Biostratigraphic Importance of the New Ca-Tims U-Pb Geochronology for the Belly River Group at Dinosaur Provincial Park (Campanian, Alberta, Canada)

New high-precision geochronology reveals that Dinosaur Provincial Park's fossil-rich strata span 2.4 million years, younger and longer than previously thought, with sediment accumulation rates suggesting a ~230,000-year hiatus near the Oldman-Dinosaur Park formation boundary. This challenges prior assumptions about stratigraphic continuity in the Belly River Group (Campanian, Alberta). By dating five bentonites using CA-TIMS U-Pb zircon geochronology and integrating biostratigraphic data, researchers refined the park's chronostratigraphic framework, correlating its dinosaur zones to ammonite biozones. The study also supports a regional trend of younger contacts in southeastern Alberta, providing critical insights into Late Cretaceous sedimentary dynamics and peak dinosaur diversity.

Eberth, D. A., Ramezani, J., Roberts, E. M., Rogers, R. R., Braman, D. R., & Evans, D. C. (2017). BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW CA-TIMS U-PB GEOCHRONOLOGY FOR THE BELLY RIVER GROUP AT DINOSAUR PROVINCIAL PARK (CAMPANIAN, ALBERTA, CANADA). Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017rm-292286