Densuș-Ciula Formation
Late Cretaceous geological formation in Romania
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The Densuș-Ciula Formation is a geological formation in Romania, with strata dating to the Late Cretaceous. It forms part of the Hațeg Island assemblage, with dinosaur remains among the fossils recovered from the formation.[1]
| Densuș-Ciula Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Sub-units | Lower, Middle and Upper Members |
| Underlies | Cenozoic deposits |
| Overlies | Flysch |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Mudstone, sandstone, conglomerate |
| Location | |
| Country | Romania |
| Extent | Northwest Hațeg Basin |
The formation is divided into three members. The lower member contains a high proportion of volcanogenic material and is poorly fossiliferous. The middle member consists of silty mudstones, sandstones, and conglomerates containing volcanogenic clasts, and is richly fossiliferous. The upper member is composed of matrix-supported red conglomerates and contains few fossils.[2]
Fossil content
Indeterminate dromaeosaurid and possible indeterminate troodontid remains present in Județul Hunedoara, Romania.[1] An unnamed theropod is also present.[1]
Amphibians
| Amphibians | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Notes | Images |
| Albanerpeton | Indeterminate | Albanerpetontid |  | |
| Paralatonia | P. transylvanica | Alytid | ||
| Hatzegobatrachus | H. grigorescui | Bombinatorid | ||
Squamates
Turtles
| Turtles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Notes | Images |
| Kallokibotion | K. bajazidi | |||
| Dortokidae | Indeterminate | |||
Crocodyliformes
| Crocodyliformes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Allodaposuchus | A. precedens | A skull | A crocodyliform. |  | |
| Doratodon | Indeterminate | ||||
| Sabresuchus | S. sympiestodon | A neosuchian, formerly thought to be Theriosuchus | |||
Dinosaurs
| Dinosaurs of the Densuș-Ciula Formation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Balaur | B. bondoc | A paravian, possibly a junior synonym of Elopteryx[3][4] |  | ||
| Ferenceratops[5] | F. shqiperorum | Hunedoara County | A partial skeleton of a juvenile individual and a left dentary | Originally "Zalmoxes" shqiperorum but subsequently recognized as a distinct ceratopsian taxon closely related to Ajkaceratops. Only the pelvic material has been referred to Ferenceratops as of the taxon's description in 2026. |  |
| Kryptohadros[6] | K. kallaiae | Hunedoara County | A partial skull and skeleton | A hadrosauroid |  |
| Telmatosaurus | T. transsylvanicus | A skull. | A hadrosauromorph. |
 | |
| Uriash | U. kadici[7] | Locality VI of Kadić. | A partial skeleton composed of incomplete vertebrae, metatarsal, femur, and humerus. | A titanosaur. |  |
| Zalmoxes | Z. robustus | Hunedoara County | A small rhabdodontid ornithopod[1] |  | |
Pterosaurs
| Pterosaurs of Densuș-Ciula Formation. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Material | Notes | Images |
| Hatzegopteryx[8] | H. thambema[8] | Valioara | A preserved robust skull, incomplete left humerus, and unidentified bone fragments. | A giant azhdarchid pterosaur. |  |
