Guidebook - Ispra

THE APULIA CARBONATE PLATFORM-MARGIN AND SLOPE, LATE JURASSIC TO
EOCENE OF THE MAIELLA MT. AND GARGANO PROMONTORY:
PHYSICAL STRATIGRAPHY AND ARCHITECTURE P18
Figure 4.3.1 - Simplifi ed stratigraphic column of the
Monte Acuto Formation (after Neri, 1993).
They are present in the lower part of Member 2
of this stratigraphic unit, where the occurrence of
Campanellula capuensis permits to date this interval
to late Hauterivian-early Barremian time (Claps et al.,
1996). Footprints occur in an easily recognizable layer
composed mainly of peloidal wackestone-packstone
with a cap of very thin (2 mm) green clay in which
the reptiles “passage” was impressed. This lithofacies
lies on a 40 cm thick bed extremely bioturbated with
burrows fi lled by green and pink clay (Figure4.4.4).
Other footprints have been found on top of a different
layer composed mainly of bioturbated wackestones
with some emersion features on top (oxidation
fi lms and locally black-pebbles). Preliminary study
on footprints and short tracks testifi es the presence
of middle to large-size bipedal dinosaurs, whit a
foot length ranging from 15 to 40 cm. Some of the
footprints can be attributed to theropods, others could
be also theropodan or iguanodontian and sauropods.
The above described dinosaur evidence suggests that
a considerable portion of the ACP was emergent and
supported the dinosaurs population with food and
fresh water. The ACP and the associated Adriatic
block have been considered since the beginning of
the last century as a nose, a promontory of the Africa
continent (plate). But all the most recent paleotectonic
reconstructions consider Apulia an independent
Figure 4.3.2 - The pelagic interval above the Monte S. Angelo Fm, abruptly overlain by gravity-displaced debrites. The
erosional contact represents the downlap surface of the prograding depositional system of the Monte Acuto Fm (road
Manfredonia-Monte S. Angelo).
37 - P18
Volume n° 3 - from P14 to P36