La sucesión paleozoica en el sinforme de la Codosera-Puebla de Obando (provincias de Cáceres y Badajoz, SO de España

Abstract

In the Codosera-Puebla de Obando area, Paleozoic rocks are preserved in a syncline core forming a small mountain chain raising above the surrounding Precambrian areas. This paleozoic syncline is located in the southern part of the Central Iberian zone, near its southern boundary with the Ossa-Morena zone. The Paleozoic sequence starts with a 100 m thick quartzite unit of Arenig age (equivalent to the Armorican quartzite). Above, there is an essentially terrigenous sequence consisting of quartzites, sandstones and slates, about 1,800 m thick. Towards the upper part of the sequence there are also conglomerate and carbonate levels as well as interlayered basic volcanic rocks. The age of the sequence ranges from Early Ordovician to Late Devonian with a hiatus comprising the Middle Devonian. A complete stratigraphical sequence can only be obtained from the northern limb of the syncline, because of the imbricate structure of the southern limbo Even in the southern limb there is frequently a tectonic reduction of some stratigraphical units. The faunas are in general scarce in the sequence, however the Silurian and the Late Devonian have been paleontologically substantiated for the first time in the area.