Corda Formation

The Corda Formation is a red sandstone geologic formation in the Parnaíba Basin in Tocantins, Brazil. It was formed during the Neoaptian to Eoalbian series of the Early Cretaceous.

Corda Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Early Albian ~115–110 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Sardinha Formation
Overlies	Itapecuru Formation
Lithology
Primary	Red sandstone
Location
Coordinates	5.7°S 47.5°W / -5.7; -47.5
Approximate paleocoordinates	5.1°S 14.8°W / -5.1; -14.8
Region	Tocantins
Country	Brazil
Extent	Parnaíba Basin
Type section
Named for	Corda River
Corda Formation (Brazil)

Large-scale fossil sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation.[1][2][3][4]

Origin

late Early Cretaceous (105 Ma)

The Corda Formation is characterized by reddish sandstones, that were probably deposited in windy deserts and fast flowing freshwater streams. Therefore, fossils are very rare.[1]

Occurrence

This formation outcrops in the central part of the Parnaíba Basin, between the mouth of the Araguaia River in the west the Parnaíba River in the east.[1]

Lithology

The Corda Formation consists largely of red sandstone, with very fine to medium grain size, rich in zeolites and iron oxide. Where whinstones are overlaying fragments of this rock are also present. Typical structures of wind dunes (cross bedding, ripples, and grain flow) are common. This is consistent with deposition in a desert system.[1]

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• Sauropod tracks
• Romualdo Formation, contemporaneous fossiliferous formation of the Araripe Basin
• Itapecuru Formation, contemporaneous fossiliferous formation of the São Luis and Parnaíba Basins

References

1. Alves, 2010
2. Weishampel et al., 2004
3. Leonardi, 1994, p.53
4. Leonardi, 1994, p.62

Bibliography

• Alves, Y.M. 2010. Report on the Upper Permian and Lower Cretaceous fossiliferous localities vertebrates-bearing in the central north of Tocantins State, Brazil. Brazilian Geographical Journal: Geosciences and Humanities research medium, Uberlândia 1. 372–386. Accessed 2019-02-16.
• Leonardi, Giuseppe. 1994. Annotated Atlas of South America Tetrapod Footprints (Devonian to Holocene) with an appendix on Mexico and Central America, 1–248. Ministerio de Minas e Energia - Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais, Geological Service of Brazil. Accessed 2019-03-25.
• Weishampel, David B.; Peter Dodson, and Halszka Osmólska (eds.). 2004. The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, 1–880. Berkeley: University of California Press. Accessed 2019-02-21. ISBN 0-520-24209-2