Catavi Formation Explained

Catavi Formation
Type:	Geological formation
Period:	Emsian
Age:	Pridoli-Emsian ~
Prilithology:	Sandstone, siltstone
Otherlithology:	Shale, limestone
Namedfor:	Catavi
Region:	Cochabamba & La Paz Departments
Coordinates:	-17.4°N -66.2°W
Paleocoordinates:	-56.8°N -112.7°W
Overlies:	Kirusillas Formation
Thickness:	Up to 456m (1,496feet)
Extent:	Cordillera Oriental

The Catavi Formation is a Pridoli to Emsian geologic formation of northern and central Bolivia. The formation comprises a 456m (1,496feet) thick succession of fine-grained, olive to brown sandstones and siltstones, shales and black limestones deposited in a shallow to deep marine environment.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Fossil content

The formation has provided the following fossils:

• Andinodesma radicostata
• Antarctilamna seriponensis
• Australocoelia tourteloti
• Bolivacanthus sagitalis
• Burmeisteria herscheli
• Cingulochitina ceneratiensis, C. ervensis
• Clarkeia antisiensis
• Climatius enodiscosta
• Gomphonchus pluriformis
• Gyracanthus seriponensis
• Kazachstania gerardoi
• Leonaspis (Leonaspis) aracana
• Leonaspis (Leonaspis) berryi
• Leonaspis (? Leonaspis) chacaltayana
• Nodonchus rectus
• Odontochile andii
• Onchus punctuatus, O. sicaeformis
• Paciphacops waisfeldae
• Palaeoneilo unionoides
• Phacopina (Phacopina) chojnacotensis
• Sinacanthus boliviensis
• Turinia gondwana
• Andinacaste cf. legrandi
• Burmeisteria (Digonus) cf. noticus
• Calymene sp.
• Pleurodictyum sp.
• Trimerus sp.
• Acanthodii indet.
• Brachiopoda indet.
• Bryozoa indet.
• Cephalopoda indet.
• Gastropoda indet.
• Ischnacanthida indet.
• Ophiuroidea indet.
• Palaeotaxodonta indet.
• Tentaculitida indet.
• Trilobita indet.

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Bolivia

Further reading

• G. D. Edgecombe and L. Ramskold. 1994. Earliest Devonian phacopide trilobites from central Bolivia. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 68(3/4):397-410
• P. Y. Gagnier, S. Turner, L. Friman, M. Suarez-Riglos, and P. Janvier. 1988. The Devonian vertebrate and mollusc fauna from Seripona (Dept. of Chiquisaca, Bolivia). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 176(2):269-297
• U. Rehfeld and J. Mehl. 1989. Andinodesma radiata n. gen. n. sp., a grammysiid taxon from the Lower Devonian Catavi-Formation (Bolivia) and its autecological and phylogenetic implications. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 63(3/4):263-279

Notes and References

1. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=25587 Catavi Unit C3 near Cochabamba
2. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=25592 Catavi vertebrate and mollusc fauna at Seripona
3. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=37052 Catavi Beds, (Phacopina chojnacotensis bed) La Paz Province, Bolivia
4. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=25584 Catavi Unit C1 near Cochabamba
5. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=25579 Trilobite faunule in Catavi unit C2 near Cochabamba