Lourinhã Formation (Redirected from Amoreira-Porto Novo Members)

Lourinhã Formation
Stratigraphic range: late Kimmeridgian-earliest Berriasian
~152.5–144.7 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Sub-units
  • Consolação Sub-Basin - Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member, Praia Azul Member, Santa Rita Member
  • Turcifal Sub-Basin - Assenta Member
UnderliesPorto da Calada Formation
OverliesConsolação & Alcobaça Formations
Thickness200–1,100 metres (660–3,610 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, mudstone, marl
OtherConglomerate, limestone
Location
RegionLisbon Region
Country Portugal
ExtentLusitanian Basin
Type section
Named forLourinhã
Named byHill
Year defined1988

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.

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

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.

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, 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.

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.

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) 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.

Dinosauria
Ornithischia
Thyreophora

Lusitanosaurus

Eurypoda

Dacentrurus

Dracopelta

Ornithopoda
"Fabrosaurids"

Alocodon

Trimucrodon

Taveirosaurus

Euornithopoda
Hypsilophodontidae

Hypsilophodon

Phyllodon

Ankylopollexia

Dryosaurus

Draconyx

Camptosaurus

Saurischia
Sauropoda

Dinheirosaurus

Macronaria

Lourinhasaurus

Pleurocoelus

Lusotitan

Theropoda

Ceratosaurus

Tetanurae

Torvosaurus

Lourinhanosaurus

Allosaurus

Coelurosauria

Compsognathus

Stokesosaurus

Maniraptora

Richardoestesia

Euronychodon

Paronychodon

Aves

Saurischia

Theropods
Genus Species Member Material Notes Images
Abelisauridae indet. Intermediate Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member Teeth; ML 966, Ml 327. Potentially diagnostic abelisaur teeth.

Allosaurus

A. europaeus

Praia Azul Member

Two specimens, covering much of the body.

Only European species of Allosaurus.

Allosaurus europaeus

A. fragilis

Praia Azul Member

Two specimens, covering much of the body.

Now thought to represent a specimen of A. europaeus.

Allosaurus fragilis

Ceratosaurus

C. sp.

Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member

Four specimens; teeth, a femur.

Potentially a synonym of the type species, C. nasicornis. Sometimes referred to as C. sp., giving indication of possible distinctiveness or of being intermediate.

Ceratosaurus
Dendroolithidae Indeterminant Fragments of multiple eggs in a clutch, with associated embryonic remains. Probably eggs of Torvosaurus.
Lusovenator L. santosi
  • Praia de Amoreira Member
  • Assenta Member
Two partial postcranial skeletons. Earliest known Carcharodontosaurian from Laurasia.

Lourinhanosaurus

L. antunesi

Praia Azul Member

Three individuals, one largely complete; over 100 eggs with significant amount of skeletal material.

Has come out in various places in the tree, erroneously said to be a megalosaur, mostly accepted to be a carnosaur, probably allosauroid, or basal coelurosaur. Currently unstable on the tree.

Lourinhanosaurus
Embryo

Megalosaurus

M. insignis

Teeth.

Invalid. Teeth belong to various other theropod taxa.

M. pombali

Teeth.

Invalid. Teeth belong to various other theropod taxa

M. sp.

Tooth fragment.

Invalid; Dubious.

Richardoestesia

R. aff. gilmorei

Tooth; ML 939

Only definite record of this taxon is from the Late Cretaceous of North America, despite erroneous and referrals from other sites in Portugal. Probably a close relative of Richardoestesia and not an actual representation of the taxon.

Torvosaurus

T. gurneyi

  • Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Member
  • Praia Azul Member?

Maxilla, Teeth, Femur; Egg clutch and embryos.

Largest known European theropod. Previous known as Portugal populations of the type species, or as T. sp., before description in early 2014.

Skeletal restoration showing the size of T. gurneyi, known remains highlighted.

T. tanneri

Praia da Amoireira-Porto Novo

Maxilla, Teeth, Femur; Probable embryo.

Now described as a distinct species of Torvosaurus, T. gurneyi. Sometimes referred to as T. sp. in the past.

Color key
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
Genus Species Member Material Notes Images

Dinheirosaurus

D. lourinhanensis

Amoreira-Porta Novo Member

One specimen. Vertebrae; potentially other parts of the body.

Junior synonym of Supersaurus.

Diplodocidae indet.

Intermediate

One Dorsal Vertebra

Regarded by Mannion et al. (2012) as being unique from Dinheirosaurus and possibly indicating another diplodocid in the formation, but being non-diagnostic it doesn't warrant description.

Lourinhasaurus

L. alenquerensis

Praia Azul Member A partial postcranial skeleton. Possibly a Camarasaurid Macronarian.

Lusotitan

L. atalaiensis

Praia Azul Member

Fragmentary material.

A large brachiosaur, a close relative of Brachiosaurus proper.

Oceanotitan O. dantasi Praia da Amoreira-Porta Novo Member scapula, almost all of the pelvis, a complete leg sans the toes, and nine caudals. A titanosauriform

Supersaurus

S. lourinhanensis Praia da Amoreira-Porta Novo Member One specimen. Vertebrae; potentially other parts of the body. Previously Dinheirosaurus. Tschopp et al. (2015) sunk the genus into Supersaurus.
Zby Z. atlanticus Amoreira-Porto Novo Member Holotype: Tooth, cervical neutral arch, forelimb, various other fragments. No described close relatives from the Morrison Formation or Tendaguru beds; instead allied to other European taxa. Note however teeth from the Tendaguru beds might belong to Turiasauria, as Zby.

Ornithischia

Genus Species Member Material Notes Images

Trimucrodon

T. cuneatus

Amoreira-Porto Novo Member

3 isolated teeth.

Alocodon

A. kuehnei

Thyreophorans
Genus Species Member Material Notes Images

Dacentrurus

D. armatus

A stegosaurid

Deltapodus

D. brodricki

Eleven tracks; Nine pes and two manus prints.

The tracks can be separated into three different morphologies, though all fall within range of theOrnithopodsociation of the pes and manus tracks to the same taxon cannot be directly supported. Preserve various well preserved skin impressions. Largest prints are larger than those from the type horizon. The tracks are individually represented and do not form any sort of trackway, thought one print is associated with giant ornithopod track, potentially representing that the creatures were traveling together or were otherwise going to a similar location. Another is similarly associated with theropod and sauropod prints.

Dracopelta D. zbyszewskii Assenta Member An ankylosaur.
Miragaia M. longicollum
  • Santa Rita Member
  • Praia Azul Member
Holotype, neck, partial skull, forelimbs, ribs. Tentative juvenile specimen assigned to this taxon. Stegosaur with unusually long neck of 17 cervicals, with more neck vertebrae than most sauropods.
Ornithopods
Genus Species Member Material Notes Images

Camptosaurus

Intermediate

Limb material.

Now referred to its own genus, Draconyx, along with some other material.

Draconyx

D. loureiroi

Praia Azul Member

one partial skeleton

Dryosauridae indet. Indeterminate Praia Azul Member appendicular, axial and cranial elements
Ankylopollexia indet. Indeterminate
  • Praia Azul Member
  • Santa Rita Member
appendicular, axial and cranial elements

Dryosaurus

D. sp.

Praia Azul Member

Dryosaurus
Eousdryosaurus E. nanohallucis Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Formation A partial postcranial skeleton.

Ornithopoda indet.

Intermediate

Single track.

Gigantic track indicating an ornithopod with a hip height of 2.5 meters. No known Jurassic Ornithopod reaches this size; only known evidence for such sizes in this group at the time. Found alongside Deltapodus print.

Phyllodon

P. henkelli.

2 teeth.

Pterosaurs

Genus Species Member Material Notes Images
Rhamphorhynchidae Indeterminate Tooth
Lusognathus L. almadrava Skull and cervical vertebrae Ctenochasmatid

Mammaliaformes

Docodonta

Genus Species Member Material Notes

Haldanodon

Haldanodon expectatus

Partial skeleton and isolated bones

Semi-aquatic forager.

Cladotheria

Genus Species Member Material Notes

Nanolestes

Nanolestes drescherae

Right lower molar.

Amphitheriidae; small omnivore or insectivore.

Guimarotodus

Guimarotodus inflatus

Right mandible.

Dryolestidae; insectivore or omnivore.

Krebsotherium

Krebsotherium lusitanicum

Left mandible.

Dryolestidae; insectivore or omnivore.

Drescheratherium

Drescheratherium acutum

Upper jaw.

Paurodontidae; herbivore.

Multituberculata

Genus Species Member Material Notes
Kuehneodon K. hahni A member of the family Paulchoffatiidae

Amphibans

Genus Species Member Material Notes
Celtedens Indeterminate Porto Novo/Praia da Amoreira, Praia Azul Frontal bones, along with other parts of the skull and limbs An albanerpetontid.
Urodela Indeterminate Atlas vertebra A salamander, suggested to belong to Scapherpetontidae.
"Discoglossidae" Indeterminate Partial left humerus A primitive frog

Squamates

Genus Species Member Material Notes
Paramacellodidae Indeterminate Frontal and dentary bones Scincomorph lizard

Crocodyliformes

Genus Species Member Material Notes
Goniopholididae Indeterminate Teeth and partial skeleton. Neosuchian
Bernissartiidae Tooth
Lusitanisuchus Teeth, and partial skull and jaw fragments A mesoeucrocodylian of uncertain placement
Atoposauridae Teeth
Mesoeucrocodylia Teeth Distinct from Lusitanisuchus

Fish

Genus Species Member Material Notes
Hybodus H. cf. reticulatus Teeth A hybodontid shark
Pycnodontiformes Indeterminate
Lepidotes sensu lato A ginglymodian
Caturus An amiiform

Flora

Genus Species Member Material Notes Images
Pterophyllum P. mondeguensis Bennettitales leaf
Otozamites Bennettitales leaf
Cupressinocladus Conifer leaves
Protocupressinoxylon Conifer wood
Prototaxoxylon
Classopollis Pollen of Cheirolepidiaceae conifers

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
Aptian Valmaseda - Tellamendi Ol Gp. - Castrillo Benassal Benassal Olhos
Font En Gp. - Leza Morella/Oliete Oliete Villaroya Morella CapasRojas Almargem
Patrocinio - Ernaga Senyús En Gp. - Jubela Forcall Villaroya Upper
Bedoulian
Figueira
Barremian Vega de Pas Cabó Abejar Xert Alacón Xert Huérguina Assises
Prada Artoles Collado Moutonianum Papo Seco
Rúbies Tera Gp. - Golmayo Alacón/Blesa Blesa Camarillas Mirambel
150 Hauterivian Ur Gp. - Pinilla Llacova Castellar Tera Gp. - Pinilla Villares Porto daCalada
hiatus
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
TdL Gp. - Rupelo Arzobispo hiatus Tollo
On Gp. - Huérteles
Sierra Matute
Tithonian Lastres Tera Gp. - Magaña Higuereles Tera Gp. - Magaña Lourinhã
Arzobispo
Ágreda
Legend Major fossiliferous, oofossiliferous, ichnofossiliferous, coproliferous, minor formation
Sources


See also


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