Dunvegan Formation, Sandstone formation in Peace River Country, Alberta, Canada.
The Dunvegan Formation is a sandstone layer in northwestern Alberta consisting of marine and deltaic deposits. The rock sequence shows clear differences between thicker sandstone beds and thinner shale layers, indicating changing depositional conditions over time.
George Mercer Dawson documented this rock layer in 1881 near Dunvegan Trading Post and named it accordingly. The discovery helped geologists better understand the sediment sequences of the western Canadian basin.
The formation contains valuable dinosaur tracks from nodosaurs, ornithopods, and theropods, along with preserved ankylosaur remains from the mid-Cretaceous period.
This rock layer is most accessible to geologists and those interested in Earth history through fieldwork guided by specialists. Visitors should know that exploring rock formations requires sturdy footwear and proper equipment for safe access.
The formation's ankylosaur fossils include specimen CMN 59667, two vertebrae and two ribs found along the Pine River in 1930 and described only in 2020, and specimen HH 2017.010.002, a femur collected on the Murray River in 1993 and described in 2024.
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