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La Frontera Formation

Coordinates: 4°54′40″N 74°27′50″W / 4.91111°N 74.46389°W / 4.91111; -74.46389
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La Frontera Formation
Stratigraphic range: Turonian
~93.9–89.8 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofVilleta Group
UnderliesConejo Formation
OverliesSimijaca Fm., La Corona Gb.
Thicknessup to 206 metres (680 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryLydite
OtherLimestone
Location
Coordinates4°54′40″N 74°27′50″W / 4.91111°N 74.46389°W / 4.91111; -74.46389
RegionAltiplano Cundiboyacense
Eastern Ranges, Andes
Country Colombia
Type section
Named forLa Frontera quarry
Named byCáceres & Etayo
LocationAlbán
Year defined1969
Coordinates4°54′40″N 74°27′50″W / 4.91111°N 74.46389°W / 4.91111; -74.46389
RegionCundinamarca, Boyacá
Country Colombia

Paleogeography of Northern South America
90 Ma, by Ron Blakey

The La Frontera Formation (Spanish: Formación La Frontera, K2F, Ksf) is a geological formation, part of the Villeta Group, of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and neighbouring areas of the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The sequence of limestones and lydites dates to the Late Cretaceous period; Turonian epoch and has a maximum thickness of 206 metres (676 ft).

Fossils of Yaguarasaurus columbianus were said to be found in this formation (listed as "La Frontera Member"), although the geological mapping of the area state the time-equivalent Hondita Formation as the stratigraphic unit present in the Quebradas El Ocal and Itaibe in Huila. The La Frontera Formation does not outcrop south of Cundinamarca. A high diversity of ammonites has been found in the La Frontera Formation.

Etymology

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The formation was first described by Hubach in 1931 and elevated to formation in 1969 by Cáceres and Etayo.[1] The formation is named after the quarry La Frontera near Albán, Cundinamarca.[2]

Description

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Lithologies

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The La Frontera Formation is characterised by a lower part consisting of limestones and an upper part comprising lydites.[1]

Stratigraphy and depositional environment

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The La Frontera Formation overlies the Simijaca Formation and is overlain by the Conejo Formation, all units belong to the Villeta Group. The age has been estimated to be Turonian.[1] Stratigraphically, the formation is time equivalent with the Chipaque, Hondita and La Luna Formations.[3] The formation has been deposited in an open marine platform to submarine fan setting.[4] The deposition is represented by a maximum flooding surface.[5] The formation contains concretions and a high diversity of ammonites;[6] Wrightoceras munieri, Vascoceras cf. constrictum, Vascoceras cf. venezolanum, Kamerunoceras sp., Kamerunoceras cf. turoniense, Hoplitoides cf. lagiraldae, Codazziceras ospinae, Coilopoceras cf. newelli,[7] Hoplitoides wohltmanni, Neoptychites crassus, Hoplitoides ingens, Mammites sp., ?Fagesia sp., and Prionocycloceras sp.[8] Also the bivalves Anomia colombiana and Inoceramus sp. have been found in the La Frontera Formation.[2]

Yaguarasaurus

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Fossils of Yaguarasaurus columbianus were described as coming from the "La Frontera Member", part of the "Villeta Formation", in the Quebrada El Ocal, 26 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Neiva, Huila,[9][10] and in the Quebrada Itaibe 78 kilometres (48 mi) southwest of Neiva,[11] although in these areas the time-equivalent Hondita Formation is mapped.[12][13]

Outcrops

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La Frontera Formation is located in the Bogotá savanna
La Frontera Formation
Type locality of the La Frontera Formation to the west of the Bogotá savanna

The La Frontera Formation is apart from its type locality, found at surface in the north of the Bogotá savanna, in the Tabio anticlinal, along the road Ubaté-Carmen de Carupa,[1] north and east of Chiquinquirá,[14] south of Cachipay,[15] to a thin band east of Viotá.[16]

Regional correlations

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Cretaceous stratigraphy of the central Colombian Eastern Ranges
Age Paleomap VMM Guaduas-Vélez W Emerald Belt Villeta anticlinal Chiquinquirá-
Arcabuco
Tunja-
Duitama
Altiplano Cundiboyacense El Cocuy
Maastrichtian Umir Córdoba Seca eroded Guaduas Colón-Mito Juan
Umir Guadalupe
Campanian Córdoba
Oliní
Santonian La Luna Cimarrona - La Tabla La Luna
Coniacian Oliní Villeta Conejo Chipaque
Güagüaquí Loma Gorda undefined La Frontera
Turonian Hondita La Frontera Otanche
Cenomanian Simití hiatus La Corona Simijaca Capacho
Pacho Fm. Hiló - Pacho Churuvita Une Aguardiente
Albian Hiló Chiquinquirá Tibasosa Une
Tablazo Tablazo Capotes - La Palma - Simití Simití Tibú-Mercedes
Aptian Capotes Socotá - El Peñón Paja Fómeque
Paja Paja El Peñón Trincheras Río Negro
La Naveta
Barremian
Hauterivian Muzo Cáqueza Las Juntas
Rosablanca Ritoque
Valanginian Ritoque Furatena Útica - Murca Rosablanca hiatus Macanal
Rosablanca
Berriasian Cumbre Cumbre Los Medios Guavio
Tambor Arcabuco Cumbre
Sources


See also

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Geology of the Eastern Hills
Geology of the Ocetá Páramo
Geology of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Montoya & Reyes, 2005, p.24
  2. ^ a b Acosta & Ulloa, 2001, p.41
  3. ^ Montoya & Reyes, 2005, p.26
  4. ^ García González et al., 2009, p.218
  5. ^ Villamil, 2012, p.164
  6. ^ Villamil, 2012, p.181
  7. ^ Patarroyo, 2016, p.41
  8. ^ Blanco et al., 2004, p.26
  9. ^ 'Yaguarasaurus columbianus' in the Paleobiology Database
  10. ^ Yaguarasaurus columbianus at Fossilworks.org
  11. ^ Páramo Fonseca, 2000, p.124
  12. ^ Plancha 344, 1999
  13. ^ Plancha 345, 1999
  14. ^ Plancha 190, 2009
  15. ^ Plancha 227, 1998
  16. ^ Plancha 246, 1998

Bibliography

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  • Acosta Garay, Jorge; Ulloa Melo, Carlos E. (2001), Geología de la Plancha 208 Villeta - 1:100,000 (PDF), INGEOMINAS, pp. 1–84, retrieved 2017-04-04 Archived 2017-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
  • Blanco, Johana Paola; Medina, Paula Andrea; Patarroyo, Pedro (2004), "La Formación La Frontera, Sección Vereda Tóriba: Una propuesta para la designación del Lectoestratotipo" (PDF), Geología Colombiana, 29: 23–40, retrieved 2017-04-04 Archived 2017-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
  • García González, Mario; Mier Umaña, Ricardo; Cruz Guevara, Luis Enrique; Vásquez, Mauricio (2009), Informe Ejecutivo - evaluación del potencial hidrocarburífero de las cuencas colombianas, Universidad Industrial de Santander, pp. 1–219
  • Montoya Arenas, Diana María; Reyes Torres, Germán Alfonso (2005), Geología de la Sabana de Bogotá, INGEOMINAS, pp. 1–104
  • Páramo Fonseca, María Euridice (2000), "Yaguarasaurus columbianus (Reptilia, Mosasauridae), a primitive mosasaur from the Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Colombia", Historical Biology, 14 (1–2): 121–131, Bibcode:2000HBio...14..121P, doi:10.1080/10292380009380560, retrieved 2018-05-30
  • Patarroyo, Pedro (2016), "Amonoideos y otros macrofósiles del lectoestratotipo de la Formación la Frontera, Turoniano inferior - medio (Cretácico Superior) en San Francisco, Cundinamarca (Colombia)" (PDF), Boletín de Geología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 38: 41–54, retrieved 2017-04-04
  • Villamil, Tomas (2012), Chronology Relative Sea Level History and a New Sequence Stratigraphic Model for Basinal Cretaceous Facies of Colombia, Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), pp. 161–216

Maps La Frontera Fm. proper

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Maps Yaguarasaurus locations

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