Port des Canonge Formation

The Port des Canonge Formation is an Early-Middle Permian-age geologic formation in the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. It consists of red to brown-colored sedimentary rocks (red beds) such as sandstone and mudstone, and is located in what back then was the western peri-Tethys Ocean.

Port des Canonge Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early-Middle? Permian,
Exposed redbeds
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Pedra de s'Ase Formation
Overlies	Bec de s'Àguila Formation
Lithology
Primary	sandstone, mudstone, lutite
Location
Coordinates	39.7° N, 2.6° E
Region	Mallorca
Country	Spain
Type section
Named for	Port d'es Canonge village
Geological and stratigraphical context of the formation

Geological Context

The Permian geological context of Mallorca is part of the larger framework of the Balearic Islands, an extension of the Betic fold and thrust belt formed during the Alpine orogeny. On the islands, only Mallorca and Menorca have exposed Permian beds, likely derived from sedimentary successions deposited in isolated basins along the eastern edge of the Iberian plate, sharing a structural connection with the Iberian Peninsula, emerged during the collapse of the Variscan orogeny in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian. This collapse led to a transtensional and extensional tectonic regime, creating semi-graben structures that facilitated sediment accumulation.

Palaeogeographically, these basins were located in the western peri-Tethys and shifted from approximately 7°S to 4°N latitude throughout the Permian, experiencing a tropical, semi-arid, and seasonal climate.

On Mallorca, Permian rocks are primarily found along the coastal cliffs of the Serra de Tramuntana and partially inland, though often obscured by forest cover. The base of the Permian succession is faulted against underlying Carboniferous rocks, and the transition to the overlying Lower Triassic Buntsandstein is marked by an unconformity.

Paleoenvironment

Life reconstruction of the local gorgonopsian in a floodplain setting

The Port des Canonge Formation represents an intra-continental fine-grained meandering river system with extensive floodplain deposits, flowing southeast along the basin's main axis. It is composed of red sandstones and red lutites organized in fining-upward sequences, dominated by lateral accretion surfaces from channel bars and overbank deposits. Breccia lithofacies occur as basal lags or isolated beds, reflecting reworked floodplain sediments. Sandstone lithofacies include ripple-marked, laminated, and massive sands, indicating waning flows and overbank deposits. Lutites are characterized by massive and laminated facies, disrupted by plant roots and invertebrate burrows, recording periods of low sedimentation or subaerial exposure. Decreased subsidence rates favored a longitudinal fluvial system, while significant accommodation space allowed for the deposition of mudstones and fine sandstones.

The system is marked by lateral accretion surfaces and stabilized riverbanks, likely due to abundant floodplain vegetation, which prevented channel widening. Evidence of this vegetation includes developed soils, occasional plant remains, and logs despite the oxidized conditions.

Palaeosols with carbonate nodules, calcrete hardpans, and gleyed patches developed under dry conditions, pointing to seasonal desiccation of ponds, which likely functioned as waterholes. Fossils, including tetrapod tracks and skeletons, rhizocretions, and plant remains, emphasize the ecological importance of these floodplain environments.

The formation's palaeocurrents suggest a southeast-directed flow, consistent with the meandering river interpretation. Overall, the facies suggest a semi-arid, dynamic fluvial system shaped by meandering rivers & seasonal dry periods.

Paleobiota

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Invertebrates

Genus	Species	Location	Material	Made by	Images
Arenicolites	A. isp.	Port des Canonge–Hort de sa Cova	Burrowing Traces	Polychaetes Crustaceans Sipuncula	Example of Arenicolites fossil
Cochlichnus	C. anguineus	Torrent de na Nadala	Burrows	Nematodes Insect larva
Cruziana	C. isp.	Port des Canonge–Hort de sa Cova	Feeding trace	Notostraca
Palaeophycus	P. tubularis	Port des Canonge–Hort de sa Cova	Burrows	Orthoptera Hemiptera Coleoptera	Example of Palaeophycus fossil
Planolites	P. beverleyensis	Port des Canonge–Hort de sa Cova	Burrows	Vermiform organisms	Example of Planolites fossil

Tetrapods

Genus	Species	Location	Material	Notes	Images
Characichnos	C. isp.	Torrent de na Nadala Racó de s'Algar	Footprints	Swimming tetrapod tracks
Dimetropus	D. leisnerianus Cf.D. isp.	Torrent de na Nadala	Footprints	Tetrapod tracks, referred to multiple early synapsids: caseidae, ophiacodontidae, edaphosauridae and sphenacodontidae	Example of Dimetropus
Dromopus	D. isp.	Torrent de na Nadala	Footprints	Tetrapod tracks, referred to Araeoscelidians or Varanopidae
Gorgonopsia	Indeterminate	Torrent de na Nadala	DA21/17-01-01, disarticulated partial skeleton	A relatively small Gorgonopsian therapsid, representing the oldest record of the group worldwide	Mallorcan Gorgonopsian material
Hyloidichnus	H. bifurcatus	Torrent de na Nadala	Footprints	Tetrapod tracks, referred to Captorhinomorpha eureptiles	Example of Hyloidichnus
Moradisaurinae	Indeterminate	Cala Gata	MBCN 15730, a partial right maxilla and parts of the palate	A Captorhinidan eureptile
Pachypes	cf.P. ollieri	Torrent de na Nadala	Footprints	Tetrapod tracks, referred to Pareiasauromorph parareptiles

Plants

Multiple large logs along carbonaceous debris have been found in Cova des Carbó.

Genus	Species	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Hermitia	H. sp.	Torrent de na Nadala	Three foliated penultimate shoot fragments	Branched shoots referred to conifers, probably Voltziales
Feysia	?F. sp.	Torrent de na Nadala Racó de s'Algar Platjola des munt de Pedres Es Tamarell	Branched shoots	Branched shoots referred to conifers, probably Voltziales