Lourinhã_Formation

Lourinhã Formation

Lourinhã Formation

Late Jurassic geological formation in Portugal


The Lourinhã Formation (Portuguese pronunciation: [loɾiˈɲɐ̃] ) is a fossil rich geological formation in western Portugal, named for the municipality of Lourinhã. The formation is mostly Late Jurassic in age (Kimmeridgian/Tithonian), with the top of the formation extending into the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian). It is notable for containing a fauna especially similar to that of the Morrison Formation in the United States and a lesser extent to the Tendaguru Formation in Tanzania. There are also similarities to the nearby Villar del Arzobispo Formation and Alcobaça Formation. The stratigraphy of the formation and the basin in general is complex and controversial, with the constituent member beds belonging to the formation varying between different authors.[1]

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Besides the fossil bones, Lourinhã Formation is well known for the fossil tracks[2] and fossilized dinosaur eggs.[3]

The Lourinhã Formation includes several lithostratigraphic units, such as Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Members, Praia Azul Member, the Santa Rita Member, and the Assenta Member.[4]

Lithology and depositional history

Depositional history

Location of the Lusitanian basin within the Iberian Peninsula

The Lourinhã Formation is located within the Lusitanian Basin, a mostly onshore North South orientated rift basin within western Portugal, formed during the Opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, with sediment deposition beginning during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic. It primarily consists of syn-rift near-coastal continental siliciclastic sediments, with several marine intercalations. The primary flow direction was North to South, originating from Galicia and flowing between the Iberian landmass to the east and the now largely submerged Berlengas horst, a north–south oriented ridge, to the west.

Stratigraphy

The unit was first formally proposed by Hill in 1988.

The stratigraphy of the Lourinhã Formation is complex and varies between sub-basins with several competing stratigraphic proposals and there is currently no consensus on the matter, one of the most recent stratigraphies,[1] divides the formation into three members which are from oldest to youngest the Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member, Praia Azul Member, and the Assenta Member.

Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member

The Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member is composed of the Priaia de Amoreira Member, which consists of massive mudrock-sand with metre thick sandstone lenses, with massive mudrock with calcrete. The overlying Poto Novo Mb. consists of massive bodies of sandstone, often cross bedded. The environment of deposition is interpreted as a meandering fluvial system, while the Porto Novo Mb is interpreted as a deltaic deposit. It is interpreted to be latest Kimmeridgian in age, and overlies the Consolacao Unit at the top of the Aulacostephanus eudoxus ammonite zone.[1][5]

Praia Azul Member

The Praia Azul Member, formerly known as the Sobral unit/member is 80 to 130 metres thick and consists of tabular marls and mudstones, with rare sandstones bodies. There are three distinct laterally extensive (>20 km) thin shelly carbonate horizons within this member, indicating brief marine transgressions. South of Santa Cruz primarily consists of sandstone with rare conglomerate. The age is considered to be latest Kimmeridgian to earliest Tithonian, correlated to the ammonite zones of Hybonoticeras beckeri and Hybonoticeras hybonotum.[1][5]

Santa Rita Member + Assenta Member

The Santa Rita Member in the Consolação sub-basin and its lateral equivalent in the Turcifal Basin the Assenta Member is around 300 metres thick and predominantly consists of mudstones with frequent layers of caliche. Near the top of the member several layers of tens of metres thick nodular and marly bioclastic limestones are present, containing marine benthic forams, the nodularity is derived from intense Thalassinoides burrowing. It is predominately late Tithonian in age, with the last few metres probably being earliest Berriasian, with the top of the formation roughly correlative with the base of the magnetochron M18n. (~144.7 Ma)[6][1] The environment of deposition is interpreted as being an upper fluvial-dominated delta to meandering fluvial systems flowing on a paralic plain.

Fauna

Dinosaurs

In a 2003 study, an analysis of all Portuguese dinosaurs was published. The study created a cladogram showing the possible relations of all Portuguese dinosaurs, including those at the time known from the Lourinhã Formation.[7]

Dinosauria

Saurischia

Theropods
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Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Sauropods
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Ornithischia

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Thyreophorans
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Ornithopods
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Pterosaurs

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Mammaliaformes

Docodonta

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Cladotheria

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Multituberculata

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Amphibans

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Squamates

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Crocodyliformes

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Fish

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Flora

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Correlation

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See also


References

  1. Mateus, O.; Dinis, J.; Cunha, P. P. (2017-09-28). "The Lourinhã Formation: the Upper Jurassic to lower most Cretaceous of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal – landscapes where dinosaurs walked". Ciências da Terra / Earth Sciences Journal. 19 (1): 75–97. doi:10.21695/cterra/esj.v19i1.355. hdl:10316/79879. ISSN 2183-4431.
  2. Araújo, R., Castanhinha R., Martins R. M. S., Mateus O., Hendrickx C., Beckmann F., Schell N., & Alves L. C. (2013). "Filling the gaps of dinosaur eggshell phylogeny: Late Jurassic Theropod clutch with embryos from Portugal" (PDF). Scientific Reports. 3: 1924. Bibcode:2013NatSR...3E1924A. doi:10.1038/srep01924. PMC 3667465. PMID 23722524.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Weishampel, David B. et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Jurassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd ed., Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 545–549. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  4. Ogg, J. G.; Hinnov, L. A.; Huang, C. (2012-01-01), Gradstein, Felix M.; Ogg, James G.; Schmitz, Mark D.; Ogg, Gabi M. (eds.), "Chapter 26 - Jurassic", The Geologic Time Scale, Boston: Elsevier, pp. 731–791, ISBN 978-0-444-59425-9, retrieved 2021-12-17
  5. Ogg, J. G. (2012-01-01), Gradstein, Felix M.; Ogg, James G.; Schmitz, Mark D.; Ogg, Gabi M. (eds.), "Chapter 5 - Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale", The Geologic Time Scale, Boston: Elsevier, pp. 85–113, ISBN 978-0-444-59425-9, retrieved 2021-12-17
  6. Antunes, M.T.; Mateus, O. (2003). "Dinosaurs of Portugal" (PDF). Comptes Rendus Palevol. 2 (1): 77–95. doi:10.1016/S1631-0683(03)00003-4.
  7. Mateus, O., Walen A. and Antunes M. T. (2006). "The large theropod fauna of the Lourinhã Formation (Portugal) and its similarity to the Morrison Formation, with a description of a new species of Allosaurus". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 36: 123–129.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Malafaia, E.; Ortega, F.; Escaso, F.; Dantas, P.; Pimentel, N.; Gasulla, J. M.; Ribeiro, B.; Barriga, F.; Sanz, J. L. (2010-12-10). "Vertebrate fauna at the Allosaurus fossil-site of Andrés (Upper Jurassic), Pombal, Portugal". Journal of Iberian Geology. 36 (2): 193–204. doi:10.5209/rev_jige.2010.v36.n2.7.
  9. Mateus, O. and Antunes M. T. (2000). Ceratosaurus sp. (Dinosauria: Theropoda) in the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Abstract volume of the 31st International Geological Congress. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  10. Malafaia, Elisabete; Ortega, Francisco; Escaso, Fernando; Silva, Bruno (2015-10-03). "New evidence of Ceratosaurus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal". Historical Biology. 27 (7): 938–946. doi:10.1080/08912963.2014.915820. S2CID 129349509.
  11. Mateus, O., Mannion P. D., & Upchurch P. (2014). "Zby atlanticus, a new turiasaurian sauropod (Dinosauria, Eusauropoda) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (3): 618–634. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.822875. S2CID 59387149.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. Elisabete Malafaia; Pedro Mocho; Fernando Escaso; Francisco Ortega (2020). "A new carcharodontosaurian theropod from the Lusitanian Basin: evidence of allosauroid sympatry in the European Late Jurassic". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 40: e1768106. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1768106.
  13. Malafaia, E.; Mocho, P.; Escaso, F.; Ortega, F. (2017-03-01). "New data on the anatomy of Torvosaurus and other remains of megalosauroid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal". Journal of Iberian Geology. 43 (1): 33–59. doi:10.1007/s41513-017-0003-9. ISSN 1886-7995. S2CID 132198140.
  14. Mocho, Pedro; Royo-Torres, Rafael; Ortega, Francisco (2014-04-01). "Phylogenetic reassessment of Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis, a basal Macronaria (Sauropoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 170 (4): 875–916. doi:10.1111/zoj.12113.
  15. Mannion, Philip D.; Upchurch, Paul; Barnes, Rosie N.; Mateus, Octávio (2013). "Osteology of the Late Jurassic Portuguese sauropod dinosaur Lusotitan atalaiensis (Macronaria) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 168: 98–206. doi:10.1111/zoj.12029.
  16. Mocho, P.; Royo-Torres, R.; Ortega, F. (2016-11-03). "New data of the Portuguese brachiosaurid Lusotitan atalaiensis (Sobral Formation, Upper Jurassic)". Historical Biology. 29 (6): 789–817. doi:10.1080/08912963.2016.1247447. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 89037768.
  17. Mocho, Pedro; Royo-Torres, Rafael; Ortega, Francisco (2019). "A new macronarian sauropod from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e1578782: e1578782. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1578782. S2CID 182239988.
  18. Mateus, O., Maidment S., & Christiansen N. (2009). "A new long-necked 'sauropod-mimic' stegosaur and the evolution of the plated dinosaurs". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1663): 1815–21. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1909. PMC 2674496. PMID 19324778.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. Mateus, O., Milàn J., Romano M., & Whyte M. A. (2011). "New finds of stegosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 56 (3): 651–658. doi:10.4202/app.2009.0055.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. Mateus, O., & Milan J. (2008). "Ichnological evidence for giant ornithopod dinosaurs in the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal". Oryctos. 8: 47–52.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. Mateus, O., & Antunes T. M. (2001). "Draconyx loureiroi, a new camptosauridae (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) from the Late Jurassic of Lourinhã, Portugal". Annales de Paléontologie. 87: 61–73. doi:10.1016/s0753-3969(01)88003-4.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. Rotatori, Filippo Maria; Moreno-Azanza, Miguel; Mateus, Octávio (2022-05-07). "Reappraisal and new material of the holotype of Draconyx loureiroi (Ornithischia: Iguanodontia) provide insights on the tempo and modo of evolution of thumb-spiked dinosaurs". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 195 (1): 125–156. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab113. ISSN 0024-4082.
  23. Rotatori, Filippo Maria; Moreno-Azanza, Miguel; Mateus, Octávio (2020). "New information on ornithopod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of Portugal". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 65. doi:10.4202/app.00661.2019. hdl:10362/127574. ISSN 0567-7920.
  24. Escaso, Fernando; Ortega, Francisco; Dantas, Pedro; Malafaia, Elisabete; Silva, Bruno; Gasulla, José M.; Mocho, Pedro; Narváez, Iván; Sanz, JosÉ L. (2014-07-29). "A new dryosaurid ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (5): 1102–1112. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.849715. S2CID 86780835.
  25. Rotatori, F. M.; Ferrari, L.; Sequero, C.; Camilo, B.; Mateus, O.; Moreno-Azanza, M. (2024). "An unexpected early-diverging iguanodontian dinosaur (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2310066. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2310066.
  26. Bertozzo, Filippo; Camilo da Silva, Bruno; Martill, David; Vorderwuelbecke, Elsa; Aureliano, Tito; Schouten, Remmert; Aquino, Pedro (2021). "A large pterosaur femur from the Upper Jurassic (Lusitanian Basin) of Portugal". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66. doi:10.4202/app.00858.2020. ISSN 0567-7920.
  27. Guillaume, Alexandre Renaud Daniel Microvertebrates of the Lourinhã Formation (Late Jurassic, Portugal) (2018) PhD thesis https://run.unl.pt/handle/10362/58236
  28. Mateus (2010). "First records of crocodyle and pterosaur tracks in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 51: 83–87.
  29. Guillaume, Alexandre R. D.; Natário, Carlos; Mateus, Octávio; Moreno-Azanza, Miguel (2023-04-03). "Plasticity in the morphology of the fused frontals of Albanerpetontidae (Lissamphibia; Allocaudata)". Historical Biology. 35 (4): 537–554. doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2054712. ISSN 0891-2963.
  30. Guillaume, Alexandre R D; Moreno-Azanza, Miguel; Puértolas-Pascual, Eduardo; Mateus, Octávio (2020-06-11). "Palaeobiodiversity of crocodylomorphs from the Lourinhã Formation based on the tooth record: insights into the palaeoecology of the Late Jurassic of Portugal". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 189 (2): 549–583. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz112. ISSN 0024-4082.
  31. Costa, B. L. P.; Camilo, B.; Antunes, Miguel Telles; Balbino, A. C. (2021). "The hybodontiform sharks (Chondrichthyes: Euselachii) from the Upper Jurassic of Torres Vedras, Portugal". Comunicações Geológicas. doi:10.34637/RX8A-5283. hdl:10400.9/3830.
  32. J. Pais Upper Jurassic Plants from Cabo Mondego (Portugal) Separata do Boletim da Sociedade Geologica da Portugala, 19 (1974), pp. 19-45

Bibliography

  • Antunes, M.T. and Mateus, O. (2003). Dinosaurs of Portugal. C. R. Palevol, 2:77–95
  • Mateus, O. (2006). "Late Jurassic dinosaurs from the Morrison Formation, the Lourinhã and Alcobaça Formations (Portugal), and the Tendaguru Beds (Tanzania): a comparison," in Foster, J.R. and Lucas, S. G. R.M., eds., 2006, "Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation." New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 36
  • Mateus, O (2007). "Notes and review of the ornithischian dinosaurs of Portugal". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27: 1–182. doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458.

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