Zapata Formation
Geological formation in Chile and Argentina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zapata Formation (Spanish: Formación Zapata) is a sedimentary formation of Lower Cretaceous age in the Magallanes or Austral Basin of Argentina and Chile. Much of the formation is folded and faulted as consequence of the Andean orogeny.[1] In outcrops of the Zapata Formation near Torres del Paine, the ichthyosaur genus Myobradypterygius has been found.[2][3]
| Zapata Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Berriasian-Hauterivian | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Underlies | Punta Barrosa & Erezcano Formations |
| Overlies | Tobífera & Springhill Formations |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Shale |
| Other | Turbiditic sandstone, pyrite |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51.1°S 73.3°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 51.3°S 36.9°W |
| Region | Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena & Aysén Regions Santa Cruz Province |
| Country | Chile, Argentina |
| Extent | Magallanes or Austral Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Cerro Zapata |
  Zapata Formation (Argentina) | |
Fossil content
Color key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Ichthyosaurs
| Ichthyosaurs of the Zapata Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Myobradypterygius[4] | M. hauthali | A ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur | ||||