Santa Juana Formation a Late Triassic (Carnian stage) sedimentary rock formation near Santa Juana in the lower course of the Biobío River in south-central Chile. Lithologies range from conglomerate sandstone, arkosic sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.
Description The sediments that consolidate into the rocks of the formation deposited in alluvial, fluvial, lacustrine and playa lake environment. Overall, the formation is rich in plant fossils. The formation was deposited over the rocks of the Coastal Batholith of central Chile in a sedimentary basin that formed along the Gastre Fault. It has been posited that the basin developed as a rift during the early break-up of Gondwana in the Triassic.
Fossil content The following fossils have been reported from the formation:
Flora
Insects
Branchiopoda Polygrapta troncosoi Menucoestheria terneraensis
See also
References
Bibliogahy Moisan, P.; Abad, E.; Bomfleur, B.; Kerp, H. (2010), "A Late Triassic flora from Gomero (Santa Juana Formation), Chile", Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 258: 89–106, doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2010/0087 Nielsen, Sven N (2005), "The Triassic Santa Juana Formation at the lower Biobío River, south central Chile", Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 19 (4): 547–562, Bibcode:2005JSAES..19..547N, doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2005.06.002 Martins Neto, R. G.; Gallego, O. F.; Melchor, R. N. (2003), "The Triassic insect fauna from South America (Argentina, Brazil and Chile): a checklist (except Blattoptera and Coleoptera) and descriptions of new taxa", Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 46 (Suppl): 229–256
