La Portada Formation (Spanish: Formación La Portada) is a geologic formation of Miocene and Pliocene age located near the Coast Range of northern Chile. The coarse-grained sandstones of the formation contain penguin fossils.[1][2]

La Portada Formation
Stratigraphic range: MiocenePliocene
View of La Portada, the namesake arch made of La Portada Formation rocks resting on darker rocks of Jurassic La Negra Formation
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsCerro Bandurrias & Cuesta del Burro Members
UnderliesMejillones Formation
OverliesCaleta Herradura Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
Location
Coordinates23°24′S 70°30′W / 23.4°S 70.5°W / -23.4; -70.5
Approximate paleocoordinates23°36′S 69°30′W / 23.6°S 69.5°W / -23.6; -69.5
RegionAntofagasta Region
Country Chile
Type section
Named forLa Portada de Antofagasta
La Portada Formation is located in Chile
La Portada Formation
La Portada Formation (Chile)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Mejillones Peninsula at Fossilworks.org
  2. ^ Chávez, Martín F. (2008). "Los pingüinos fósiles de Sudamérica". Libro de Actas. I Simposio - Paleontología Chile - 2008 (in Spanish). pp. 116–120.

Further reading edit

  • L. Ragaini, C. di Celma, and G. Cantalamessa. 2008. Warm-water mollusc assemblages from northern Chile (Mejillones Peninsula): new evidence for permanent El Nino-like conditions during Pliocene warmth?. Journal of the Geological Society 165:1075-1084