The most complete worldwide geology of Early Jurassic

An international study published in Earth-Science Reviews finds that the coastal cliffs of São Pedro de Moel (Portugal) and Asturias (Spain) preserve the most complete record known worldwide of the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian transition, a key interval about 193 million years ago in the Early Jurassic. Led by the Complutense University of Madrid in partnership with the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre at the University of Coimbra (MARE‑UCoimbra), the research treats these Iberian outcrops as true “natural laboratories.” By analysing ammonite fossils in detail, the team has refined the geological timescale with unprecedented precision. The sections at Água de Madeiros (Marinha Grande) and Pedra do Ouro (Alcobaça) are highlighted as global reference points for their continuous stratigraphy and exceptional fossil richness, exceeding the level of detail found in many other European regions.