The Escucha Formation is a geological formation in La Rioja and Teruel provinces of northeastern Spain whose strata date back to the late Aptian to middle Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, et al., 2004

The approximately thick formation underlies the Utrillas Formation and overlies Castrillo de la Reina, Benassal & Oliete Formations. The Escucha Formation comprises siltstones, mudstones, sandstones, coal, siltstones and amber, in which diverse fossil insects were found. The formation was deposited in a variety of continental to paralic (deltaic) environments.Peyrot et al., 2007

Depositional Environment The Escucha Formation represents syn-rift depositional environment, deposited in siliciclastic carbonate platforms, coastal siliciclastic environments and other offshore settings. In the basal part of the formation, cobble to boulder-sized dropstones of glacial origin have been identified, representing long-distance iceberg rafting from Arctic sources.

Fossil content The Escucha Formation has provided the following fossils, among others:Escucha Formation at Fossilworks.org

Dinosaurs +Dinosaurs of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageProaP. valdearinnoensisSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberThree partial skeletons and several skull elements from different individualsHadrosauriform ornithopodEuropeltaE. carbonensisSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberTwo partial skeletonsStruthiosaurine ankylosaurAllosauroidea indet.indeterminateSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberToothTitanosauriformes indet.indeterminatePartial unla

Pseudosuchia +Pseudosuchians of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageAnteophthalmosuchusA. escuchaeSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberPartial skeleton including skull, and other isolated remainsGoniopholididae. Partial skull AR-1-3422 represents juvenile individual of this taxon.HulkepholisH. plotosSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberPartial skeleton including skullGoniopholididae

Testudines +Testudines of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageAragochersisA. lignitestaSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberTwo partial skeletons, both including complete skullHelochelydridae turtle.ToremysT. cassiopeiaSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberMultiple shells both articulated and disarticulated, and several appendicular elementsPleurosternidae turtle.TrachydermochelysT. sp.Cabezo de las ErasLower MemberHelochelydridae turtle.

Fishes +Fishes of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageChondrichthyes indet.IndeterminateSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberOsteichthyes indet.IndeterminateSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession Member

Molluscs +Molluscs of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageBivalvia indet.IndeterminateSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession MemberGastropoda indet.IndeterminateSanta Maria MineLower Sedimentary Succession Member

Crustacea +Crustaceans of the Escucha FormationGenusSpeciesRegionMemberMaterialNotesImageCretagourretiaC. salasiCV-13 RoadcutCtenochelidae decapodJoeraninaJ. tausiCV-13 RoadcutPalaeocorystidae decapod

Insects Insects Taxa Location/site Notes Images Alavaraphidia Peñacerrada I amber Pérez de la Fuente et al., 2012 Amarantoraphidia Peñacerrada I amber Microcostaphron parvus Peñacerrada I amber Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.272 Radiophron ibericus Peñacerrada I amber Ortega Blanco et al., 2010, p.267 Styporaphidia? hispanica Peñacerrada I amber

Other arthropods

Alavia neli Archaelagonops alavensis Mesozygiella dunlopi Cretogarypinus zaragozai Ithioreolpium alavensis Alavesiaphis margaritae Hispanocader lisae Alavametra popovi Iberovelia quisquilia Glaesivelia pulcherrima Gymnopollisthrips maior G. minor Manicapsocidus enigmaticus Archaeatropos alavensis Preempheria antiqua Empheropsocus arilloi E. margineglabrus Morazatermes krishnai Cantabritermes simplex Autrigonoforceps iberica Hispanelcana alavensis H. arilloi H. lopezvallei Libanophron sugaar Hippocoon basajauni Burmaphron iratxoak B. jentilak B. sorginak Tagsmiphron olentzero Elasmophron mari Ectenobythus iberiensis Liztor pilosus Cretepyris martini Zophepyris alavaensis Ampulicomorpha perialla Microcostaphron parvus Archephedrus stolamissus Protorhyssalopsis perrichoti Spathiopteryx alavarommopsis Serphites lamiak Aposerphites angustus Archaeromma hispanicum Galloromma alavaensis Alavaromma orchamum Tithonoscelio resinalis Bruescelio platycephalus Electroteleiopsis hebdomas Alavascelio delvallei Amissascelio temporarius Perimoscelio tyrbastes Perimoscelio confector Proterosceliopsis masneri Juxtascelio interitus Iberopria perialla Iberoevania roblesi Cretevania alonsoi Iberomaimetsha nihtmara Iberomaimetsha rasnitsyni Valaa delclosi Megalava truncata Eosyntexis parva Cretasonoma corinformibus Penarhytus tenebris Prosolierius parvus Cretakarenni hispanicus Rhizophtoma longus Darwinylus marcosi Mediumiuga sinespinis Archiaustroconops alavensis Leptoconops (Leptoconops) zherikhini Gerontodacus skalskii Chimeromyia alava Chimeromyina concilia Euliphora grimaldii Alavesia subiasi Tethepomima holomma Tethepomyia buruhandi Lysistrata emerita Hegalari minor Hegalari antzinako Alavamanota hispanica Allocotocera xavieri Cretohaplusia ortunoi Eltxo cretaceus Helius (Helius) alavensis Helius (Helius) spiralis Espanoderus barbarae Alavaraphidia imperterrita Baissoptera cretaceoelectra Cretokatianna bucculenta Sphyrotheciscus senectus Archeallacma dolichopoda Katiannasminthurus xenopygus Pseudosminthurides stoechus Burmisotoma spinulifera Protoisotoma autrigoniensis Proisotoma communis Proleptochelia tenuissima Electrotanais monolithus Alavatanais carabe Alavatanais margulisae Eurotanais terminator Spinomegops arcanus Strieremaeus minguezae Iberofoveopsis miguelesi Hispanothrips utrillensis Aragonitermes teruelensis Aragonimantis aenigma Mymaropsis turolensis Serphites silban Galloromma turolensis Alavaromma orchamum Cretevania rubusensis Cretevania alcalai Cretevania montoyai Actenobius magneoculus Arra legalovi Leptoconops (Leptoconops) zherikhini Atriculicoides sanjusti Atriculicoides hispanicus Gerontodacus skalskii Microphorites utrillensis Litoleptis fossilis Burmazelmira grimaldii Aragomantispa lacerata Spinomegops aragonensis Ametroproctus valeriae Cretaceobodes martinezae Trhypochthonius lopezvallei

Invertebrates Ostracoda indet. Bivalvia indet. Gastropoda indet.

Flora Pinophyta Angiospermae indet.

Correlation

See also List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations Monte Grande Formation, Albian formation of the Cantabrian Basin Caranguejeira Conglomerate, Aptian to Cenomanian formation of the Lusitanian Basin Baltic, Burmese, Dominican and Mexican amber

References

Bibliography

Further reading L. Alcalá, E. Espílez, L. Mampel, J. I. Kirkland, M. Ortiga, D. Rubio, A. González, D. Ayala, A. Cobos, R. Royo-Torres, F. Gascó and M. D. Pesquero. 2012. A new Lower Cretaceous vertebrate bonebed near Arino (Tereul, Aragon, Spain); found and managed in a joint collaboration between a mining company and a palaeontological park. Geoheritage 4:275-286 J. I. Canudo, A. Cobos, C. Martín-Closas, X. Murelaga, X. Pereda-Suberbiola, R. Royo-Torres, J. I. Ruiz-Omeñaca and L. M. Sender. 2005. Sobre la presencia de dinosaurios ornitópodos en la Formación Escucha (Cretácico Inferior, Albiense): redescubierto "Iguanodon" en Utrillas (Teruel) [On the presence of ornithopod dinosaurs in the Escucha Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Albian): redescribing "Iguanodon" in Utrillas (Teruel)]. Fundamental 6:51-56 E. Peñalver, D. A. Grimaldi, and X. Delclos. 2006. Early Cretaceous spider web with its prey. Science 312:1761