Hornitos Formation
| Hornitos Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous, | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Limestone, sandstone, conglomerate |
| Other | Marl, tuff |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Region | Atacama |
| Country | Chile |
| Extent | Algarrobal Basin |
Hornitos Formation (Chile) | |
The Hornitos Formation is a Campanian geologic formation of the Algarrobal Basin in the Atacama Region of northern Chile. The formation comprises limestones, sandstones, conglomerates, marls and tuff. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, including the sauropod Arackar licanantay.[1]
Description
[edit | edit source]The Hornillos Formation, deposited in the Algarrobal Basin,[2] comprises sandstones, limestones, conglomerates, and caliches, intercalated with lavas and andesitic breccias and various volcanic rocks. Between these last is a conspicuous layer of rhyo-dactitic lithic tuff, which reaches up to 10 metres (33 ft) in thickness. Bones of indeterminate titanosaurs appear in a marly limestone stratum of 10 metres (33 ft) thick with decimeter-sized calcareous concretions. The smallest pieces were found as rollings, whereas the larger piece was included in the limestone.[3]
The Hornitos Formation formerly was thought to be of Paleocene to Eocene age.[4] The formation may be older and belong to the Early Cretaceous, as a granite intruded the rocks about 105 ± 10 Ma.[5]
Fossil content
[edit | edit source]Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Dinosaurs
[edit | edit source]Sauropods
[edit | edit source]| Sauropods of the Hornitos Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Arackar[6] | A. licanantay | Atacama Region | Campanian to Maatrishtian | Femur, Humerus and Ischium | A lithostrotian titanosaur; closely related to Isisaurus colberti. | |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]Bibliography
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Further reading
[edit | edit source]- G. Chong Diaz. 1985. Hallazgo de restos oseos de dinosaurios en la Formación Hornitos – Tercera Region de Atacama – Chile. IV Congreso Geologico Chileno 152–161
- P. Salinas, P. Sepúlveda, and L. G. Marshall. 1991. Hallazgo de restos oseos de dinosaurios (saurópodos) en la Formación Pajonales (Cretácico Superior), Sierra de Almeyda, Región de Antofagasta, Chile: implicancia cronológica [Discovery of skeletal remains of dinosaurs (sauropods) in the Pajonales Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Sierra de Almeyda, Antofagasta Region, Chile: chronological implications]. 6e Congreso Geológico Chileño, Viña del Mar. Resumenes Expandidos. Servicio Nacional de Geología y Mineria, Chile 534-537