué
Telen
Quehué
source ↗
39
Pilosans
Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Mylodontidae indet. Telén 16
Plesiomegatherium P. sp. Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Proscelidodon P. gracillimus Estancia Don Mariano
Huayquerías de San Carlos
Laguna Epecuén
Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
Loventué
Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo
Quehué
Barrancas Coloradas
Estancia Ré
Arroyo Guaminí
Laguna de los Paraguayos
Carhué
4344
2245

Litopterns

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Brachytherium B. cf. cuspidatum Telén
Salinas de Hidalgo
1316
Diplasiotherium D. pampa Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
Salinas de Hidalgo
A litoptern. 1346
Eoauchenia E. cingulata Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
1337
E. primitiva El Guanaco 46
Epecuenia E. thoatherioides Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
1337
Huayqueriana H. cristata Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
Previously called as Macrauchenia latidens. 371347
Litopterna indet. Telén 16
Neobrachytherium N. sp. Bajo Giuliani
Salinas de Hidalgo
1346
Promacrauchenia P. sp. Grünbein Cantera Relleno Sanitario Level 2
Salinas de Hidalgo
1326
Proterotheriidae indet. Bajo Giuliani
Telén
4616

Notoungulate

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Hemihegetotherium H. achataleptum Cerro Patagua
Eduardo Castex
Cerro de los Guanacos
Puesto Colorado
Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
Loventué
Salinas de Hidalgo
A hegetotheriidae notoungulate. 4839
3849
H. lazai Salinas de Hidalgo 13
Mesotheriinae indet. Laguna La Paraguaya
Telén
1641
Paedotherium P. bonaerense Barrancas de Sarmiento A notoungulate. 26
P. minor Laguna La Paraguaya
Estancia Ré
Salinas de Hidalgo
1341
P. cf. minor Grünbein Cantera Seminario 26
P. sp. Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
Estancia Ré
29
Pisanodon P. nazari Salinas de Hidalgo A toxodont. 13
Pseudotypotherium P. carhuense Robilote Field
Salinas de Hidalgo
A mesotheriidae notoungulate. 1337
Tremacyllus T. impressus Grünbein Cantera Seminario
Bajo Giuliani
Laguna Chillhué
Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo
Quehué
Barrancas Coloradas
A hegetotheriidae notoungulate. 2649
Typotheriodon T. grandis Robilote Field 37
Typotheriopsis T. minimus Robilote Field A Mesotheriidae notoungulate. 37

Reptiles

Taxa Species Presence Abundance Description Images Notes
Tupinambis T. sp. Telén 16
Chelidae indet. Telén 16
Testudinidae indet. Salinas de Hidalgo 50

SALMA correlations

Huayquerian correlations in South America
Formation Cerro Azul Ituzaingó Paraná Camacho Raigón Andalhuala Chiquimil Las Flores Maimará Palo Pebas Muyu Rosa Saldungaray Salicas Urumaco Map
Basin Colorado Paraná Hualfín Tontal Andes Salta Amazon Huasi Altiplano BA Velasco Falcón
Cerro Azul Formation (South America)
Country  Argentina  Uruguay  Argentina  Brazil
 Peru
 Bolivia  Argentina  Venezuela
Cardiatherium
Lagostomus
Macroeuphractus
Proeuphractus
Pronothrotherium
Pseudotypotherium
Thylacosmilus
Xotodon
Macraucheniidae
Primates
Rodents
Reptiles
Birds
Terror birds
Flora
Environments Aeolian-fluvial Fluvio-deltaic Fluvial Fluvio-lacustrine Fluvial Fluvio-lacustrine Fluvio-deltaic
Huayquerian volcanoclastics

Huayquerian fauna

Huayquerian flora
Volcanic Yes
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Cerro Azul Formation in the Paleobiology Database
  2. Epecuén Formation in the Paleobiology Database
  3. Visconti et al., 2010, p.259
  4. Visconti et al., 2010, p.262
  5. Carrillo et al., 2015, p.5
  6. Pérez, 2012, p.11
  7. Visconti et al., 2010, p.258
  8. Cardonatto & Melchor, 2018, p.2
  9. Caleufú at Fossilworks.org
  10. Verzi & Montalvo, 2008, p.285
  11. Cardonatto & Melchor, 2018, p.1
  12. Nicoli, 2017
  13. Vizcaino & Fariña, 1999
  14. Cenizo et al., 2012
  15. Vezzosi, 2012
  16. Montalvo et al., 2008
  17. Suarez, Catalina; Goin, Francisco J.; Montalvo, Claudia I.; Acosta, Walter; Cadena, Edwin-Alberto; Tomassini, Rodrigo L. (2025). "A small extinct biter: New South American metatherian predator (Sparassodonta) from the Late Miocene of Argentina". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 155 105377. Bibcode:2025JSAES.15505377S. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2025.105377. ISSN 0895-9811.
  18. Goin et al., 2000
  19. Goin & Pardiñas, 1996
  20. Verzi et al., 2008
  21. Montalvo et al., 2016
  22. Goin, 1997
  23. Goin & Montalvo, 1988
  24. Vucetich et al., 2014
  25. Verzi, 1999
  26. Deschamps, 2005
  27. Montalvo & Rocha, 2003
  28. Verzi et al., 2011
  29. Cerdeño et al., 2017
  30. Montalvo & Casadio, 1988
  31. Verzi et al., 1995
  32. Pascual et al., 1965
  33. Verzi et al., 1991
  34. Olivares, A. I.; Verzi, D. H.; Kihn, R.; Montalvo, C. I.; Fernández Villoldo, J. A.; Álvarez, A.; Costa Filho, R. G.; Ré, G. H. (2025). "The fossil record of chinchilla rats (Abrocomidae, Hystricomorpha) from the Late Miocene–Early Pliocene of southern South America". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology: 1–22. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2475209.
  35. Sostillo et al., 2014
  36. Verzi et al., 1994
  37. Cabrera, 1939
  38. Urrutia et al., 2008
  39. Esteban et al., 2000
  40. Esteban et al., 2003
  41. Cardonatto & Melchor, 2018, p.16
  42. Zurita & Aramayo, 2007
  43. Montalvo et al., 2020
  44. Rovereto, 1914
  45. Ortega, 1967
  46. Schmidt et al., 2018
  47. Forasiepi, Analía M.; MacPhee, Ross D. E.; Del Pino, Santiago Hernández; Schmidt, Gabriela I.; Amson, Eli; Grohé, Camille (2016-06-22). "Exceptional Skull of Huayqueriana (Mammalia, Litopterna, Macraucheniidae) From the Late Miocene of Argentina: Anatomy, Systematics, and Paleobiological Implications". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 404: 1–76. doi:10.1206/0003-0090-404.1.1. ISSN 0003-0090.
  48. Cerdeño & Montalvo, 2002
  49. Sostillo et al., 2018
  50. De la Fuente et al., 2018

Bibliography

Geology
Paleontology