Culebra Formation Explained

Culebra Formation
Type:	Formation
Period:	Burdigalian
Age:	Aquitanian-Burdigalian (Late Arikareean-Hemingfordian)
Prilithology:	Sandstone, limestone, mudstone, shale
Otherlithology:	Siltstone, conglomerate, lignite
Namedfor:	Culebra Cut
Region:	Colón Province
Coordinates:	9.1°N -79.7°W
Paleocoordinates:	8.4°N -77.5°W
Subunits:	Emperador Limestone
Underlies:	Cucaracha Formation
Overlies:	Las Cascadas Formation
Thickness:	> 250m (820feet)
Extent:	Panama Basin

The Culebra Formation (Tcb)^[1] is a geologic formation in Panama. It preserves fossils dating back to the Miocene period; Early Miocene epoch, Aquitanian to Burdigalian stages (Late Arikareean to Hemingfordian in the NALMA classification).^[2] Fossils of Culebrasuchus have been found in and named after the formation.^[3] The thickness of the formation is at least 250m (820feet) thick,^[4] and the age has been estimated as from 23 to 19 Ma.^[5]

Fossil content

• Culebrasuchus mesoamericanus^{[3] [6]}
• Culebratherium alemani^[7]
• Dentimides^[8]
• Panamacebus transitus^{[9] [10]}
• Paratoceras orarius^[11]
• Purussaurus
• Podocnemididae indet.^[12]

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Panama
• Cucaracha Formation
• Gatún Formation

References

Bibliography

• • Alexander K. Hastings . Jonathan I. Bloch . Carlos A. Jaramillo . Aldo F. Rincon . Bruce J. Macfadden . 2013 . Systematics and biogeography of crocodylians from the Miocene of Panama . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 33 . 2 . 239–263 . 10.1080/02724634.2012.713814 . 2013JVPal..33..239H . 83972694 . free .
  • Bernard Manuel Landau . Carlos Marques da Silva . Antoine Heitz . 2016 . Systematics of the gastropods of the lower-middle Miocene Cantaure Formation, Paraguaná Peninsula, Venezuela . Bulletins of American Paleontology . 389–390 . 1–581 . 2019-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180619034402/http://www.priweb.org/downloads/pubs/item_pdf_5807.pdf . 2018-06-19 . dead .
• Aldo F. Rincon . Jonathan I. Bloch . Bruce J. Macfadden . Carlos A. Jaramillo . amp . 2015 . New early Miocene protoceratids (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from Panama . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 35 . 5 . e970688 . 10.1080/02724634.2015.970688 . 2015JVPal..35E0688R . 12659384 .

Further reading

• B. J. MacFadden, M. X. Kirby, A. Rincon, C. Montes, S. Moron, N. Strong, and C. Jaramillo. 2010. Extinct peccary "Cynorca" occidentale (Tayassuidae, Tayassuinae) from the Miocene of Panama and correlations to North America. Journal of Paleontology 84(2):288-298
• C. Pimiento, G. González Barba, A.J.W. Hendy, C. Jaramillo, B. J. MacFadden, C. Montes, S. C. Suarez and M. Shippritt. 2013. Early Miocene chondrichthyans from the Culebra Formation Panama A window into marine vertebrate faunas before closure the Central American Seaway. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 42:159-170

Notes and References

1. Geologic Map, 1980
2. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayStrata&geological_group=&formation=Culebra&group_formation_member=Culebra Culebra Formation
3. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=265588 Culebrasuchus
4. Kirby et al., 2008, p.7
5. Kirby et al., 2008, p.11
6. Hastings et al., 2013
7. Vélez Juarbe & Wood, 2019
8. Landau et al., 2016
9. Silvestro, 2017, p.14
10. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=339831 Panamacebus
11. Rincón et al., 2015
12. Cadena et al., 2012, p.549