Cucaracha Formation

Cucaracha Formation
Formation
Period	Miocene
Age	Early Burdigalian-Mid Langhian (Hemingfordian-Barstovian)
Prilithology	Sandstone, conglomerate
Otherlithology	Claystone
Region	Panamá Province
Country	Panama
Coordinates	9.0°N 79.6°W
Paleocoordinates	8.4°N 77.5°W
Underlies	Pedro Miguel & La Boca Formations
Overlies	Culebra Formation
Thickness	~125 m (410 ft)
Extent	Panama Basin

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

Mammals

Bats

Bats reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Americanycteris^[6]^[7]	A. cyrtodon	Centenario Bridge & Hodges Hill	Partial jaw & right premolar	A leaf-nosed bat, first reported as a new "large insectivorous phyllostomine"

Carnivorans

Carnivorans reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Bassaricyonoides^[6]	B. sp.	Gaillard Cut		A procyonid
Daphoenodon^[6]	cf. D. sp.	Gaillard Cut		A bear dog
Hemicyonidae indet.^[8]	Indeterminate	Gaillard Cut	Radius & ulna fragment	A bear
Tomarctus^[6]^[8]	T. brevirostris	Gaillard Cut	Jaw & teeth	A borophagine dog

Rodents

Rodents reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Nototamias^[6]	N. sp.	Gaillard Cut		A ground squirrel
Petauristodon^[6]	P. sp.	Gaillard Cut		A flying squirrel
Proheteromys^[6]	P. sp.	Gaillard Cut		A heteromyid
Texomys^[6]^[9]	T. stewarti	Pedro Miguel Lock & Gaillard Cut	Teeth	A jimomyid

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
Paratoceras^[6]^[8]^[13]	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

Crocodilians reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Centenariosuchus^[15]	C. gilmorei	Hodges Hill	Skull & jaw	A caiman
Centenariosuchus^[15]	cf. C. gilmorei	Centenario Bridge	Right angular	A caiman
Dadagavialis^[16]	D. gunai	East margin of the Panama Canal	Partial snout	A gavialid
Dadagavialis^[16]	cf. D. gunai	Centenario Bridge	Partial mandible	A gavialid
Eusuchia indet.^[15]	Indeterminate	Panama Canal Zone	Headless skeleton	Osteoderms comparable to those of gavialids such as Gavialosuchus, but crocodilian osteoderms are non-diagnostic

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

Turtles reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Podocnemididae indet.^[18]	Incertae sedis	Centenario Bridge	Right epiplastron	A side-necked turtle
Rhinoclemmys^[18]	R. panamaensis	Centenario Bridge	Shell elements	A geoemydid turtle
Rhinoclemmys^[18]	R. sp.	Centenario Bridge & Culebra Reach	Isolated bones	A geoemydid turtle
Staurotypus^[18]	S. moschus	Centenario Bridge	Peripheral part of shell	A kinosternid turtle
Testudinidae indet.^[18]	Incertae sedis	Culebra Reach	Shell & limb elements	A tortoise
Trionychidae indet.^[18]	Incertae sedis	Centenario Bridge	Right costal	A softshell turtle

Plants

Plants reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Ampelorhiza^[19]	A. heteroxylon	Culebra Cut	Roots	A member of Paullinieae
Antrocaryon^[20]	A. panamaensis	Lirio East	Endocarps	A member of Anacardiaceae
Dracontomelon^[20]	D. montesii	Lirio East	Endocarps	A member of Anacardiaceae
Guazumaoxylon^[21]	G. miocenica	Hodges Hill	Wood	A member of Malvaceae, similar to Guazuma
Mammea^[22]	M. paramericana	Northern Lirio East	Stem	A member of Calophyllaceae
Oreomunnea^[23]	O. grahamii	Lirio East	Nuts	A member of Juglandaceae
Panascleroticoxylon^[24]	P. crystallosa	Hodges Hill	Wood	A member of Malpighiales
Parinari^[25]	P. panamensis	Lirio East, Gold Hill & Empire sites	Endocarps	A member of Chrysobalanaceae
Parinarioxylon^[25]	P. panamensis	Lirio East	Wood	A member of Chrysobalanaceae
Periplanetoxylon^[21]	P. panamense	Hodges Hill	Wood	A member of Malvaceae
Prioria^[26]	P. canalensis	Hodges Hill	Wood	A legume
Prioria^[26]	P. hodgesii	Hodges Hill	Wood	A legume
Rourea^[27]	R. blatta	Northern Lirio East site	Wood	A liana belonging to the Connaraceae
Spondias^[20]	S. rothwellii	Lirio East	Endocarps	A member of Anacardiaceae

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
^ 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
^ 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:NAMLMF2.0.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
^ 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). 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
^ 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. hdl:20.500.12390/2709. 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
^ 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). "Climbing since the early Miocene: The fossil record of Paullinieae (Sapindaceae)". PLOS ONE. 16 (4). Wong, William Oki (ed.). Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1648369J. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0248369. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8026063. PMID 33826635
^ 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. Bibcode:2019IJPlS.180..479H. doi:10.1086/703551. ISSN 1058-5893
^ 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. Bibcode:2017IJPlS.178..241N. 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. 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
^ 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", 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)", USGS, pp. 1–186, retrieved 2019-02-09