Gracias Formation
Gracias Formation Stratigraphic range: Miocene | |
---|---|
Type | Formation |
Underlies | Pleistocene basalt |
Overlies | |
Thickness | 200–300 m (660–980 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Sandstone, siltstone, claystone |
Other | Conglomerate |
Location | |
Coordinates | 21°12′N 100°42′W / 21.2°N 100.7°WCoordinates: 21°12′N 100°42′W / 21.2°N 100.7°W |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 21°42′N 98°00′W / 21.7°N 98.0°W |
Region | Lempira Department |
Country | ![]() |
Type section | |
Named for | Gracias |
Named by | Williams & McBirney |
Year defined | 1969 |
![]() ![]() Gracias Formation (Honduras) |
The Gracias Formation is a geologic formation in Honduras. The mainly sandstones, siltstones and claystones preserve vertebrate fossils dating back to the Neogene period.[1]
Description[]
The Gracias Formation is a sedimentary unit, consisting of sandstone, siltstone, claystone and a few conglomeratic beds. The formation crops out in western Honduras and ranges from 200 to 300 metres (660 to 980 ft) in thickness. The formation overlies the , while it is overlain by Pleistocene basalts.[2] The Padre Miguel Group provided the provenance for the sedimentary material for the Gracias Formation. The clasts in the formation are largely composed of rhyolite, rhyodacite, pumice, vitric ash, quartz, feldspar, and minor biotite fragments.[3]
Fossil content[]
- Borophagus secundus
- [4]
- Cormohipparion ingenuum
- Procamelus cf. grandis
- Rhynchotherium cf. blicki
- Teleoceras sp.
- Rhinocerotidae indet.
See also[]
- List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Honduras
References[]
- ^ Gracias Formation at Fossilworks.org
- ^ N.N., s.a., Informe de Apoyo, A-9
- ^ Sánchez Barreda, 1999, p.25
- ^ Hulbert, 1988, p.272
Bibliography[]
- Calippus and Protohippus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equidae) from the Miocene (Barstovian-early Hemphillian) of the Gulf Coastal Plain. , Biological Sciences 32. 221–340. Accessed 2019-02-09. . 1988.
- Geology of Mosquitía and Tela Basins, Honduras, 1–55. University of Texas at Austin. Accessed 2019-02-09. . 1999.
- Informe de Apoyo - Estudio Geológico para la ciudad Tegucigalpa, A1-57. _. Accessed 2019-02-09. . s.a.
Further reading[]
- E. C. Olson and P. O. McGrew. 1941. Mammalian fauna from the Pliocene of Honduras. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 52:1219-1244
- S. D. Webb and S. C. Perrigo. 1984. Late Cenozoic Vertebrates from Honduras and El Salvador. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 4(2):237-254
Categories:
- Geologic formations of Honduras
- Neogene Honduras
- Sandstone formations
- Siltstone formations
- Shale formations
- Paleontology in Honduras
- Lempira Department