Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 9, 2026

Moreno Formation

The Moreno Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation located in San Joaquin Valley (California).Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

Last revised
Jul 9, 2026
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Moreno Formation
Stratigraphic range:
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofChico Group
UnderliesUnconformity with the Martinez Formation and Tejon Formation
OverliesPanoche Formation
Thickness1,600–2,000 ft (487.68–609.60 m)
Lithology
PrimaryShale
OtherSandstone
Location
RegionSan Joaquin Valley, California
CountryUnited States

The Moreno Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation located in San Joaquin Valley (California).
Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.1

Paleofauna

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.

Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fishes reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images
Heptranchias2 H. sp

Ray-finned fish

Ray-finned fishes reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Bonnerichthys3

B. gladius

A large, filter-feeding pachycormid.

Bonnerichthys source ↗

Saurodon3

S. sp.

An ichthyodectid.

Saurodon source ↗

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Augustynolophus4

A. morrisi4

saurolophine.4
Augustynolophus source ↗
Saurolophus4

S. morrisi4

Reclassified as Augustynolophus morrisi.4

Mosasaurs

Mosasaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Kolposaurus5

K. bennisoni5

The name Kolposaurus was preoccupied and its two constituent species moved to the new genus Plotosaurus.5

K. tuckeri5

Plesiotylosaurus6

P. crassidens6

Plesiotylosaurus crassidens source ↗

Plotosaurus5

P. bennisoni5

Plotosaurus bennisoni source ↗
P. tuckeri5 A junior synonym of P. bennisoni.

Prognathodon7

P. cf. waiparaensis

cf. Mosasaurus7

cf. M. sp.

Halisaurus7

H. sp.

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Aphrosaurus8

A. furlongi8

Aphrosaurus source ↗

Fresnosaurus9

F. drescheri9

Fresnosaurus source ↗

Hydrotherosaurus8

H. alexandrae8

Hydrotherosaurus source ↗

Morenosaurus9

M. stocki9

Morenosaurus source ↗

Turtles

Testudines reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images

Adocus

J. Howard Hutchison later referred the specimen originally identified as Adocus by to the genus Basilemys.10

Basilemys

Osteopygis9

Foraminifera

Forams reported from the Moreno Formation
Genus Species Location Member Material Notes Images
Anomalina2 A. pseudopopillosa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Bulimina B. obtusa Tierra Loma Shale Member 99% of the foraminifera sampled at the Tierra Loma Shale Member belonged to B. obtusa.1112
Dentalina2 D. legumen Tierra Loma Shale Member
Frondicularia2 F. undulosa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Gyroidina2 G. depressa Tierra Loma Shale Member
Nodosaria2 N. monile Tierra Loma Shale Member
N. pomuligera
N. spinifera
N. sp
Nodosarella12 N. sp Tierra Loma Shale Member
See also

See also

Footnotes

Footnotes

  1. Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
  2. "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  3. Friedman, Matt; Shimada, Kenshu; Everhart, Michael J.; Irwin, Kelly J.; Grandstaff, Barbara S.; Stewart, J. D. (8 January 2013). "Geographic and stratigraphic distribution of the Late Cretaceous suspension-feeding bony fish Bonnerichthys gladius (Teleostei, Pachycormiformes)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (1): 35–47. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.713059. S2CID 128958842.
  4. Prieto-Márquez, Albert; Wagner, Jonathan R.; Bell, Phil R.; Chiappe, Luis M. (2014). "The late-surviving 'duck-billed' dinosaur Augustynolophus from the upper Maastrichtian of western North America and crest evolution in Saurolophini". Geological Magazine. 152 (2): 225–241. doi:10.1017/S0016756814000284. S2CID 131049979.
  5. "4: The Marine Reptiles; Mosasaurs," in Hilton (2003) p. 107-110
  6. "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 273
  7. Lindgren, Johan; Schulp, Anne (15 September 2010). "New material of Prognathodon (Squamata: Mosasauridae), and the mosasaur assemblage of the Maastrichtian of California, U.S.A.". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (5): 1632–1636. doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.501444. S2CID 131124198.
  8. "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 276
  9. "Appendix: Summary of the Mesozoic Reptilian Fossils of California," in Hilton (2003) p. 277
  10. "4: The Marine Reptiles; Turtles," in Hilton (2003) p. 114
  11. "Panoche Hills 5, UCMP V3735 (Cretaceous of the United States)". PBDB.org.
  12. Welles, S. P. (1943). "Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs with description of new material from California and Colorado" (PDF). Memoirs of the University of California. 13.
References

References

  • Hilton, Richard P. 2003. Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California. Berkeley: University of California Press. 318 pp.
  • Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.