The Tlayúa Quarry: An Overview of a Notable Early Cretaceous Fossil-Lagerstätte from Mexico

Tlayúa Quarry is an outstanding Early Cretaceous fossil site in Mexico characterized by the beauty and exceptional preservation of its fossils, including fishes, invertebrates and reptiles. For over four decades, Tlayúa Quarry has been the subject of numerous paleontological studies, being considered one of the most important fossil sites in North America. Tlayúa Quarry stands out among other Cretaceous localities of Mexico and North America due to the quality and diversity of its fossils, being identified as a Konservat-Lagerstätte. During the last 20 years, research on the age, paleoenvironments and species diversity of the Tlayúa Quarry has been carried out by Mexican and international paleontologists, substantially improving our knowledge about the locality. Here, a comprehensive synthesis of the history, age, paleoenvironmental models and paleobiodiversity of the Tlayúa Quarry is presented.