Cow Branch Formation
| Cow Branch Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: mid-Norian? | |
Outcrop of the formation along the northwest wall of Solite Quarry Pit B in North Carolina | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Dan River Group |
| Thickness | 1900 m |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 36°24′N 80°00′W / 36.4°N 80.0°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 5°30′N 20°24′W / 5.5°N 20.4°W |
| Region | Virginia |
| Country | United States |
| Type section | |
| Named by | Thayer, 1970 |
The Cow Branch Formation is a Late Triassic geologic formation in Virginia and North Carolina in the eastern United States. The formation consists of cyclical beds of black and grey lacustrine (lake) mudstone and shale. It is a konservat-lagerstätte renowned for its exceptionally preserved insect fossils, along with small reptiles, fish, and plants. Dinosaur tracks have also been reported from the formation.