Escucha Formation

Escucha Formation
Escucha Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-mid Albian; ~117–103 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	View of Escucha and surrounding rocks
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	E1 to E3
Underlies	Utrillas Formation
Overlies	Castrillo de la Reina, Benassal and 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′N 2°42′W / 42.6°N 2.7°W
Approximate paleocoordinates	30°24′N 1°24′E / 30.4°N 1.4°E
Region	Teruel, Aragón; La Rioja
Country	Spain
Extent	Cameros, Maestrazgo and Oliete Basins
Type section
Named for	Escucha, Teruel
	Escucha Formation (Spain)

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.

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 diverse fossil insects were found. The formation was deposited in a variety of continental to paralic (deltaic) environments.

Depositional Environment

The Escucha Formation represents syn-rift depositional environment, deposited in siliciclastic carbonate platforms, coastal siliciclastic environments and other offshore settings. In the basal part of the formation, cobble to boulder-sized dropstones of glacial origin have been identified, representing long-distance iceberg rafting from Arctic sources.

Fossil content

The Escucha Formation has provided the following fossils, among others:

Dinosaurs


Dinosaurs of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Proa	P. valdearinnoensis	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Three partial skeletons and several skull elements from different individuals	Hadrosauriform ornithopod
Europelta	E. carbonensis	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Two partial skeletons	Struthiosaurine ankylosaur
Allosauroidea indet.	indeterminate	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Tooth
Titanosauriformes indet.	indeterminate			Partial unla

Pseudosuchia


Pseudosuchians of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Anteophthalmosuchus	A. escuchae	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Partial skeleton including skull, and other isolated remains	Goniopholididae. Partial skull AR-1-3422 represents juvenile individual of this taxon.
Hulkepholis	H. plotos	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Partial skeleton including skull	Goniopholididae

Testudines


Testudines of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Aragochersis	A. lignitesta	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Two partial skeletons, both including complete skull	Helochelydridae turtle.
Toremys	T. cassiopeia	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member	Multiple shells both articulated and disarticulated, and several appendicular elements	Pleurosternidae turtle.
Trachydermochelys	T. sp.	Cabezo de las Eras	Lower Member		Helochelydridae turtle.

Fishes


Fishes of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Chondrichthyes indet.	Indeterminate	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member
Osteichthyes indet.	Indeterminate	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member

Molluscs


Molluscs of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Bivalvia indet.	Indeterminate	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member
Gastropoda indet.	Indeterminate	Santa Maria Mine	Lower Sedimentary Succession Member

Crustacea


Crustaceans of the Escucha Formation
Genus	Species	Region	Member	Material	Notes	Image
Cretagourretia	C. salasi	CV-13 Roadcut			Ctenochelidae decapod
Joeranina	J. tausi	CV-13 Roadcut			Palaeocorystidae decapod

Insects

Insects
Taxa	Location/site	Notes	Images
Alavaraphidia	Peñacerrada I amber
Amarantoraphidia	Peñacerrada I amber
Microcostaphron parvus	Peñacerrada I amber
Radiophron ibericus	Peñacerrada I amber
Styporaphidia? hispanica	Peñacerrada I amber

Other arthropods

Invertebrates

Flora

Correlation

Early Cretaceous stratigraphy of Iberia
Ma	Age	Paleomap \ Basins	Cantabrian	Olanyà	Cameros	Maestrazgo	Oliete	Galve	Morella	South Iberian	Pre-betic	Lusitanian
100	Cenomanian		La Cabana	Sopeira	Utrillas		Mosquerela					Caranguejeira
			Altamira		Utrillas
			Eguino
125	Albian		Ullaga - Balmaseda	Lluçà						Traiguera
			Monte Grande		Escucha		Escucha			Jijona
			Itxina - Miono		Escucha
	Aptian		Valmaseda - Tellamendi		Ol Gp. - Castrillo	Benassal		Benassal				Olhos
			Valmaseda - Tellamendi	Font	En Gp. - Leza	Morella/Oliete	Oliete	Villaroya	Morella	Capas Rojas		Almargem
			Patrocinio - Ernaga	Senyús	En Gp. - Jubela	Forcall				Villaroya	Upper Bedoulian	Figueira
	Barremian		Vega de Pas	Cabó	Abejar	Xert	Alacón	Xert		Huérguina	Upper Bedoulian	Assises
				Prada	Abejar	Artoles				Collado	Moutonianum	Papo Seco
				Rúbies	Tera Gp. - Golmayo	Alacón/Blesa	Blesa	Camarillas	Mirambel	Collado	Moutonianum	Papo Seco
150	Hauterivian				Ur Gp. - Pinilla	Llacova	Blesa	Castellar	Tera Gp. - Pinilla	Villares		Porto da Calada
						Llacova	hiatus			Villares
						Huerva			Gaita
	Valanginian		Villaro		Ur Gp. - Larriba				Ped Gp. - Hortigüela
					Ped Gp. - Hortigüela				Ped Gp. - Piedrahita
					Peñacoba			Galve		Miravetes
	Berriasian		Cab Gp. - Arcera		Valdeprado	hiatus		Alfambra		Miravetes
					TdL Gp. - Rupelo			Arzobispo	hiatus	Tollo
					On Gp. - Huérteles Sierra Matute			Arzobispo		Tollo
	Tithonian		Lastres		Tera Gp. - Magaña		Higuereles			Tera Gp. - Magaña		Lourinhã
					Tera Gp. - Magaña				Arzobispo
					Ágreda				Arzobispo
Legend		Major fossiliferous, oofossiliferous, ichnofossiliferous, coproliferous, minor formation
Sources

References

↑ Weishampel, et al., 2004
↑ Peyrot et al., 2007
↑ Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Liesa, Carlos L.; Pardo, Gonzalo; Meléndez, Nieves; Soria, Ana R.; Skilling, Ian (2016-06-15). "Glacial dropstones in the western Tethys during the late Aptian–early Albian cold snap: Palaeoclimate and palaeogeographic implications for the mid-Cretaceous". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 452: 11–27. Bibcode:2016PPP...452...11R. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.04.004. ISSN 0031-0182.
↑ Escucha Formation at Fossilworks.org
↑ Mcdonald, Andrew T.; EspíLez, Eduardo; Mampel, Luis; Kirkland, James I.; Alcalá, Luis (21 December 2012). "An unusual new basal iguanodont (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Teruel, Spain". Zootaxa. 3595 (1). Bibcode:2012Zoot.35955.1.3M. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3595.1.3.
↑ Kirkland, James I.; Alcalá, Luis; Loewen, Mark A.; Espílez, Eduardo; Mampel, Luis; Wiersma, Jelle P. (2 December 2013). "The Basal Nodosaurid Ankylosaur Europelta carbonensis n. gen., n. sp. from the Lower Cretaceous (Lower Albian) Escucha Formation of Northeastern Spain". PLOS ONE. 8 (12) e80405. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...880405K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080405. PMC 3847141. PMID 24312471.
1 2 3 Alcalá, Luis; Espílez, Eduardo; Mampel, Luis; Kirkland, James I.; Ortiga, Manuel; Rubio, Diego; González, Ana; Ayala, Daniel; Cobos, Alberto; Royo-Torres, Rafael; Gascó, Francisco; Pesquero, Maria Dolores (1 December 2012). "A New Lower Cretaceous Vertebrate Bonebed Near Ariño (Teruel, Aragón, Spain); Found and Managed in a Joint Collaboration Between a Mining Company and a Palaeontological Park". Geoheritage. 4 (4): 275–286. Bibcode:2012Geohe...4..275A. doi:10.1007/s12371-012-0068-y.
↑ Canudo, J.I.; Ruiz-Omeñaca, J.I.; Sender, L.M. (2004). "Primera evidencia de un dinosaurio saurópodo en la Formación Escucha (Utrillas, Teruel), Albiense medio (Cretácico inferior)" (PDF). Geo-Temas. 6 (5): 27–30.
1 2 Buscalioni, Ángela D; Alcalá, Luis; Espílez, Eduardo; Mampel, Luis (2013). "European Goniopholididae from the Early Albian Escucha Formation in Ariño (Teruel, Aragón, Spain)". Spanish Journal of Palaeontology. 28 (1): 103–122. doi:10.7203/sjp.28.1.17835.
↑ Arribas, Ignacio; Buscalioni, Angela D.; Royo Torres, Rafael; Espílez, Eduardo; Mampel, Luis; Alcalá, Luis (31 October 2019). "A new goniopholidid crocodyliform, Hulkepholis rori sp. nov. from the Camarillas Formation (early Barremian) in Galve, Spain)". PeerJ. 7 e7911. Bibcode:2019PeerJ...7e7911A. doi:10.7717/peerj.7911. PMC 6825746. PMID 31687271.
↑ Pérez-García, A.; Espílez, E.; Mampel, L.; Alcalá, L. (March 2020). "A new basal turtle represented by the two most complete skeletons of Helochelydridae in Europe". Cretaceous Research. 107 104291. Bibcode:2020CrRes.10704291P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104291.
↑ Pérez-García, A.; Espílez, E.; Mampel, L.; Alcalá, L. (July 2015). "A new European Albian turtle that extends the known stratigraphic range of the Pleurosternidae (Paracryptodira)". Cretaceous Research. 55: 74–83. Bibcode:2015CrRes..55...74P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.02.007.
↑ Canudo, J. I.; Cobos, A.; Martín-Closas, C.; Murelaga, X.; Pereda-Suberbiola, X.; Royo-Torres, R.; Ruiz-Omeñaca, J. I.; Sender, L. M. (2005). "Sobre la presencia de dinosaurios ornitópodos en la Formación Escucha (Cretácico Inferior, Albiense): redescubierto "Iguanodon" en Utrillas (Teruel)". XVI Reunión Bienal de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural, Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel, Teruel, Spain. Fundamental 6: 51–56.
1 2 Ossó, Àlex; Charbonnier, Sylvain; Hyžný, Matúš; Van Bakel, Barry W.M.; Devillez, Julien; Bover-Arnal, Telm; Moreno-Bedmar, Josep Anton (24 October 2024). "Decapod assemblages from the Aptian-Albian transition of the eastern Maestrat Basin (Iberian Chain)". Geologica Acta. 22: 1–35. Bibcode:2024GeolA..22....7O. doi:10.1344/GeologicaActa2024.22.7.
1 2 3 Pérez de la Fuente et al., 2012
↑ Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.272
↑ Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.267
1 2 Sánchez-García, A.; Palencia, L.; Delclòs, X.; Peñalver, E. (2024). "False scorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber". Papers in Palaeontology. 10 (6). e1608. Bibcode:2024PPal...10E1608S. doi:10.1002/spp2.1608. hdl:10550/111887.

Bibliography

Kirkland, J.I.; Alcalá, L.; Loewen, M.A.; Espílez, E.; Mampel, L.; Wiersma, J.P. (2013). "The Basal Nodosaurid Ankylosaur Europelta carbonensis n. gen., n. sp. From the Lower Cretaceous (Lower Albian) Escucha Formation of Northeastern Spain". PLoS ONE. 8 (12) e80405. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...880405K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080405. PMC 3847141. PMID 24312471.
Ortega Blanco, J.; Rasnitsyn, A.P.; Delclòs, X. (2010). "A new family of ceraphronoid wasps from Early Cretaceous Álava Amber, Spain". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 55 (2): 265–276. Bibcode:2010AcPaP..55..265O. doi:10.4202/app.2009.0014. S2CID 58934033. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
Pérez de la Fuente, R.; Peñalver, E.; Delclòs, X.; Engel, M.S. (2012). "Snakefly diversity in Early Cretaceous amber from Spain (Neuropterida, Raphidioptera)". ZooKeys (204): 1–40. Bibcode:2012ZooK..204....1P. doi:10.3897/zookeys.204.2740. PMC 3391719. PMID 22787417.
Pérez García, A.; Espílez, E.; Mampel, L.; Alcalá, L. (2020). "A new basal turtle represented by the two most complete skeletons of Helochelydridae in Europe". Cretaceous Research. 107 104291. Bibcode:2020CrRes.10704291P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104291. S2CID 210279023.
Peyrot, Daniel; Rodríguez López, Juan Pedro; Lassaletta, Luis; Meléndez, Nieves; Barrón, Eduardo (2007). "Contributions to the palaeoenvironmental knowledge of the Escucha Formation in the Lower Cretaceous Oliete Sub-basin, Teruel, Spain". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 6 (6–7): 469–481. Bibcode:2007CRPal...6..469P. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2007.09.014.
Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka, eds. (2004). The Dinosauria, 2nd edition. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 1–880. ISBN 978-0-520-94143-4. Retrieved 2019-02-21.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)