earth science

Mexcala Formation

Mexcala Formation is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mexcala Formation rather than just read about it. In short: The Mexcala Formation is a Late Cretaceous (late Turonian to late Maastrichtian) geologic formation in Guerrero state, southern Mexico. Fossil content Fossil ornithopod tracks assigned to Hadrosauridae indet. and sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation.

Key takeaways

Mexcala Formation belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mexcala Formation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mexcala Formation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Mexcala Formation is a Late Cretaceous (late Turonian to late Maastrichtian) geologic formation in Guerrero state, southern Mexico.

Fossil content Fossil ornithopod tracks assigned to Hadrosauridae indet. and sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation. Other fossils from the formation include:

Ammonites

Fish

See also List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Mexico List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations List of stratigraphic units with ornithischian tracks Ornithopod tracks Mesozoic Mexico-related topics

References

Bibliography A. A. Ramírez Velasco, R. Hernández Rivera, and R. Servin Pichardo. 2014. The hadrosaurian record from Mexico. In D. A. Eberth & D. C. Evans (ed.), Hadrosaurs 340–360 Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka (2004), The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 1–880, ISBN 0-520-24209-2, retrieved 2019-02-21{{citation}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) S. Kiel and M. d. C. Perrilliat. 2001. New gastropods from the Maastrichtian of the Mexcala Formation in Guerrero, southern Mexico, part 1: Stromboidea. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 222(3):407-426 E. Cabral Cano, H. R. Lang, and C. G. A. Harrison. 2000. Stratigraphic Assessment of the Arcelia-Teloloapan area, Southern Mexico: Implications for Southern Mexico's Post-Neocomian Tectonic Evolution. Journal of South American Earth Science 13:443-457 M. C. Perrilliat, F.J. Vega, and R. Corona. 2000. Early Maastrictian mollusca from the Mexcala formation of the state of Guerro, southern Mexico. Journal of Paleontology 74(1):7-24 I. Ferrusquia Villafranca, E. Jimenes Hidalgo, and V. M. Bravo Cuevas. 1995. Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaur footprints from Mexico: additions and revisions. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 15(3, suppl.):28A C. González Arreola. 1977. Amonitas del Coniaciano (Cretacico superior) de la region de Tepetlapa, estado de Guerrero [Coniacian (Upper Cretaceous) ammonoids from the Tepetlapa region (Guerrero)]. Revista Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Geologia 1(2):167-173

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mexcala Formation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mexcala Formation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mexcala Formation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mexcala Formation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mexcala Formation

In research: Mexcala Formation appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mexcala Formation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mexcala Formation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Campanian Stage, Coniacian Stage, Cretaceous Mexico, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mexcala Formation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mexcala Formation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mexcala Formation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mexcala Formation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mexcala Formation in simple terms?

The Mexcala Formation is a Late Cretaceous (late Turonian to late Maastrichtian) geologic formation in Guerrero state, southern Mexico. Fossil content Fossil ornithopod tracks assigned to Hadrosauridae indet. and sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation.

Why does Mexcala Formation matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mexcala Formation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mexcala Formation.