Escucha Formation

Escucha Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-mid Albian
~
View of Escucha and surrounding rocks
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsE1 to E3
UnderliesUtrillas Formation
OverliesCastrillo de la Reina, Benassal and Oliete Formations
Thickness~70 m (230 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone, mudstone (E1, E3) sandstone (E2)
OtherCoal (E1) siltstone (E2), amber
Location
Coordinates42°36′N 2°42′W / 42.6°N 2.7°W / 42.6; -2.7
Approximate paleocoordinates30°24′N 1°24′E / 30.4°N 1.4°E / 30.4; 1.4
RegionTeruel, Aragón
La Rioja
CountrySpain
ExtentCameros, Maestrazgo and Oliete Basins
Type section
Named forEscucha, Teruel
Escucha Formation (Spain)

The Escucha Formation is a geological formation in La Rioja and Teruel provinces of northeastern Spain whose strata date back to the late Aptian to middle Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[1]

The approximately 70 m (230 ft) thick formation underlies the Utrillas Formation and overlies Castrillo de la Reina, Benassal & Oliete Formations. The Escucha Formation comprises siltstones, mudstones, sandstones, coal, siltstones and amber, in which several fossil insects were found. The formation was deposited in a variety of continental to paralic (deltaic) environments.[2]

Depositional Environment

The Escucha Formation represents syn-rift depositional environment, deposited in siliciclastic carbonate platforms, coastal siliciclastic environments and other offshore settings. In the basal part of the formation, cobble to boulder-sized dropstones of glacial origin have been identified, representing long-distance iceberg rafting from Arctic sources.[3]

Fossil content

The Escucha Formation has provided the following fossils, among others:[4]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs
Taxa Location Notes Images
Europelta carbonensis Ariño [5]
Proa valdearinnoensis Ariño [6]
Other dinosaurs
Reptiles
Fish
Crustaceans
  • Cretagourretia salasi[8]
  • Joeranina tausi[8]

Insects

Insects
Taxa Location/site Notes Images
Alavaraphidia Peñacerrada I amber [9]
Amarantoraphidia Peñacerrada I amber [9]
Microcostaphron parvus Peñacerrada I amber [10]
Radiophron ibericus Peñacerrada I amber [11]
Styporaphidia? hispanica Peñacerrada I amber [9]
Other arthropods
  • Alavia neli
  • Archaelagonops alavensis
  • Mesozygiella dunlopi
  • Cretogarypinus zaragozai[12]
  • Ithioreolpium alavensis[12]
  • Alavesiaphis margaritae
  • Hispanocader lisae
  • Alavametra popovi
  • Iberovelia quisquilia
  • Glaesivelia pulcherrima
  • Gymnopollisthrips maior
  • G. minor
  • Manicapsocidus enigmaticus
  • Archaeatropos alavensis
  • Preempheria antiqua
  • Empheropsocus arilloi
  • E. margineglabrus
  • Morazatermes krishnai
  • Cantabritermes simplex
  • Autrigonoforceps iberica
  • Hispanelcana alavensis
  • H. arilloi
  • H. lopezvallei
  • Libanophron sugaar
  • Hippocoon basajauni
  • Burmaphron iratxoak
  • B. jentilak
  • B. sorginak
  • Tagsmiphron olentzero
  • Elasmophron mari
  • Ectenobythus iberiensis
  • Liztor pilosus
  • Cretepyris martini
  • Zophepyris alavaensis
  • Ampulicomorpha perialla
  • Microcostaphron parvus
  • Archephedrus stolamissus
  • Protorhyssalopsis perrichoti
  • Spathiopteryx alavarommopsis
  • Serphites lamiak
  • Aposerphites angustus
  • Archaeromma hispanicum
  • Galloromma alavaensis
  • Alavaromma orchamum
  • Tithonoscelio resinalis
  • Bruescelio platycephalus
  • Electroteleiopsis hebdomas
  • Alavascelio delvallei
  • Amissascelio temporarius
  • Perimoscelio tyrbastes
  • Perimoscelio confector
  • Proterosceliopsis masneri
  • Juxtascelio interitus
  • Iberopria perialla
  • Iberoevania roblesi
  • Cretevania alonsoi
  • Iberomaimetsha nihtmara
  • Iberomaimetsha rasnitsyni
  • Valaa delclosi
  • Megalava truncata
  • Eosyntexis parva
  • Cretasonoma corinformibus
  • Penarhytus tenebris
  • Prosolierius parvus
  • Cretakarenni hispanicus
  • Rhizophtoma longus
  • Darwinylus marcosi
  • Mediumiuga sinespinis
  • Archiaustroconops alavensis
  • Leptoconops (Leptoconops) zherikhini
  • Gerontodacus skalskii
  • Chimeromyia alava
  • Chimeromyina concilia
  • Euliphora grimaldii
  • Alavesia subiasi
  • Tethepomima holomma
  • Tethepomyia buruhandi
  • Lysistrata emerita
  • Hegalari minor
  • Hegalari antzinako
  • Alavamanota hispanica
  • Allocotocera xavieri
  • Cretohaplusia ortunoi
  • Eltxo cretaceus
  • Helius (Helius) alavensis
  • Helius (Helius) spiralis
  • Espanoderus barbarae
  • Alavaraphidia imperterrita
  • Baissoptera cretaceoelectra
  • Cretokatianna bucculenta
  • Sphyrotheciscus senectus
  • Archeallacma dolichopoda
  • Katiannasminthurus xenopygus
  • Pseudosminthurides stoechus
  • Burmisotoma spinulifera
  • Protoisotoma autrigoniensis
  • Proisotoma communis
  • Proleptochelia tenuissima
  • Electrotanais monolithus
  • Alavatanais carabe
  • Alavatanais margulisae
  • Eurotanais terminator
  • Spinomegops arcanus
  • Strieremaeus minguezae
  • Iberofoveopsis miguelesi
  • Hispanothrips utrillensis
  • Aragonitermes teruelensis
  • Aragonimantis aenigma
  • Mymaropsis turolensis
  • Serphites silban
  • Galloromma turolensis
  • Alavaromma orchamum
  • Cretevania rubusensis
  • Cretevania alcalai
  • Cretevania montoyai
  • Actenobius magneoculus
  • Arra legalovi
  • Leptoconops (Leptoconops) zherikhini
  • Atriculicoides sanjusti
  • Atriculicoides hispanicus
  • Gerontodacus skalskii
  • Microphorites utrillensis
  • Litoleptis fossilis
  • Burmazelmira grimaldii
  • Aragomantispa lacerata
  • Spinomegops aragonensis
  • Ametroproctus valeriae
  • Cretaceobodes martinezae
  • Trhypochthonius lopezvallei
Invertebrates
Flora

Correlation

Early Cretaceous stratigraphy of Iberia
Ma Age Paleomap \ Basins Cantabrian Olanyà Cameros Maestrazgo Oliete Galve Morella South Iberian Pre-betic Lusitanian
100 Cenomanian La Cabana Sopeira Utrillas Mosquerela Caranguejeira
Altamira Utrillas
Eguino
125 Albian Ullaga - Balmaseda Lluçà Traiguera
Monte Grande Jijona
Itxina - Miono
Aptian Valmaseda - Tellamendi Ol Gp. - Castrillo Benassal Benassal Olhos
Font En Gp. - Leza Morella/Oliete Oliete Villaroya Morella Capas
Rojas
Almargem
Patrocinio - Ernaga Senyús En Gp. - Jubela Forcall Villaroya Upper
Bedoulian
Figueira
Barremian Vega de Pas Cabó Abejar Xert Alacón Xert Huérguina Assises
Prada Artoles Collado Moutonianum Papo Seco
Rúbies Tera Gp. - Golmayo Alacón/Blesa Blesa Camarillas Mirambel
150 Hauterivian Ur Gp. - Pinilla Llacova Castellar Tera Gp. - Pinilla Villares Porto da
Calada
hiatus
Huerva Gaita
Valanginian Villaro Ur Gp. - Larriba Ped Gp. - Hortigüela
Ped Gp. - Hortigüela Ped Gp. - Piedrahita
Peñacoba Galve Miravetes
Berriasian Cab Gp. - Arcera Valdeprado hiatus Alfambra
TdL Gp. - Rupelo Arzobispo hiatus Tollo
On Gp. - Huérteles
Sierra Matute
Tithonian Lastres Tera Gp. - Magaña Higuereles Tera Gp. - Magaña Lourinhã
Arzobispo
Ágreda
Legend Major fossiliferous, oofossiliferous, ichnofossiliferous, coproliferous, minor formation
Sources


See also

References

  1. ^ Weishampel, et al., 2004
  2. ^ Peyrot et al., 2007
  3. ^ Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Liesa, Carlos L.; Pardo, Gonzalo; Meléndez, Nieves; Soria, Ana R.; Skilling, Ian (2016-06-15). "Glacial dropstones in the western Tethys during the late Aptian–early Albian cold snap: Palaeoclimate and palaeogeographic implications for the mid-Cretaceous". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 452: 11–27. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.04.004. ISSN 0031-0182.
  4. ^ Escucha Formation at Fossilworks.org
  5. ^ Kirkland et al., 2013
  6. ^ McDonald et al., 2012
  7. ^ Pérez García et al., 2020
  8. ^ a b Ossó, À.; Charbonnier, S.; Hyžný, M.; van Bakel, B. W. M.; Devillez, J.; Bover-Arnal, T.; Moreno-Bedmar, J. A. (2024). "Decapod assemblages from the Aptian-Albian transition of the eastern Maestrat Basin (Iberian Chain)". Geologica Acta. 22: 1–35. doi:10.1344/GeologicaActa2024.22.7.
  9. ^ a b c Pérez de la Fuente et al., 2012
  10. ^ Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.272
  11. ^ Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.267
  12. ^ a b Sánchez-García, A.; Palencia, L.; Delclòs, X.; Peñalver, E. (2024). "False scorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber". Papers in Palaeontology. 10 (6). e1608. doi:10.1002/spp2.1608.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • L. Alcalá, E. Espílez, L. Mampel, J. I. Kirkland, M. Ortiga, D. Rubio, A. González, D. Ayala, A. Cobos, R. Royo-Torres, F. Gascó and M. D. Pesquero. 2012. A new Lower Cretaceous vertebrate bonebed near Arino (Tereul, Aragon, Spain); found and managed in a joint collaboration between a mining company and a palaeontological park. Geoheritage 4:275-286
  • J. I. Canudo, A. Cobos, C. Martín-Closas, X. Murelaga, X. Pereda-Suberbiola, R. Royo-Torres, J. I. Ruiz-Omeñaca and L. M. Sender. 2005. Sobre la presencia de dinosaurios ornitópodos en la Formación Escucha (Cretácico Inferior, Albiense): redescubierto “Iguanodon” en Utrillas (Teruel) [On the presence of ornithopod dinosaurs in the Escucha Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Albian): redescribing “Iguanodon” in Utrillas (Teruel)]. Fundamental 6:51-56
  • E. Peñalver, D. A. Grimaldi, and X. Delclos. 2006. Early Cretaceous spider web with its prey. Science 312:1761