Tlayúa Formation Explained

Tlayúa Formation
Type:	Geological formation
Period:	Albian
Prilithology:	Limestone
Otherlithology:	Mudstone
Namedfor:	Tlayúa Quarry
Region:	Puebla
Country:	Mexico
Coordinates:	19.1°N -98.2°W
Paleocoordinates:	17.1°N -61.6°W
Subunits:	Lower, Middle and Upper Members
Overlies:	Orizaba Formation
Thickness:	Lower: 50 m Middle: 35 m Upper: 40 m

The Tlayúa Formation is an Early Cretaceous (late Albian) geological formation near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla.^[1]

Paleobiota

The formation contains a diverse array of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils. About 70% of the macrofossils are osteichthyan fish.^[2] Other vertebrates include chelonians, pterosaurs, lepidosaurs, and crocodiles. Cyanobacteria, foraminifera, algae, gymnosperms, sponges, cnidarians, annelids, gastropods, ammonites, bivalves, arachnids, insects, isopods, anomurans, brachyurans, crinoids, echinoids, holothuroids, stelleroids, and ophiuroids,have also been recovered from the Tlayúa Formation.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Lepidosaurs

Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes
Huehuecuetzpalli	H. mixtecus		A primitive lizard
Pamizinsaurus	P. tlayuaensis		An osteoderm-covered sphenodontian
Ankylosphenodon^[6]	A. pachyostosus		An aquatic sphenodontian
Tepexisaurus^[7]	T. tepexii		A basal scincomorph

Fish

Mainly after González-Rodríguez (2016)^[8] and Applegate et al. (2006)

• Araripichthys webri
• Armigatus carrenoae
• Armigatus felixi
• Axelrodichthys cf. araripensis
• Cipactlichthys scutatus
• Epaelops martinezi
• Macrosemiocotzus americanus
• Michin csernai
• Notagogus novomundi
• Nusaviichthys nerivelai
• Pachyamia mexicana
• Paraclupea seilacheri
• Quetzalichthys perrilliatae
• Ranulfoichthys dorsonudum
• Teoichthys brevipina
• Teoichthys kallistos
• Tepexichthys aranguthyrom
• Tlalocbatos applegatei
• Tlayuamichin itztli
• Unamichthys espinosai
• Ellimmichthys sp.
• cf. Amblysemius
• cf. Bananogmius
• Belonostomus sp.
• cf. Brannerion
• Lepidotes sp.
• cf. Lycoptera
• cf. Megalops
• Neoproscinetes sp.
• Notelops sp.
• cf. Paraelops
• cf. Rhacolepis
• Vinctifer sp.
• cf. Yabrudichthys
• Gonorhynchiform indet.

Other vertebrates

• Testudines indet. (at least two taxa)
• Pterosauria indet. (tentatively assigned as Nyctosaurus and Pteranodon)
• Crododylia indet.

Arthropods

• Archaeoniscus aranguthyorum
• Atocatle ranulfoi
• Ixtahua benjamini
• Protaegla miniscula
• Tepexicarcinus tlayuaensis
• Sphaeromatidae sp.
• Ostracoda?

Mollusks

• Inoceramus sp.
• Pectinidae indet.
• Osteridae indet.
• Gastropoda indet.
• Neohibolites minimus obtusus
• Neohibolites minimus pinguis
• Neohibolites minimus claviformis
• Neohibolites praeultimus
• Mesohibolites semicanaliculatus
• Martoniceras sp.
• Hysteroceras sp.
• Anisoceras sp.

Echinoderms

• Ophiactis applegatei
• Paleopentacta alencasterae
• Parapsolus tlayuensis
• Astropecten sp.
• Echinaster sp.
• Ophidiaster sp.
• Plutonaster sp.
• Tamaria sp.
• Crinoidea indet.

Other invertebrates

• Porifera
• Anthozoa
• Annelida

Plants

• cf. Araucaria sp.
• cf. Frenolopsis
• Brachyphyllum sp.
• Podozamites sp.
• Zamites sp.
• Phaeophyceae

Further reading

• L. Martin-Medrano and P. Garcia-Barrera. 2006. Fossil Ophiuroids of Mexico. In F. J. Vega, T. G. Nybor, M. D. C. Perrillat, M. Montellano-Ballesteros, S. R. S. Cevallos-Ferriz, S. A. Quiroz-Barroso (eds.), Topics in Geobiology 24:115-131

Notes and References

1. Applegate, S.. 1988. A new genus and species of a holostean belonging to the family Ophiopsidae, Teoichthys kallistos, from the Cretaceous, near Tepexi de Rodriguez, Puebla. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas. 7. 2. 200–205.
2. Book: Alvarado-Ortega J, González-Rodríguez KA, Blaco-Piñón A, Espinosa-Arrubarrena L, Ovalles-Damián E . 2006 . Mesozoic Osteichthyans of Mexico . Vega, FJ . TG Nyborg . MC Perrilliat . M. Montellano-Ballesteros . SRS Cevallos-Ferriz.. Studies on Mexican Paleontology, Topics on Geobiology 24. . Dordrecht, Netherlands . Springer Verlag . 169–207 . https://books.google.com/books?id=xOw5s1g873oC&pg=169. 1402039859.
3. Vega FJ, Bruce NL, Serrano L, Bishop GA, Perrilliat MD . 2005 . A review of the Lower Cretaceous (Tlayúa Formation: Albian) Crustacea from Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla, Central Mexico . Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum . 32 . 25–30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110612184456/http://www.city.mizunami.gifu.jp/sightseeing/mizunami/cultural_property/institution/Bull32/Vegaetal1.pdf . 2011-06-12 .
4. Buitrón-Sánchez . Blanca Estela . Durán-Gónzalez . Alicia . Martín-Cao-Romero . Carolina . Solís-Marín . Francisco Alonso . Laguarda-Figueras . Alfredo . Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from Tepexi de Rodriguez, Puebla, Mexico . Revista de Biología Tropical . en . 63 . 2 . 7–15.
5. Solé . Jesús . Pi-Puig . Teresa . Bermúdez-Chávez . Cynthia . Garduño-Martínez . Diana . Alvarado-Ortega . Jesús . 2022-12-05 . Mineralogy, geochemistry, and K-Ar dating of feldspars and clays from an exceptional Cretaceous fossil locality (Tlayúa, Puebla, Mexico): Insights into the depositional and diagenetic ages and processes . Chemical Geology . 612 . 121134 . 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.121134 . 0009-2541.
6. 1306891. An Unusual Aquatic Sphenodontian (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Tlayua Formation (Albian), Central Mexico. Journal of Paleontology. 74. 1. 133–148. Reynoso. V. H.. 2000. 10.1017/S0022336000031310.
7. Book: Vega. Francisco J.. Nyborg. Torrey G.. María del Carmen Perrilliat . Marisol Montellano-Ballesteros . Sergio R.S Cevallos-Ferriz . Sara A. Quiroz-Barroso. Neil H.. Landman. Douglas S. Jones. Studies on Mexican Paleontology. 31 May 2011. 24 . 2006 . Springer. Dordrecht, Netherlands. 1-4020-3882-8. 214. Research on Fossil Amphibians and Reptiles.
8. Rodríguez . Katia González . Fielitz . Christopher . CRETACEOUS OSTEICHTHYAN FISH ASSEMBLAGES FROM MEXICO . Cretaceous Period: Biotic Diversity and Biogeography. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin . 71.