Chota Formation

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title: "Chota Formation" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["geologic-formations-of-peru", "upper-cretaceous-series-of-south-america", "cretaceous-peru", "campanian-stage", "maastrichtian-stage-of-south-america", "cretaceous–paleogene-boundary", "paleogene-peru", "paleocene-series-of-south-america", "danian-stage", "selandian-stage", "thanetian-stage", "eocene-series-of-south-america", "ypresian-stage", "lutetian-stage", "bartonian-stage", "shale-formations", "sandstone-formations", "fluvial-deposits", "shallow-marine-deposits", "evaporite-deposits", "fossiliferous-stratigraphic-units-of-south-america", "paleontology-in-peru"] description: "Geologic formation in Peru" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chota_Formation" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Geologic formation in Peru ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rockunit"]

Field	Value
name	Chota Formation
type	Geological formation
period	Eocene
age	Early Campanian-Late Eocene
~
prilithology	Shale, sandstone
otherlithology	Gypsum
namedfor	Chota
namedby	Broggi
year_ts	1942
location_ts	Esperanza, Cajamarca
region	Cajamarca
country	Peru
coordinates
paleocoordinates
subunits	Esperanza Mb.
Rentema Mb.
Fundo El Triunfo Mb.
underlies	Cajaruro Formation
overlies	Celendín Formation
thickness	320 m
extent	Bagua Basin
map	{{Location map+
AlternativeMap	Peru physical map.svg
width	200
lat_deg	-5.694735
lon_deg	-78.511380
float	center
position	right
mark	Green-orange pog.svg
marksize	10
::

| name = Chota Formation | image = | caption = | type = Geological formation | period = Eocene | age = Early Campanian-Late Eocene ~ | prilithology = Shale, sandstone | otherlithology = Gypsum | namedfor = Chota | namedby = Broggi | year_ts = 1942 | location_ts = Esperanza, Cajamarca | region = Cajamarca | country = Peru | coordinates = | paleocoordinates = | unitof = | subunits = Esperanza Mb. Rentema Mb. Fundo El Triunfo Mb. | underlies = Cajaruro Formation | overlies = Celendín Formation | thickness = 320 m | extent = Bagua Basin | area = | map = {{Location map+ | Peru | AlternativeMap = Peru physical map.svg | width = 200 | lat_deg = -5.694735 | lon_deg = -78.511380 | float = center | position = right | mark = Green-orange pog.svg | marksize = 10 | map_caption = The Chota Formation is an Early Campanian to Late Eocene geologic formation of the Cajamarca and western Amazonas Region in northern Peru. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus ("Baguasaurus"). The formation was formerly named Bagua Formation.

Fossil content

Dinosaurs

Sauropods

::data[format=table]

Sauropods of the Chota Formation	Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Lithostrotia indet.	Indeterminate	Cajamarca	Campanian to Maastrichtian		A Lithostrotian titanosaur; informally known as "Baguasaurus".
::

Crocodylomorphs

::data[format=table]

Crocodylomorph of the Chota Formation	Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Crocodylomorpha indet.	Indeterminate	Cajamarca	Campanian to Maastrichtian	Teeth	Possibly a Notosuchia; previously known as Spinosauridae.
::

Fish

::data[format=table]

Fishes of the Chota Formation	Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Pucabatis	P. hoffstetteri	Cajamarca	Maastrichtian		A rhombodontid rajiform
::

References

Bibliography

References

1. Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
2. Chacaltana et al., 2014
3. (2025). "Insufficient Evidence for Spinosaurid Survival into the Latest Cretaceous: A Comment on Olmedo-Romaña et al. (2025)". Ameghiniana.
4. (2025). "Theropod and sauropod dinosaurs from the Campanian-Maastrichtian Bagua Basin of Perú, including the first possible report of Spinosauridae in western South America". Ameghiniana.

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