Rupelo Formation

The Rupelo Formation is an Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) geologic formation in the Burgos Province of Castile and León in northern Spain. The formation crops out near the municipality Mambrillas de Lara in the northwesternmost part of the Cameros Basin in the Sierra de la Demanda.^[1]

TypeGeological formation

Unit ofTierra de Lara Group

UnderliesValdeprado Formation

OverliesOncala Group
 Huérteles Formation

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Rupelo Formation
Stratigraphic range: Berriasian ~145–140 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
La Pedraja tracksite in Mambrillas de Lara
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Tierra de Lara Group
Underlies	Valdeprado Formation
Overlies	Oncala Group  Huérteles Formation
Area	~1 km2 (0.39 sq mi)
Thickness	~2 m (6.6 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone
Other	Marl
Location
Coordinates	42.1°N 3.5°W / 42.1; -3.5
Approximate paleocoordinates	33.7°N 5.9°E / 33.7; 5.9
Region	Mambrillas de Lara, Burgos, Castile and León
Country	Spain
Extent	Restricted to northwesternmost Cameros Basin; Sierra de la Demanda
Type section
Named for	Rupelo
Rupelo Formation (Spain) Show map of Spain Rupelo Formation (Castile and León) Show map of Castile and León

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Fossil sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation.^[2] The formation was deposited under lacustrine conditions in a shallow carbonate lake, with some exposure events in the sedimentary sequence. Imprints of dinosaurs were made in carbonate mud, after they were infilled with marl. Dinosaur tracks have been assigned to sauropods, theropods and ornithopods.^[3] An indeterminate titanosauriform sauropod humerus (MDS-VPCR, 214) similar to Duriatitan has been found in the formation,^[4] as well as a camarasaurid teeth and an indeterminate macronarian fragment of a dentary (MDS-VPCR,851).^[5]

The municipality of Mambrillas de Lara has created a dinosaur park.