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

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References

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  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

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  • 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