Kaiparowits-Formation

The Kaiparowits Formation is a sequence of continental sedimentary rocks of the Upper Cretaceous in Utah (USA), which is well known for its dinosaur finds. This formation is disrupted at the Kaiparowits Plateau, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments, and measures about 850 meters thick. The Kaiparowits Formation was formed by the sediments of large rivers, where sandstone beds river beds and mudstone beds represent alluvial soils. The rocks can be dated to the Campanian.

The rock strata are fossiliferous, with most finds from the lower half of the formation date. The Kaiparowits formation takes scientific attention since only a relatively short time, a large part of the research has been carried out until 1982. The vertebrate fauna consists among other things of fish such as sharks, stingrays, gars, pike and sturgeon Kahl and amphibians such as frogs and salamanders from; Reptiles include, besides dinosaurs turtles, crocodiles and lizards with a. Dinosaurs are represented with theropods such as Dromaeosauriden, troodontids Ornithomimus and, further, there is Ankylar and Hadrosauriden Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus. Recent discoveries include the Hadrosauriden Gryposaurus with the new type Gryposaurus monumentensis and the Oviraptorosaurier Hagryphus with a. Mammals are represented by Multituberculaten, marsupials, and insectivores.