Navidad Formation
| Navidad Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Early-Mid Miocene | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Underlies | Licancheu Formation |
| Overlies | Paleozoic granitic basement Punta Tocopalma Formation |
| Thickness | 100–200 m (330–660 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate |
| Other | Coquina |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 34°00′S 71°48′W / 34.0°S 71.8°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 34°12′S 69°42′W / 34.2°S 69.7°W |
| Region | Valparaíso Region O'Higgins Region |
| Country | Chile |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Navidad |
| Named by | Darwin |
| Year defined | 1846 |
Navidad Formation (Spanish: Formación Navidad) is a marine Neogene sedimentary formation located in Central Chile. The formation is known for its diverse and abundant fossil record and is considered the reference unit for the marine Neogene in Chile. Originally described by Charles Darwin in 1846 the formation has attracted the attention of numerous prominent geologists and paleontologists since then. As a key formation Navidad has been subject to a series of differing interpretations and scientific disputes over time.