Apón Formation
The Apón Formation is a geological formation in northwestern Venezuela (Maracaibo Basin) and northern Colombia (La Guajira),[1] whose thick-bedded limestone interbedded with subordinate amounts of dark gray calcareous shale and sandy shale strata date back to the Early Cretaceous (Late Aptian epoch).[2] Pterosaur remains of Ornithocheiridae indet. (= ?Anhangueridae indet.) are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[3]
Apón Formation Stratigraphic range: Early Cretaceous (Late Aptian) | |
---|---|
Type | Geological formation |
Sub-units | Machiques Member |
Underlies | Aguardiente Formation |
Overlies | Río Negro Formation |
Lithology | |
Primary | Limestone, marl |
Other | Calcareous and sandy shales |
Location | |
Coordinates | 10°57′30″N 71°38′50″W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 7.7°N 41.1°W |
Region | La Guajira, Maracaibo Basin |
Country | |
Type section | |
Named for | Apón River |
Apón Formation (Venezuela) |
Fossil content
The following fossils, among others, have been found in the Apón Formation at Toas island: Spiroculina sp., Orbitolina concava, Gryphaeostrea, Amphidonte (Ceratostreon) boussingaulti, Ostrea sp., Amphitriscoelus waringi, Requienia sp., Parahoplites sp., Cheloniceras sp., Quinqueloculina sp., Triloculina sp.,[2] and Panopea (Myopsis) plicata in Río Negro.[4]
References
- García González et al., 2010
- Apón Formation (Toas Island) at Fossilworks.org
- Barrett et al., 2008, p.84
- Apón Formation (Río Negro) at Fossilworks.org
Bibliography
- Barrett, P.M.; R.J. Butler; N.P. Edwards, and A.R. Milner. 2008. Pterosaur distribution in time and space: an atlas. pp.61-107. in Flugsaurier: Pterosaur papers in honour of Peter Wellnhofer. Hone, D.W.E., and Buffetaut, E. (eds), 1–264. 28; Zitteliana B. Accessed 2017-03-31.
- García González, Mario; Ricardo Mier Umaña, and Luis Enrique Cruz Guevara. 2010. Reconstrucción de la historia paleotermal de la subcuenca de la Baja Guajira, Colombia. Boletín de Geología 32. . Accessed 2017-03-31.