Vertebrates of the El Pelillal locality (Campanian, Cerro Del Pueblo Formation), southeastern Coahuila, Mexico

A new locality named El Pelillal (Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Late Cretaceous, Campanian) in the southeastern area of the State of Coahuila, México yields an assemblage of vertebrates that is important for correlation due to its frequent occurrence in other localities along the Cerro del Pueblo Formation outcrops. It is located in the Municipio de Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila. Among the vertebrates found are: fishes (Lepisosteidae; Amiidae [cf. Melvius sp.]); turtles (Trionychidae, Chelydridae [cf. Protochelydra sp.], Kinosternoidea [cf. Hoplochelys sp.], an undetermined kinosternoid genus, and ?Pleurosternidae [Compsemys vieta]); Crocodilians Neosuchia (Goniopholididae); and Eusuchia and a pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea). Dinosaurs found include a hadrosaurine hadrosaur, a new Troodontidae, and other indeterminate theropods. The El Pelillal Locality is interpreted as a freshwater environment possibly influenced by tides. The fauna of the El Pelillal locality, Cerro del Pueblo Formation, resembles southern U.S. Campanian–Maastrichtian faunas but lacks the prevalence of baenid, adocid, Basilemys and Nanhsuingchelyd turtles.