Dinosaur Park Formation

The Dinosaur Park Formation is a Late Cretaceous rock unit in southern Alberta, Canada, deposited in coastal plains and river environments and renowned for its abundant dinosaur fossils.

Belly River Group: A Late Cretaceous rock group in Alberta that includes several formations deposited in coastal and terrestrial environments. The Dinosaur Park Formation is one of this Alberta rock group's constituent formations.
Alluvial plain: A broad, low-lying area built from sediment deposited by rivers and streams. Rivers crossed the formation's coastal plain, depositing much of its sand and mud.
Centrosaurus: A horned dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous of western North America, known for its nasal horn and elaborate frill. Centrosaurus remains are especially abundant in the formation's large bonebeds.
Joseph Burr Tyrrell: A Canadian geologist and paleontologist whose 1884 expedition discovered the first known Albertosaurus skull. Tyrrell's exploration helped bring Alberta's rich Cretaceous fossil record to scientific attention.
Campanian: An age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch, lasting roughly from 84 to 72 million years ago. The formation's rocks date to the Campanian, placing its fossils within a specific interval of Cretaceous time.
Fluvial processes: The erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment by flowing water. Changing river channels shaped the formation's sedimentary layers and buried remains.
Corythosaurus: A crested, plant-eating hadrosaur dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Its fossils are among the well-known duck-billed dinosaurs recovered from the formation.
Lawrence Lambe: A Canadian paleontologist who described many dinosaur fossils from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta. Lambe named and studied dinosaur taxa recovered from rocks of the region.
Western Interior Seaway: A vast inland sea that divided western and eastern North America during much of the Cretaceous Period. Its retreat helped shape the coastal environments where the formation's sediments accumulated.
Paleosol: A soil horizon preserved in the geological record, often identified by its structure and chemistry. Ancient soils within the formation record intervals when floodplain surfaces were exposed.

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