Geologic formation in Panama
The Cucaracha Formation (Tca)[ 1] is a geologic formation in Panama . It preserves vertebrate and plant fossils dating back to the Neogene period ; Early to Middle Miocene epochs (Hemingfordian ).[ 2] Fossils of the crocodylian Centenariosuchus , the turtle Rhinoclemmys panamaensis and the artiodactyl Paratoceras have been found in the formation.[ 3]
The Cucaracha Formation is approximately 125 metres (410 ft) thick,[ 4] and dated to 19 to 14 Ma.[ 5]
Fossil content
Color key
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text ; crossed out taxa are discredited.
Mammals
Bats
Carnivorans
Rodents
Ungulates
Ungulates reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus
Species
Presence
Material
Notes
Images
Anchitherium [ 6] [ 8] [ 10]
A. clarencei
Gaillard Cut & Centenario Bridge
Mandible fragment, upper cheek tooth & maxilla
An equid
Archaeohippus [ 6] [ 8]
A. sp.
Gaillard Cut
Calcaneus & tooth
An equid
Cynorca [ 6] [ 11]
C. occidentale
Gaillard Cut, Centenario Bridge & Hodges Hill
Jaw elements with teeth
Species reassigned to the genus Tedfordhyus [ 12]
Floridaceras [ 6] [ 8]
F. whitei
Gaillard Cut
Jaws, teeth & femur fragment
A rhinoceros
Floridatragulus [ 6]
cf. F. nanus
Gaillard Cut
A camelid
Machaeromeryx [ 6]
cf. M. sp.
Gaillard Cut
A moschid
Menoceras [ 6] [ 8]
M. barbouri
Gaillard Cut
Teeth & limb elements
A rhinoceros
Merycochoerus [ 6] [ 8]
M. matthewi
Gaillard Cut
Skull elements
An oreodont
Parablastomeryx [ 6]
cf. P. sp.
Gaillard Cut
A moschid
Paratoceras [ 6] [ 8] [ 13]
P. coatesi
Gaillard Cut, Centenario Bridge, Hodges Hill & Cartagena Hill
Skull elements, teeth & limb fragments
A protoceratid , first reported as P. wardi
P. wardi
Gaillard Cut
Skull elements, teeth & limb fragments
Remains reassigned to P. coatesi
Tedfordhyus [ 6] [ 11]
T. occidentalis
Gaillard Cut, Centenario Bridge & Hodges Hill
Jaw elements with teeth
A peccary , originally named Cynorca occidentale
Reptiles
Birds
Birds reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus
Species
Presence
Material
Notes
Images
Accipitridae indet.[ 14]
Indeterminate
West side of the Panama Canal
Talon
A large eagle, talon resembles those of the crowned eagle and martial eagle
Crocodilians
Squamates
Squamates reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus
Species
Presence
Material
Notes
Images
Boa [ 17]
B. cf. B. constrictor
Cartagena Hill & Hodges Hill
Incomplete vertebrae
A boid snake
Turtles
Plants
See also
References
^ Geologic Map, 1980
^ Cucaracha Formation at Fossilworks .org
^ Centenariosuchus at Fossilworks .org
^ Kirby et al., 2008, p.9
^ Kirby et al., 2008, p.11
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s MacFadden, Bruce J.; Bloch, Jonathan I.; Evans, Helen; Foster, David A.; Morgan, Gary S.; Rincon, Aldo; Wood, Aaron R. (March 2014). "Temporal Calibration and Biochronology of the Centenario Fauna, Early Miocene of Panama" . The Journal of Geology . 122 (2): 113–135. Bibcode :2014JG....122..113M . doi :10.1086/675244 . ISSN 0022-1376 .
^ Morgan, Gary S.; Czaplewski, Nicholas; Rincon, Aldo F.; Bloch, Jonathan Ivan (November 2023). "A new early Miocene bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Panama confirms middle Cenozoic chiropteran dispersal between the Americas" . Journal of Mammalian Evolution . 30 (4): 963–993. doi :10.1007/s10914-023-09690-4 .
^ a b c d e f g h Macfadden, Bruce J. (2006). "North American Miocene Land Mammals from Panama" . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 26 (3): 720–734. doi :10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[720:NAMLMF]2.0.CO;2 . ISSN 0272-4634 . JSTOR 4524616 .
^ Slaughter, Bob H. (1981). "A New Genus of Geomyoid Rodent from the Miocene of Texas and Panama" . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 1 (1): 111–115. Bibcode :1981JVPal...1..111S . doi :10.1080/02724634.1981.10011884 . ISSN 0272-4634 . JSTOR 4522841 .
^ MacFadden, Bruce J. (2009). "Three-Toed Browsing Horse Anchitherium (Equidae) from the Miocene of Panama" . Journal of Paleontology . 83 (3): 489–492. Bibcode :2009JPal...83..489M . doi :10.1666/08-155.1 . ISSN 0022-3360 . JSTOR 29739113 .
^ a b Macfadden, Bruce J.; Kirby, Michael X.; Rincon, Aldo; Montes, Camilo; Moron, Sara; Strong, Nikki; Jaramillo, Carlos (March 2010). "Extinct peccary "Cynorca" occidentale (Tayassuidae, Tayassuinae) from the Miocene of Panama and correlations to North America" . Journal of Paleontology . 84 (2): 288–298. Bibcode :2010JPal...84..288M . doi :10.1666/09-064R.1 . ISSN 0022-3360 .
^ PROTHERO, DONALD R. (2021-05-28). THE SYSTEMATICS OF NORTH AMERICAN PECCARIES (MAMMALIA: ARTIODACTYLA: TAYASSUIDAE) . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
^ Rincon, Aldo F.; Bloch, Jonathan I.; Macfadden, Bruce J.; Jaramillo, Carlos A. (2015-09-03). "New early Miocene protoceratids (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from Panama" . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 35 (5): e970688. Bibcode :2015JVPal..35E0688R . doi :10.1080/02724634.2015.970688 . ISSN 0272-4634 .
^ Steadman, David. W.; MacFadden, Bruce J. (2016). "A large eagle (Aves, Accipitridae) from the early Miocene of Panama" . Journal of Paleontology . 90 (5): 1012–1015. Bibcode :2016JPal...90.1012S . doi :10.1017/jpa.2016.103 . ISSN 0022-3360 . JSTOR 48572611 . S2CID 132732768 .
^ a b Hastings, Alexander K.; Bloch, Jonathan I.; Jaramillo, Carlos A.; Rincon, Aldo F.; Macfadden, Bruce J. (2013). "Systematics and biogeography of crocodylians from the Miocene of Panama" . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 33 (2): 239. Bibcode :2013JVPal..33..239H . doi :10.1080/02724634.2012.713814 . ISSN 0272-4634 .
^ Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Moreno-Bernal, Jorge W.; Scheyer, Torsten M.; Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R.; Jaramillo, Carlos (2019-06-18). "New Miocene Caribbean gavialoids and patterns of longirostry in crocodylians" . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 17 (12): 1049–1075. Bibcode :2019JSPal..17.1049S . doi :10.1080/14772019.2018.1495275 . ISSN 1477-2019 .
^ Head, Jason J.; Rincon, Aldo F.; Suarez, Catalina; Montes, Camilo; Jaramillo, Carlos (2012-10-31). "Fossil evidence for earliest Neogene American faunal interchange: Boa (Serpentes, Boinae) from the early Miocene of Panama" . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 32 (6): 1328–1334. Bibcode :2012JVPal..32.1328H . doi :10.1080/02724634.2012.694387 . ISSN 0272-4634 .
^ a b c d e Cadena, E.; Bourque, J.R.; Rincón, A.F.; Bloch, J.I.; Jaramillo, C.A.; MacFadden, B.J. (2012). "New turtles (Chelonia) from the late Eocene through Late Miocene of the Panama Canal Basin" . Journal of Paleontology . 86 (3): 539–557. Bibcode :2012JPal...86..539C . doi :10.1666/11-106.1 .
^ Jud, Nathan A.; Allen, Sarah E.; Nelson, Chris W.; Bastos, Carolina L.; Chery, Joyce G. (2021-04-07). Wong, William Oki (ed.). "Climbing since the early Miocene: The fossil record of Paullinieae (Sapindaceae)" . PLOS ONE . 16 (4): e0248369. Bibcode :2021PLoSO..1648369J . doi :10.1371/journal.pone.0248369 . ISSN 1932-6203 . PMC 8026063 . PMID 33826635 .
^ a b c Herrera, Fabiany; Carvalho, Mónica R.; Jaramillo, Carlos; Manchester, Steven R. (July 2019). "19-Million-Year-Old Spondioid Fruits from Panama Reveal a Dynamic Dispersal History for Anacardiaceae" . International Journal of Plant Sciences . 180 (6): 479–492. doi :10.1086/703551 . ISSN 1058-5893 .
^ a b Rodríguez-Reyes, Oris; Falcon-Lang, Howard; Gasson, Peter; Collinson, Margaret; Jaramillo, Carlos (October 2014). "Fossil woods (Malvaceae) from the lower Miocene (early to mid-Burdigalian) part of the Cucaracha Formation of Panama (Central America) and their biogeographic implications". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology . 209 : 11–34. Bibcode :2014RPaPa.209...11R . doi :10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.05.006 . ISSN 0034-6667 .
^ Nelson, Chris W.; Jud, Nathan A. (2017-03-01). "Biogeographic Implications of Mammea paramericana sp. nov. from the Lower Miocene of Panama and the Evolution of Calophyllaceae" . International Journal of Plant Sciences . 178 (3): 241–257. doi :10.1086/689618 . ISSN 1058-5893 . S2CID 89714823 .
^ Graham, Alan; Montiel, Olga Martha; Raven, Peter H.; Stevens, Warren Douglas (2014). "Fruits of Oreomunnea (Juglandaceae) in the early Miocene of Panama". Paleobotany and biogeography :a festschrift for Alan Graham in his 80th year . Missouri Botanical Garden. pp. 124–133.
^ Rodriguez-Reyes, Oris; Gasson, Peter; Thornton, Carolyn; Falcon-Lang, Howard J.; Jud, Nathan A. (2017-12-06). "Panascleroticoxylon crystallosa gen. et sp. nov.: a new Miocene malpighialean tree from Panama" . IAWA Journal . 38 (4): 437–455. doi :10.1163/22941932-20170178 . ISSN 0928-1541 .
^ a b Jud, Nathan A.; Nelson, Chris W.; Herrera, Fabiany (2016-02-10). "Fruits and wood of Parinari from the early Miocene of Panama and the fossil record of Chrysobalanaceae" . American Journal of Botany . 103 (2): 277–289. doi :10.3732/ajb.1500425 . ISSN 0002-9122 . PMID 26865122 .
^ Rodríguez-Reyes, Oris; Gasson, Peter; Falcon-Lang, Howard J.; Collinson, Margaret E. (November 2017). "Fossil legume woods of the Prioria-clade (subfamily Detarioideae) from the lower Miocene (early to mid-Burdigalian) part of the Cucaracha Formation of Panama (Central America) and their systematic and palaeoecological implications" . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology . 246 : 44–61. Bibcode :2017RPaPa.246...44R . doi :10.1016/j.revpalbo.2017.06.005 .
^ Jud, Nathan A.; Nelson, Chris W. (May 2017). "A liana from the lower Miocene of Panama and the fossil record of Connaraceae" . American Journal of Botany . 104 (5): 685–693. doi :10.3732/ajb.1700080 . ISSN 0002-9122 . PMID 28500228 .
Bibliography Kirby, Michael Xavier; Jones, Douglas S.; MacFadden, Bruce J. (2008), "Lower Miocene Stratigraphy along the Panama Canal and Its Bearing on the Central American Peninsula", PLoS ONE , 3 (7): 1–14, Bibcode :2008PLoSO...3.2791K , doi :10.1371/journal.pone.0002791 , PMC 2464738 , PMID 18665219
Stewart, R.H.; Stewart, J.L.; Woodring, W.P. (1980), Geologic Map of the Panama Canal and Vicinity (PDF) , USGS , p. 1, retrieved 2019-02-09
Woodring, W.P (1957), Geology and Paleontology of Canal Zone and Adjoining Parts of Panama - 306A Geology and description of Tertiary mollusks (Gastropods: Trochidae to Turritellidae) (PDF) , USGS , pp. 1–186, retrieved 2019-02-09