Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 24, 2026

Toolebuc Formation

The Toolebuc Formation is a geological formation that extends from Queensland across South Australia and the Northern Territory in Australia, whose strata date back to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, protostegid turtles, sharks, chimaeroids and bony fish remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Last revised
Jul 24, 2026
Read time
≈ 8 min
Length
1,771 w
Citations
31
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Toolebuc Formation
Stratigraphic range:
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofRolling Downs Group
UnderliesAllaru Formation
OverliesWallumbilla Formation
ThicknessUp to 65 m (213 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone, mudstone
OtherShale
Location
Coordinates20°24′S 144°24′E / 20.4°S 144.4°E / -20.4; 144.4
Approximate paleocoordinates52°42′S 132°30′E / 52.7°S 132.5°E / -52.7; 132.5
RegionQueensland
CountryAustralia
ExtentEromanga Basin
Toolebuc Formation (Australia)

The Toolebuc Formation is a geological formation that extends from Queensland across South Australia and the Northern Territory in Australia, whose strata date back to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaurs,1 pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, protostegid turtles, sharks, chimaeroids and bony fish remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Description

Deposition occurred in a cool to temperate inland sea setting and the present lithology is dominantly made up of limey shales with abundant Inoceramus bivalve shells. Ichthyosaurs and protostegid turtles were the most common marine reptiles at this time in the Eromanga Sea, in contrast to older Aptian deposits such as the Bulldog Shale of South Australia, which show that plesiosaurs were previously more abundant and also more diverse. The Toolebuc Formation is one of the richest known sources of Mesozoic vertebrate fossils in Australia, with notable collecting areas situated around the towns of Richmond, Julia Creek, Hughenden and Boulia.

Fossil content

Possible indeterminate ankylosaurid remains are present in Queensland, Australia.1 Indeterminate ornithopod remains have also been found in Queensland, Australia.1

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.

Dinosaurs

Ornithischians

Ornithischians of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Kunbarrasaurus12 K. ieversi Queensland, Australia Albian A preserved skeleton A parankylosaur
source ↗
K. sp Queensland Albian A partial skull

Sauropods

Sauropods of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Somphospondyli Indet. Indeterminate Queensland, Australia Albian A somphospondylian sauropod; informally known as "Hughenden sauropod".

Theropods

Theropods of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Nanantius3 N. eos Queensland, Australia Albian "Tibiotarsi and vertebra" A enantiornithean avialan.

Pterosaur

Pterosaurs of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Anhangueria indet.4 Indeterminate Queensland, Australia Albian
Aussiedraco A. molnari Queensland, Australia Albian An anterior portion of the skull including partial premaxillary and partial skeleton consists of phalanx and vertebras. A targaryendraconid targaryendraconian
Haliskia5 H. peterseni Queensland, Australia Albian A partial skeleton with a skull. A mythungin tropeognathine
source ↗
Mythunga M. camara Queensland, Australia Albian A preserved mandible. A mythungin tropeognathine
Thapunngaka6 T. shawi Queensland, Australia Albian A partial mandible without dentition. A mythungin tropeognathine

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Kronosaurus K. queenslandicus Queensland, Australia Albian A brachauchenine thalassophonean
source ↗
Eromangasaurus E. australis Queensland, Australia Albian A elasmosurid plesiosaur
source ↗
Polycotylidae indet.7 Undescribed polycotylid (specimen QM F18041, nicknamed Penny) Queensland, Australia Albian An indeterminate polycotylid.

Icthyosaurs

Ichthyosaurs of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Platypterygius P. australis Queensland, Australia Albian A platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid
source ↗

Turtles

Turtle of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Bouliachelys8 B. suteri "Around Boulia in Western Queensland, Australia" Albian A protostegid sea turtle
source ↗
Cratochelone C. berneyi Queensland, Australia Albian A protostegid sea turtle
source ↗
Notochelone N. costata Queensland, Australia Albian A protostegid sea turtle
source ↗

Fish

Fish of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Australopachycormus9 A. hurleyi Albian "QM F52641 (holotype); partial snout (lacking tip of rostrum) and mandible including dentition and associated cranial/postcranial fragments; SAM P40514 (referred specimen), partial skull with rostrum and incomplete pectoral fin" Long-rostrum protosphyraenid pachycormiform
Canaryichthys10 C. rozefeldsi Albian A fossil specimen which is "undistorted and preserved in 3-dimensions but lacks all but the cranial vault." A halecomorph, possibly an ionoscopiform.
Cardabiodontidae Indet.11121113 Undescribed genus and species Albian Associated teeth and vertebrae suggesting an individual 8 to 9 meters long Closely related to Cardabiodon
Cooyoo14 C. australis Albian An ichthyodectid ichthyodectiform also present in the Allaru Formation
source ↗
Dugaldia D. emmilta Albian
Euroka15 E. dunravenensis Albian An elopiform
Flindersichthys16 F. denmeadi Albian
Marathonichthys17 M. coyleorum Albian An albuliforme
Pachyrhizodus1819 P. grawi Albian Two species known from both this and the Allaru Formation
P. marathonensis
Pristiophorus2021 Indeterminate Albiab Known from rostral teeth that are tentatively referred to P. tumidens. Adnet and Cappetta (2001) considered that these remains are teeth and jaw fragments of teleostean instead.
?Pseudocorax22 Albian Partially disarticulated vertebrae Probable anacoracid remains
Ptyktoptychion23 P. tayyo Albian
Richmondichthys24 R. sweeti Albian An aspidorhynchid also found in the Allaru Formation.
Stewartichthys S. leichhardti Albian An albuliform

Arthropods

Arthropods of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Brunnaega B. tomhurleyi Albian An isopod, over 130 fossil individuals found infesting a Pachyrhizodus marathonensis carcass.

Molluscs

Bivalves

Bivalves of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Inoceramus25 I. sutherlandi "Siphon Paddock, Dunluce Street, near Hughendon, North Queensland, Australia" Albian

Cephalopods

Cephalopods of the Toolebuc Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Image
Beudanticeras26 B. flindersi Albian
Enchoteuthis27 E. tonii Albian
Trachyteuthis T. willisi Albian
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.573-574
  2. Frauenfelder TG, Bell PR, Brougham T, Bevitt JJ, Bicknell RD, Kear BP, Wroe S, Campione NE (2022). "New Ankylosaurian Cranial Remains From the Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian) Toolebuc Formation of Queensland, Australia". Frontiers in Earth Science. 10 803505. doi:10.3389/feart.2022.803505.
  3. "Table 11.1," in Weishampel et al., 2004, p.213
  4. Pentland, Adele H.; Poropat, Stephen F.; White, Matt A.; Rigby, Samantha L.; Bevitt, Joseph J.; Duncan, Ruairidh J.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, Robert A.; Elliott, Harry A.; Elliott, Judy A.; Elliott, David A. (2022-03-28). "The osteology of Ferrodraco lentoni, an anhanguerid pterosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (5). doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.2038182. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 247814094.
  5. Pentland, A.H., Poropat, S.F., Duncan, R.J. et al. Haliskia peterseni, a new anhanguerian pterosaur from the late Early Cretaceous of Australia. Sci Rep 14, 11789 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-60889-8
  6. Richards TM, Stumkat PE, Salisbury SW (2021). "A new species of crested pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea, Anhangueridae) from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) of Richmond, North West Queensland, Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (3) e1946068. Bibcode:2021JVPal..41E6068R. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1946068.
  7. "Kronosaurus Korner - Penny the Plesiosaur". www.kronosauruskorner.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  8. Kear, Benjamin P. (2011). Dinosaurs in Australia: Mesozoic life from the Southern Continent. Robert J. Hamilton-Bruce, CSIRO Publishing. Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Pub. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-643-10169-2. OCLC 692219338.
  9. Kear, Benjamin P. (2007-12-12). "First record of a pachycormid fish (Actinopterygii: Pachycormiformes) from the Lower Cretaceous of Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (4): 1033–1038. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[1033:FROAPF]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 89193950.
  10. Museum, c=AU; co=Queensland Government; ou=Queensland. "An Early Cretaceous (late Albian) halecomorph (? Ionoscopiformes) fish from the Toolebuc Formation of the Eromanga Basin, Queensland". www.qm.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 2022-08-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Berrell, Rodney W.; Boisvert, Catherine; Trinajstic, Kate; Siversson, Mikael; Alvarado-Ortega, Jesús; Cavin, Lionel; Salisbury, Steven W.; Kemp, Anne (2020-04-02). "A review of Australia's Mesozoic fishes". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 44 (2): 286–311. Bibcode:2020Alch...44..286B. doi:10.1080/03115518.2019.1701078. ISSN 0311-5518.
  12. Mikael Siverson (2012). Lamniform Sharks: 110 Million Years of Ocean Supremacy. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  13. Bazzi, Mohamad; Kear, Benjamin P.; Siversson, Mikael (2022-03-01). "Southern higher-latitude lamniform sharks track mid-Cretaceous environmental change". Gondwana Research. 103: 362–370. Bibcode:2022GondR.103..362B. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2021.10.012. ISSN 1342-937X. S2CID 240267171.
  14. Lionel Cavin; Rodney Berrell (May 2019). "Revision of Dugaldia emmilta (Teleostei, Ichthyodectiformes) from the Toolebuc Formation, Albian of Australia, with comments on the jaw mechanics". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (1) e1576049. Bibcode:2019JVPal..39E6049C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1576049. S2CID 190880286.
  15. Bartholomai, Alan.; Bartholomai, Alan (2010). "A new Albian teleost, Euroka dunravenensis gen. et sp. nov. and a new family, Eurokidae, from the Eromanga Basin of Queensland". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 55 (1): 69–85. ISSN 0079-8835.
  16. Bartholomai, A. (2010). "Revision of Flindersichthys denmeadi Longman 1932, a marine teleost from the Lower Cretaceous of the Great Artesian Basin, Queensland". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. S2CID 189970876.
  17. Museum, c=AU; co=Queensland Government; ou=Queensland. "New Teleosts (Elopomorpha: Albuliformes) from the Lower Cretaceous (Late Albian) of the Eromanga Basin, Queensland, Australia". mtq.qm.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 2022-08-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. Bartholomai, A. (17 February 2012). "The pachyrhizodontid teleosts from the marine Lower Cretaceous (latest mid to late Albian) sediments of the Eromanga Basin, Queensland, Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature. 56 (1): 119–148.
  19. Wilson, George D. F.; Paterson, John R.; Kear, Benjamin P. (2011). "Fossil isopods associated with a fish skeleton from the Lower Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia - direct evidence of a scavenging lifestyle in Mesozoic Cymothoida". Palaeontology. 54 (5): 1053–1068. Bibcode:2011Palgy..54.1053W. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01095.x. S2CID 82989831.
  20. Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; University, Monash (1991). Vertebrate palaeontology of Australasia. Lilydale, Vic: Pioneer Design Studio in cooperation with the Monash University Publications Committee, Melbourne. ISBN 978-0-909674-36-6.
  21. Adnet, Sylvain; Cappetta, Henri (2001). "A palaeontological and phylogenetical analysis of squaliform sharks (Chondrichthyes: Squaliformes) based on dental characters". Lethaia. 34 (3): 234–248. Bibcode:2001Letha..34..234A. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2001.tb00052.x. ISSN 0024-1164.
  22. Rozefelds, Andrew C. (27 November 2008). "Lower Cretaceous Anacoracidae? (Lamniformes: Neoselachii); vertebrae and associated dermal scales from Australia". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 17 (3): 199–210. doi:10.1080/03115519308619604.
  23. Benjamin P Kear; Robert J Hamilton-Bruce (2011). Dinosaurs in Australia: Mesozoic Life from the Southern Continent. Collingwood Australia: CSIRO PUBLISHING. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-643-10045-9.
  24. Bartholomai, A. (2004). "The large aspidorhynchid fish, Richmondichthys sweeti (Etheridge Jnr and Smith Woodward, 1891) from Albian Marine deposits of Queensland, Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. S2CID 195531265.
  25. Robin I. Knight; Noel J. Morris; Jonathan A. Todd; Lauren E. Howard; Alexander D. Ball (13 May 2013). "Exceptional preservation of a novel gill grade in large Cretaceous inoceramids: systematic and palaeobiological implications". Palaeontology. 57 (1): 37–54. doi:10.1111/pala.12046.
  26. Kear, Benjamin P. (2011). Dinosaurs in Australia: Mesozoic life from the Southern Continent. Robert J. Hamilton-Bruce, CSIRO Publishing. Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Pub. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-643-10169-2. OCLC 692219338.
  27. Fuchs, Dirk; Iba, Yasuhiro; Heyng, Alexander; Iijima, Masaya; Klug, Christian; Larson, Neal L.; Schweigert, Günter (2020). Brayard, Arnaud (ed.). "The Muensterelloidea: phylogeny and character evolution of Mesozoic stem octopods". Papers in Palaeontology. 6 (1): 31–92. Bibcode:2020PPal....6...31F. doi:10.1002/spp2.1254. ISSN 2056-2799.

Bibliography