What is the Santana Formation?
Q: What is the Santana Formation?
A: The Santana Formation is a high quality fossil site in Brazil that dates back 115 to 108 million years ago. It is located in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin and qualifies as a Lagerstätte, which means it is one of the best fossil sites with many undisturbed fossils.
Q: When was the strata from the Santana Formation laid down?
A: The strata from the Santana Formation were laid down about 92 million years ago in a shallow inland sea.
Q: What kind of fossils are found at this site?
A: At this site, 25 species of fish have been found, along with pterosaurs, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates (especially insects) and plants. Even dinosaurs have been found here - a new maniraptor was described in 1996.
Q: How were these fossils preserved?
A: These fossils were preserved by limestone nodules forming around dead organisms and then being etched away using mild acid. They were then further preserved by the 'transfer technique' which involves embedding them in plastic resin such as polyester or epoxy.
Q: Is there another lagerstätte nearby?
A: Yes, there is another lagerstätte nearby called the Crato Formation which was produced under similar conditions about 10 million years before the Santana Formation.
