GIRON, "Series"

DEVONIAN-LOWER CRETACEOUS

Department of Santander del Sur, Colombia

Author of name: A. Hettner, 1892.

Original reference: A. Hettner, 1892.

Original description: ibid.

According to Sutton (1946, p. 1639), before Ktindig introduced the name La Quinta, this formation was generally referred to as the Girón "series", a name which was first applied by Hettner (1892) to a red sandstone formation in Colombia. The Gir6n was later confused with the Lower Cretaceous Arcabuco, Salina, and Caqueza formations, which are correlative with the Rio Negro formation of the Maracaibo basin. According to Sutton (1946, p. 1639) Olsson has found black shales containing Estheria not far from Girón and it appears that the correlation of the Girón with the La Quinta at the type locality is correct.

According to Notestein et al. (1944, p. 1173) the red beds which underlie the Cretaceous in large areas of Colombia have long been commonly referred to as the Girón. Unfortunately, this term has been loosely applied in various parts of Colombia to red sediments now known to range in age from Devonian to Lower Cretaceous. Liddle (1946, p. 134) also states that rocks of different ages were included in Hettner's original description of the Girón "series" in Colombia, so in order to avoid confusion, the Triassic in Venezuela should be called La Quinta as established by Kündig (1938, p. 31). Also according to Kehrer (1938, p. 51), it appears that in Colombia the name Gir6n "series" has been applied to the "Tomón" (Cretaceous) and the Girón "series" (Lower Jurassic), which fact has caused much confusion.

Following Liddle (1946, p. 134), Sutton (1946, p. 1639) and many other geologists, the name La Quinta should be used in Western Venezuela for the Triassic-Jurassic sediments.

W. A. Mohler