La Quinta Formation


The La Quinta Formation is a Jurassic geologic formation which crops out in the Cordillera de Mérida and Serranía del Perijá of western Venezuela and northeastern Colombia. The formation is also present in the subsurface of the Cesar-Ranchería and Maracaibo Basins. At its type locality near La Grita, Táchira, it consists of a basal dacitic tuff followed by interlayered sandstones, tuffs, siltstones and rare limestones. Dinosaur remains including Laquintasaura, Tachiraptor, and Perijasaurus are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
U–Pb zircon analysis demonstrates that the formation dates to 200.91+0.55 Ma at its base and a maximum age of 174.8 Ma.

Regional correlations

Maps

Category:Geologic formations of Colombia
Category:Geologic formations of Venezuela
Category:Jurassic [System of South America]
Category:Early [Jurassic South America]
Category:Jurassic Colombia
Category:Jurassic Venezuela
Category:Hettangian Stage
Category:Sandstone formations
Category:Conglomerate formations
Category:Tuff formations
Category:Fossiliferous [stratigraphic units of South America]
Category:Paleontology in Venezuela
Category:Geography of [Cesar Department|Formations]
Category:Geography of [La Guajira Department|Formations]
Formations
Category:Geography of Zulia
Category:Colombia–Venezuela border