| Neuquén Group | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range:Early Cenomanian-Early Campanian ~98–79 Ma | |
 Almost the whole extent of the Neuquén Group is exposed betweenLake Los Barreales and the bend of theNeuquén River in the center of this photo.To the lower left of the lake, a swath of light yellowishsandstones of the group'sHuincul Formation are visible. | |
| Type | Group |
| Sub-units |  Río Colorado SubgroupAnacleto Formation Bajo de la Carpa Formation
 Río Limay SubgroupLisandro Formation Huincul Formation Candeleros Formation |
| Underlies | Malargüe Group Allen Formation |
| Overlies | Lohan Cura Formation |
| Thickness | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 38°30′S68°42′W / 38.5°S 68.7°W /-38.5; -68.7 |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 44°24′S47°12′W / 44.4°S 47.2°W /-44.4; -47.2 |
| Region | Río Negro,Neuquén &Mendoza Provinces |
| Country | Argentina |
| Extent | Neuquén Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Neuquén |
    Neuquén Group (Argentina) | |
TheNeuquén Group is agroup ofgeologic formations found inArgentina. Rocks in the Neuquén Group fall within theCenomanian to earlyCampanian stages of theLate Cretaceous Period. It overlies the olderLohan Cura Formation and is itself overlain by the youngerAllen Formation of theMalargüe Group, separated from both byunconformities, dated to 98 and 79 Ma respectively.[1]
Deposits have been located in theprovinces ofRío Negro,Neuquén, andMendoza. Although several different types of environments are represented in various sections of the Neuquén Group, the dominant regime isalluvial deposition. Manydinosaur and otherfossil types have been discovered in these sediments.
There are seven formations within the Neuquén Group. These are divided into three subgroups named after major rivers in the area. In some works, the subgroups themselves are treated as formations and what usually is considered to be the formations as mere members of these. However, particularly in the Río Limay Subgroup, the formations are clearly composed of very distinct rock layers.[2]
Neuquén Group strata, ordered from youngest to oldest
South ofAñelo, on the road betweenLake Los Barreales and theNeuquén River are views on the successively younger formations, starting with the Lisandro Formation to the northwest of Lake Los Barreales, and finally crossing the Anacleto Formation about 35 kilometres (22 mi) down the road near the eastern tip of the lake. The older strata are exposed south of Lake Los Barreales.[2]
