Escucha Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-mid Albian ~ | |
Type | Geological formation |
Sub-units | E1 to E3 |
Underlies | Utrillas Formation |
Overlies | Castrillo de la Reina, Benassal & Oliete Formations |
Thickness | ~70 m (230 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Siltstone, mudstone (E1, E3) sandstone (E2) |
Other | Coal (E1) siltstone (E2), amber |
Location | |
Coordinates | 42°36′N2°42′W / 42.6°N 2.7°W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 30°24′N1°24′E / 30.4°N 1.4°E |
Region | Teruel, Aragón La Rioja |
Country | Spain |
Extent | Cameros, Maestrazgo & Oliete Basins |
Type section | |
Named for | Escucha, Teruel |
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]
The Escucha Formation has provided the following fossils, among others: [3]
Dinosaurs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Taxa | Location | Notes | Images | |
Europelta carbonensis | La Rioja | [4] | ||
Proa valdearinnoensis | La Rioja | [5] | ||
Insects | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Taxa | Location/site | Notes | Images | |
Alavaraphidia | Peñacerrada I amber | [7] | ||
Amarantoraphidia | Peñacerrada I amber | [7] | ||
Microcostaphron parvus | Peñacerrada I amber | [8] | ||
Radiophron ibericus | Peñacerrada I amber | [9] | ||
Styporaphidia? hispanica | Peñacerrada I amber | [7] | ||
Nodosauridae is a family of ankylosaurian dinosaurs, from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
James Ian Kirkland is an American paleontologist and geologist. He has worked with dinosaur remains from the south west United States of America and Mexico and has been responsible for discovering new and important genera. He named Animantarx, Cedarpelta, Eohadrosaurus, Jeyawati, Gastonia, Mymoorapelta, Nedcolbertia, Utahraptor, Zuniceratops, Europelta and Diabloceratops. At the same site where he found Gastonia and Utahraptor, Kirkland has also excavated fossils of the therizinosaur Falcarius.
Turiasauria is an unranked clade of basal sauropod dinosaurs known from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous deposits in Europe, North America, and Africa.
The Camarillas Formation is a geological formation in the Teruel Province of Aragón, Spain whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. The sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates of the formation, that due to syn-sedimentary faulting varies greatly in thickness from 300 to 800 metres, were deposited in fluvial, deltaic and lacustrine environments.
The Villar del Arzobispo Formation is a Late Jurassic to possibly Early Cretaceous geologic formation in eastern Spain. It is equivalent in age to the Lourinhã Formation of Portugal. It was originally thought to date from the Late Tithonian-Middle Berriasian, but more recent work suggests a Kimmeridigan-Late Tithonian, possibly dating to the Early Berriasian in some areas. The Villar del Arzobispo Formation's age in the area of Riodeva in Spain has been dated based on stratigraphic correlations as middle-upper Tithonian, approximately 145-141 million years old. In the area of Galve, the formation potentially dates into the earliest Cretaceous.
Vladimir Vasilevich Zherikhin, of the Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, was one of the world's leading paleoentomologists and coleopterists. He worked on the palaeontology of the Coleoptera (beetles) and of insects in general, and on the taxonomy of the weevils (Curculionoidea).
Anteophthalmosuchus is an extinct genus of goniopholidid mesoeucrocodylian from the Early Cretaceous of southern England, eastern Spain, and western Belgium.
Monotomidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cucujoidea. The family is found worldwide, with approximately 240 species in 33 genera. The ecological habits of the family are diverse, with different members of the group being found under tree bark, in decaying vegetation, on flowers and in ant nests. Their ecology is obscure, while at least some species are mycophagous, feeding on the fruiting bodies of ascomycete fungi, Rhyzophagus are predators on bark beetles and possibly Phoridae larvae, with the larvae of some species also being mycophagous.
Proa is a genus of basal styracosternan iguanodont known from the Early Cretaceous Escucha Formation of Teruel Province, Spain.
Spathiopterygidae is an extinct family of small parasitic wasps, known from the Cretaceous of Laurasia and Northern Gondwana. They are suggested to be members of Diaprioidea, in part due to their similarly reduced wing venation. Some members of the group reduced or lost the hindwings entirely.
Hulkepholis is an extinct genus of goniopholidid mesoeucrocodylian from the Early Cretaceous of southern England and eastern Spain. It contains two species, the type species, Hulkepholis willetti, and also H. plotos. Hulkepholis is most closely related to both species of Anteophthalmosuchus.
Europelta is a monospecific genus of nodosaurid dinosaur from Spain that lived during the Early Cretaceous in what is now the lower Escucha Formation of the Teruel Province. The type and only species, Europelta carbonensis, is known from two associated partial skeletons, and represents the most complete ankylosaur known from Europe. Europelta was named in 2013 by James I. Kirkland and colleagues. Europelta has an estimated length of 5 metres and weight of 1.3 tonnes, making it the largest member of the clade Struthiosaurini.
Maimetshidae is an extinct family of wasps, known from the Cretaceous period. While originally considered relatives of Megalyridae, they are now considered to probably be close relatives of Trigonalidae.
The Sierra Madre Formation is a geologic formation in Chiapas state, southern Mexico. It consists of marine dolomites and limestones. The formation dates to the Middle Cretaceous, spanning from the Aptian of the Early to the Cenomanian of the Late Cretaceous.
The Helochelydridae are an extinct family of stem-turtles known from fossils found in North America and Europe spanning the Early to Late Cretaceous.
Serphitidae is a family of microscopic parasitic wasps known from the Cretaceous period.
Embolemidae is a family of small solitary parasitoid wasps with around 70 species in 2 genera distributed around the world. The few species whose biology is known are parasites on planthopper nymphs of the families Achilidae and Cixiidae. There is debate regarding the status of the genus named Ampulicomorpha by Ashmead in 1893, generally considered now to be a junior synonym of Embolemus (e.g.,), though some authorities dispute this (e.g.,)
Microphorites is an extinct genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae.
The Gallorommatidae is an extinct family of microscopic parasitoid wasps, belonging to the Mymarommatoidea. It is known from several species found in Cretaceous aged amber.
Zhangsolvidae is an extinct family of brachyceran flies known from the Cretaceous period. Members of the family possess a long proboscis, varying in length between 1.3 and 7 mm depending on the species, and were probably nectarivores. A specimen has been found with preserved Bennettitales pollen, suggesting that they acted as pollinators for extinct gymnosperms. They are considered to be members of the Stratiomyomorpha.