The Two Medicine Formation is a geological formation, or rock body, in northwestern Montana and southern Alberta that was deposited between and (million years ago), during Campanian (Late Cretaceous) time. It crops out to the east of the Rocky Mountain Overthrust Belt, and the western portion (about thick) of this formation is folded and faulted while the eastern part, which thins out into the Sweetgrass Arch, is mostly undeformed plains. Below the formation are the nearshore (beach and tidal zone) deposits of the Virgelle Sandstone, and above it is the marine Bearpaw Shale. Throughout the Campanian, the Two Medicine Formation was deposited between the western shoreline of the Late Cretaceous Interior Seaway and the eastward advancing margin of the Cordilleran Overthrust Belt. The Two Medicine Formation is mostly sandstone, deposited by rivers and deltas. History of research In 1913, a US Geological Survey crew headed by Eugene Stebinger and a US National Museum crew headed by Charles Gilmore worked together to excavate the first dinosaur of the formation. Stebinger was the first to identify the Two Medicine Formation and formally described the first fossils in a scientific paper published in 1914. Gilmore returned to the Formation in 1928 and 1935. During this time frame only three species were named and of these only Styracosaurus ovatus and Edmontonia rugosidens are still regarded as valid. Barnum Brown prospected the formation in 1933, but found nothing significant. Both of their research were interrupted by World War II. In 1977, Trexler reports finding hadrosaur remains west of Choteau, Montana. During the next year baby hadrosaurs were discovered. In 1979, Horner and Makela referred these hadrosaur bones to Maiasaura peeblesorum. The announcement attracted renewed scientific interest to the formation and many new kinds of dinosaurs were discovered. More nesting sites were discovered later, including the Devil's Coulee site yielding Hypacrosaurus stebingeri in southern Alberta in 1987. Geology The loosely consolidated fine grain sediments composing the formation allow for fast plant growth in badland areas, limiting the number of exposed outcrops. Paleosols, fluvial deposits and bentonitic layers are common in the Two Medicine Formation. Age The Two Medicine Formation spans from 80 to 74 Ma, nearly the entire length of the Campanian stage. The formation has been dated using 40Ar/39Ar dating at volcanic ash layers located below the top and above the base. The deposition of the formation may be diachronous. The Lower Two Medicine dates