The El Pedregal Formation is a geological formation of Aalenian-Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) age in the Iberian Basin in the Iberian Peninsula. This is allocated in the East-Iberian area, that during the Middle Jurassic was part of a Carbonate platform system, influenced by tectonic activity and fault lines, along the Iberian and Catalan Coastal mountain ranges of Spain, with an exposure of up to 500 km. This carbonates are allocated on the Chelva Group, that was network of carbonate platforms, with shallow areas forming around elevated blocks created by tectonic forces. Deeper marine environments developed between these blocks, which were likely connected to the open ocean. The Internal Castilian Platform was linked to the Iberian Massif, while the El Maestrazgo High separated two marine platforms: the External Castilian and Aragonese. Further to the northeast, the Tortosa Platform was bordered by the Tarragona High and Catalan Massif to the north and the El Maestrazgo High to the south. The Beceite Strait acted as a transition zone between the Aragonese and Tortosa platforms.
Paleoenvironment
The El Pedregal Formation lithology is dominated by mudstone and wackestone limestones with fine sediments, including microfilaments, echinoderm fragments, and pellets, with less important sequences with interbedded marls, which are indicative of a low-energy marine environment. Associated with a shallow carbonate sea, sequences of this formation developed on a confined lagoon, relatively shallow and protected from direct oceanic influence by a volcanoclastic barrier.
This lagoon was developed adjacent to or inside an ephemeral volcanic island, shielded from ocean waves by deposits of volcanic materials. Within these calm lagoon settings, carbonate sediments mixed with fine particles that contained plant fossils, preserving evidence of plant-insect interactions, with a low diversity of plants, mainly cycadophytes and ferns. Occasionally, storm events would disrupt nearby oyster banks, carrying marine debris, including oysters, into the lagoons, sometimes interspersed with plant remains.
This ephemeral island/islands were situated more than 150 km from the nearest mainland, the Catalan and Iberian Massifs. Following the lagoonal deposits, considered of early Aalenian age, a large regional transgression in the late Aalenian impacted the local platform, connecting the Proto-Atlantic Ocean with the Western Tethys Ocean. Latter in the Bajocian the area evolved into a shallow external marine platform with frequent emersions.
Pelagic/open marine sequences are also common within the formation, including the "Albarracinites beds". At The Masada Toyuela site taphonomic patterns indicate two contrasting sedimentary environments, with taphonomic populations dominating in shallow-water settings, marked by reworked and abraded ammonite molds and chambers under slow sediment accumulation punctuated by rapid episodes due to currents and sediment bypassing. Conversely, deeper, sediment-starved areas feature "type 1" taphonomic populations, characterized by juvenile, undamaged ammonites within homogeneous molds, typical of condensed deposits from transgressive phases.
Latter in the Bajocian, the central Iberian Basin featured open marine platforms shaped by extensional tectonics, with siliceous sponge (Hexactinellids & Lithistida)-microbial buildups thriving in relatively deep, oligotrophic to mesotrophic domains.
Fossil Content
Ichnofossils GenusSpeciesLocationMade byImagesThalassinoidesisp.Widespread across the formation Actinopteri Anomura Decapoda Dipnoi Polychaeta SipunculaZoophycos(Cancellophycus) ispp.Widespread across the formation Arenicolidae Capitellidae Sipuncula Spionida Echinoidea
Brachiopoda GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImagesPrionorhynchia P. rubrisaxensis Abejuela outcropIsolated shellsAn Brachiopod of the family PrionorhynchiidaePseudogibbirhynchia P. mutans Abejuela outcropIsolated shellsAn Brachiopod of the family Basiliolidae
Mollusca GenusSpeciesLocationMaterialNotesImagesAbbasites A. spp. Caudiel outcrop Pina-Barracas.1 Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family ErycitidaeAbassitoides A. spp. Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family ErycitidaeAlbarracinites A. albarraciniensis Masada Toyuela Cea de Abarracín Moscardon VibeiIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family StephanoceratidaeAmbersites A. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HammatoceratoideaApedogyria A. spp. Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.3Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family GraphoceratidaeBrasilia B. spp. Caudiel outcrop Pina-Barracas.1 Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2 Sarrión.3Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family GraphoceratidaeChondroceras C. spp. Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SphaeroceratidaeElatmites E. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family PerisphinctidaeEudmetoceras E. spp. Caudiel outcrop Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HammatoceratoideaEuhoploceras E. spp. Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SonniniidaeEpalxites E. spp. Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SphaeroceratidaeFontannesia F. ssp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SonniniidaeGraphoceras G. garantiana G. spp. Caudiel outcrop Lécera Pina-Barracas.1 Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family GraphoceratidaeHaplopleuroceras H. mundum H. subspinatum H. crassum H. spp. Caudiel outcrop Pina-Barracas.1 Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HammatoceratoideaLeptosphinctes L. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family PerisphinctidaeLudwigella L. spp. Caudiel outcrop Pina-Barracas.1 Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsA Bivalve of the family GraphoceratidaeMacrocephalites M. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family MacrocephalitidaeOppelia O. sauzei O. spp. Moneva Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family OppeliidaeRhodaniceras O. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HammatoceratoideaPleydellia P. aalensis P. mactra P. fluens P. subcomp P. ssp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HildoceratidaeSonninia S. spp. Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2 Sarrión.3Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SonniniidaeSpiroceras S. spp. Caudiel outcropIsolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family SpiroceratidaeStemmatoceras S. spp. Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family StephanoceratidaeStephanoceras S. humphriesianum S. propinquans S. niortense S. spp. Moneva Moscardón Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family StephanoceratidaeToxamblyites T. spp. Pina-Barracas.1Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family HaploceratidaeWestermannites W. ssp. Pina-Barracas.2 Sarrión.1 Sarrión.2Isolated shellsAn Ammonite of the family Sphaeroceratidae
Annelida GenusSpeciesStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImagesSchistomeringos S. expectatus S. spp. TE-620 roadIsolated scolecodontsA polychaete of the family Dorvilleidae. Unlike the modern counterparts that live in deeper environments, this species is found linked with shallow marine facies
Decapoda GenusSpeciesStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImagesIberophthalmus I. leceraensis LéceraMPZ 2025/303, an almost complete carapaceA Crab of the family Longodromitidae. Tanidromites T. ciceroides T. monevaensis T. cf. monevaensis T. cf. raboeufi ?T. sp. Lécera MonevaMultiple carapaces; MPZ 2025/314 & MPZ 2025/315–320; MPZ 2025/321 & 46 specimensA Crab of the family Tanidromitidae.
Insecta Foliar remains with insect interactions are common, including traces of margin feeding, Hole feeding, mining, oviposition, piercing and sucking and surface feeding. Due to be located adjacent to an isolated island, the Camarena locality insect biota likely wasn't too specialized, with generalists more likely to adapt to these environments and inflict similar damage.
Modern equivalents capable of leave similar patterns in extant cycadophytes include caterpillars from genera like Eumaeus (Lycaenidae) and Chilades, along other lepidopteran families, such as Tineidae, Nymphalidae, and Erebidae. Other insects capable of attack cycads include Hemipterans like Aulacaspis yasumatsui or the beetle Brachys cleidecostae (Buprestidae). TypeLocationMaterialMade ByImagesHole Feeding TE-620 roadCircular to ellipsoidal or elongate holes punched through leaf tissueColeoptera and Lepidoptera as main producers; similar to modern cycad herbivores like Lycaenidae caterpillars.Margin Feeding TE-620 roadArc-shaped or irregular excisions along leaf edgesPrimarily Coleoptera (e.g., Orsodacnidae, Languriidae, Aulacoscelis in Chrysomelidae) and Lepidoptera (e.g. Eumaeus or Chilades); generalist herbivores adapting to tough cycad leaves.Mining TE-620 roadSpiral gallery. Indicates larval tunneling within leaf tissueColeoptera (e.g., Buprestoidea like Brachys); also possible Lepidoptera, Diptera, or Hymenoptera.Oviposition TE-620 roadEgg-shaped scars, ovoid or semicircular, often on rachis.Lepidoptera (primitive moths); also possible Odonata or Coleoptera.Piercing and Sucking TE-620 roadCircular depression with central depressionHemiptera (e.g., Aulacaspis-like scales).Surface Feeding TE-620 roadScraping or abrasion of leaf epidermis leaving "worn" areasColeoptera (e.g., Aulacoscelis, Orsodacnidae, Languriidae); reminiscent of modern cycad specialists but likely generalists.
Bryophyta GenusSpeciesStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImagesFoveosporites F. visscheri TE-620 roadMiosporesIncertae sedis; affinities with Bryophyta.Interulobites I. spp TE-620 roadMiosporesIncertae sedis; affinities with Bryophyta.Polycingulatisporites P. circulus TE-620 roadMiosporesIncertae sedis; affinities with Bryophyta.
Lycophyta GenusSpeciesStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImagesLeptolepidites L. macroverrucous L. sp TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Lycopodiaceae in the Lycopodiopsida.Lycopodiacidites L. rugulatus TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Lycopodiaceae in the Lycopodiopsida.Staplinisporites S. caminus TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Lycopodiaceae in the Lycopodiopsida.Uvaesporites U. argenteaeformis TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the Selaginellaceae in the Lycopsida.
Pteridophyta GenusSpeciesStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImagesBiretisporites B. potoniaei TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the families Schizaeaceae/Anemiaceae inside PteridophytaBaculatisporites B. comaumensis TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Osmundaceae in the Polypodiopsida.Cibotiumspora C. jurienensis C. juncta TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Cyatheaceae and Dicksoniaceae in the Cyatheales. Arboreal fern spores.Contignisporites C. sp. TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the families Schizaeaceae/Anemiaceae inside PteridophytaDeltoidospora D. toralis D. spp. TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the family Cyatheaceae and Dicksoniaceae in the Cyatheales. Arboreal fern spores.Dictyophyllidites D. sp. TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with Matoniaceae/Weichseliaceae in the Gleicheniales.Echinasporis E. sp. TE-620 roadMiosporesIncertae sedis; affinities with the PteridophytaGleicheniidites G. senonicus TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the Gleicheniales in the Polypodiopsida. Fern spores from low herbaceous flora.Granulatisporites G. sp. TE-620 roadMiosporesIncertae sedis; affinities with the PteridophytaIschyosporites I. crateris I. marburgensis TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the families Schizaeaceae/Anemiaceae inside PteridophytaKekryphalospora K. sp. cf. K. distincta TE-620 roadMiosporesAffinities with the families Schizaeaceae/Anemiaceae inside PteridophytaKlukisporites K. variegatus