BETIJOQUE, Formation

See BOSCAN, Formation and BETIJOQUE, Group.

BOSCAN, Formation

TERTIARY (upper Miocene)

State of Zulia, Venezuela

Author of name: Garner, 1926.

Original reference: Garner, 926, p. 682.

Original description: none.

The Boscán formation was first mentioned by Garner (1926, p. 682), who states that the type localitity is in the vicinity of the camp of Boscán of the Venezuelan Beacon-Sun Co., District of Sucre, State of Zulia.

According to Garner, this unit probably constitutes the upper part of his Betijoque "formation". Sutton (1946, p. 1710) says that the Boscán formation is exactly equivalent to the restricted "Betijoque formation", described by Abadilla (1928, private report) fide Sutton (1946, p. 1709), to designate the section comprised between the overlying Carvajal and the underlying Isnotú formations. Some geologists consider the restricted "Betijoque formation" as equivalent to the Sanaleios (or San Alejo ?) formation of Mencher et al. (1953, p. 774), plus the Vichú formation of Mencher et al. (1951, Correlation Table); they used the name Betijoque, with the rank of group, to designate a much larger unit than that corresponding to the upper Miocene (Boscán formation), the Betijoque group includes the Sanalejos (or San Alejo ?), Isnotú and Palmar formations (Oligocene to Pliocene). If the name Betijoque, with the rank og group, is accepted, it will be useful to describe formally the type-section of Garner's Boscán formation and if happens to be representative, to maintain that name instead of the restricted "Betijoque formation", described by Abadilla and Sutton. It seems fairly logical, to maintain the name Betijoque to designate, according to the original description, a section larger than the upper Miocene (Garner's Boscán formation).

G. Rivero N.