Santana Formation

Santana Formation Stratigraphic range: Cenomanian
Fossil of a locust from the Santana Formation
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Araripina Group
Overlies	Crato Formation
Location
Country	Brazil

The Santana Formation is a geologic Lagerstätte (undisturbed fossil accumulation) in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin where the states of Pernambuco, Piauí and Ceará come together. The geological formation, named after the village of Santana do Cariri, lies at the base of the Araripe Plateau. It was discovered by Johann Baptist von Spix in 1819. The strata were laid down during the early Cretaceous, specifically during the early Cenomanian, about 92 million years ago, in a shallow inland sea. At that time, the South Atlantic was opening up in a long narrow shallow sea.

The Santana Formation earns the designation of Lagerstätte due to an exceedingly well preserved and diverse fossil faunal assemblage. Some 25 species of fossil fishes are often found with stomach contents preserved, enabling paleontologists to study predator-prey relationships in this ecosystem. There are also fine examples of pterosaurs, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates (particularly insects), and plants. Even dinosaurs are represented (Spinosauridae, Tyrannosauroidea, Compsognathidae). The unusual taphonomy of the site resulted in limestone accretions that formed nodules around dead organisms, preserving even soft parts of their anatomy. In preservation, the nodules are etched away with acid, and the fossils often prepared by the transfer technique.^[1]

Local mining activities for cement and construction damage the sites. Trade in illegally collected fossils has sprung up in the last decade, driven by the remarkable state of preservation and beauty of these fossils and amounting to a considerable local industry. An urgent preservation program is being called for by paleontologists.

In addition, the weathering of Santana Formation rocks has contributed soil conditions unlike elsewhere in the region. The Araripe manakin (Antilophia bokermanni) is a very rare bird that was discovered only in the late 20th century; it is not known from anywhere outside the characteristic forest that grows on the Chapada do Araripe soils formed ultimately from Santana Formation rocks.

Crato Member

The Crato Formation has often historically been considered the lowest member of the Santana Formation (or, alternatively, the Araripina Formation). The Crato Member is the product of a single phase, where complicated sequence of sediment strata reflect changeable conditions in the opening sea. The age of this strata has been controversial, though most workers have agreed that it lies on or near the Aptian-Albian boundary, about 112 million years ago.^[2]

The extent of the Crato unit and its relationship to the Santana Formation had long been ill defined. It was not until a 2007 volume on the unit by Martill, Bechly and Loveridge that the Crato Formation was given a formal type locality, and was formally made a distinct formation separate from the Santana, which is about 10 Ma younger.^[2]

Notable taxa

Dinosaurs

Indeterminate remains of non-avian theropods, avialans, ornithischians, and possibly oviraptorosaurs have been found in Estado do Ceara, Brazil.^[3]

Dinosaurs and Birds of the Santana Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Angaturama^[3]	A. limai^[3]	Geographically present in Estado do Ceara, Brazil.^[3]	Spinosauridae. "Rostral portion of [a] skull."^[4] Junior synonym of Irritator challengeri.
Irritator^[3]	I. challengeri^[3]	Geographically present in Estado do Ceara, Brazil.^[3]	Spinosauridae. "Partial skull."^[4]
Mirischia^[3]	M. asymmetrica^[3]	Geographically present in Estado do Ceara, Brazil.^[3]	Compsognathidae
Santanaraptor^[3]	S. placidus^[3]	Geographically present in Estado do Ceara, Brazil.^[3]	"Partial postcranium."^[5]

Pterosaurs

Pterodactyls of the Santana Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Description	Images
Araripedactylus	Araripedactylus dehmi			Tropeognathus Tupuxuara leonardii and Tupuxuara longicristatus
Araripesaurus	Araripesaurus castilhoi
Barbosania^[6]	Barbosania gracilirostris
Cearadactylus	Cearadactylus atrox
Anhanguera	Anhanguera sp.		Formerly referred to as a possible new genus, "Pricesaurus"
Santanadactylus	Santanadactylus brasilensis
Tapejara	Tapejara wellnhoferi
Thalassodromeus	Thalassodromeus sethi
Tropeognathus	Tropeognathus mesembrinus
Tupuxuara	T. deliradamus T. leonardii T. longicristatus	Romualdo Member

Turtles

Turtles of the Santana Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Description	Images
Santanachelys			Protostegidae, Cryptodira	Santanachelys

Fish

Vincitifer

Cladocyclus

Araripelepidotes

Obaichthys

Lepidotes

Placidichthys

Beurlenichthys

Paraelaps

Tharrias

References

↑ Maisey, J.G., Rutzky, I., Blum, S. & W. Elvers (1991): Laboratory Preparation Techniques. In Maisey, j:G. (ed): Santana Fossils: An Illustrated Atlas, Tfh Pubns Inc.ISBN 0866225498. pp 99–103.
1 2 Martill, D.M., Bechly, G. and Loveridge, R.F. (2007). The Crato fossil beds of Brazil: window into an ancient world. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-85867-4, ISBN 978-0-521-85867-0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, South America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 563-570. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
1 2 "Table 4.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 73.
↑ "Table 5.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 114.
↑ Ross A. Elgin and Eberhard Frey (2011) A new ornithocheirid, Barbosania gracilirostris gen. et sp. nov. (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from the Santana Formation (Cretaceous) of NE Brazil Swiss Journal of Palaeontology (advance online publication) doi:10.1007/s13358-011-0017-4