Vertebrates Castilletes Formation (Miocene of Colombia)

Where: La Guajira, Colombia (11.9° N, 71.3° W: paleocoordinates 11.2° N, 68.0° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Castilletes Formation, Burdigalian (20.4 - 16.0 Ma)

• This collection had an E. Miocene age assigned, but 16Ma can more specifically be assigned to the Burdighalian.

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithified, massive, gray mudstone and lithified, massive, gray, sandy mudstone

• The Castilletes Formation was deposited in a shallow marine (estuarine, lagoonal, and shallow subtidal) to fluvio-deltaic environment with strong fluvial influence.
• The formation is composed of grey massive mudstone, fossiliferous mudstone and siltstone, fossiliferous wackestone to packstone, and medium-grained to conglomeratic fossiliferous lithic to quartz sandstone. Thick successions of mudstone (~50 m) dominate the unit and form long valleys. Thin beds of biosparite and sandstone (50 cm to 2 m) are interbedded and form laterally extensive ridges. Sandstone often present planar and cross-bedded stratification. Sandy and silty facies increase toward the top of the formation, forming prominent hills. Fossiliferous horizons are common within the unit, with marine invertebrate fossils occurring in a broad range of facies (calcareous, sandy, silty, and muddy sediments), whereas terrestrial vertebrates tend to be restricted to muddy sediments and are often associated with freshwater invertebrate fossils. Sandy facies toward the top of the formation are also rich in vertebrate fossils.

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: J. F. Moreno, A. J. W. Hendy, L. Quiroz, N. Hoyos, D. S. Jones, V. Zapata, S. Zapata, G. A. Ballen, E. Cadena, A. L. Cardenas, J. D. Carrillo, J. D. Carrillo, D. Delgado-Sierra, J. Escobar, J. I. Martinez, C. Martinez, C. Montes, J. Moreno, N. Perez, R. Sanchez, C. Suarez and M. C. Valle. 2015. Revised stratigraphy of Neogene strata in the Cocinetas Basin, La Guajira, Colombia. Swiss Journal of Paleontology [C. Jaramillo/A. Cardenas /G. Ballen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 166506: authorized by Carlos Jaramillo, entered by Andrés Cárdenas on 16.02.2015

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Rhynobatidae sp.
Chondrichthyes
 Pristiophoriformes - Pristiophoridae
Pristiophoridae sp.
Pristiophoridae sp. Bleeker 1859 saw shark
 Carcharhiniformes - Hemigaleidae
Hemigaleidae sp.
Hemigaleidae sp. ground shark
 Carcharhiniformes - Carcharhinidae
Carcharhinidae sp.
Carcharhinidae sp. Jordan and Evermann 1896 requiem shark
 Carcharhiniformes - Sphyrnidae
Sphyrnidae sp.
Sphyrnidae sp. Gill 1872 hammerhead shark
 Lamniformes - Lamnidae
Lamnidae sp.
Lamnidae sp. Müller and Henle 1838 mackerel shark
 Lamniformes - Otodontidae
Otodontidae sp.
Otodontidae sp. mackerel shark
 Orectolobiformes - Ginglymostomatidae
Ginglymostomatidae sp.
Ginglymostomatidae sp. Gill 1862 nurse shark
 Rhinopristiformes - Rhynchobatidae
Rhynchobatidae sp.
 Rhinopristiformes - Pristidae
Pristidae sp.
Pristidae sp. Bonaparte 1838 sawfish
 Myliobatiformes - Dasyatidae
Dasyatidae sp.
Dasyatidae sp. Jordan 1888 whiptail stingray
 Myliobatiformes - Myliobatidae
Myliobatidae sp.
Myliobatidae sp. Bonaparte 1838 eagle ray
 Myliobatiformes - Rhinopteridae
Rhinopteridae sp.
Rhinopteridae sp. Jordan and Evermann 1896 cow-nosed ray
Osteichthyes
 Ceratodontiformes - Lepidosirenidae
Lepidosirenidae sp.
Lepidosirenidae sp. Stirton 1953 Australian lungfish
Reptilia
 Testudines - Chelidae
Chelidae sp.
Chelidae sp. Gray 1825 sideneck turtle
 Testudines - Podocnemididae
Podocnemididae sp.
Podocnemididae sp. Cope 1868 sideneck turtle
Aves
 Aves -
Aves sp.
Reptilia
 Crocodylia - Gavialidae
Gavialidae sp.
Gavialidae sp. Adams 1854 crocodilian
 Crocodylia - Alligatoridae
Alligatoridae sp.
Alligatoridae sp. crocodilian
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylidae sp.
 Squamata - Boidae
Boidae sp.
Boidae sp. Gray 1825 boa
Mammalia
 Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptodontidae sp.
 Cingulata - Pampatheriidae
Pampatheriidae sp.
Pampatheriidae sp. Paula Couto 1954 edentate
 Megatherioidea - Megatheriidae
Megatheriidae sp.
Megatheriidae sp. Gray 1821 edentate
 Cetacea -
Odontoceti sp., Mysticeti sp.
Odontoceti sp. toothed whale
 Rodentia - Dinomyidae
Dinomyidae sp.
Dinomyidae sp. Peters 1873 caviomorph
 Sirenia -
Sirenia sp.
Sirenia sp. sirenian
Actinopteri
 Spariformes - Sparidae
Sparidae sp.
Sparidae sp. Cuvier 1817
 Acanthomorphata - Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae sp.
Sciaenidae sp. Cuvier 1828
 Siluriformes - Pimelodidae
Pimelodidae sp.
Pimelodidae sp. Eigenmann and Eigenmann 1918 catfish
 Siluriformes - Ariidae
Ariidae sp.
Ariidae sp. Berg 1958 Ariid catfish
 Siluriformes - Doradidae
Doradidae sp.
 Siluriformes - Callichthyidae
Callichthyidae sp.
Callichthyidae sp. Gill 1872 catfish
 Characiformes - Serrasalmidae
Serrasalmidae sp.
Serrasalmidae sp. Günther 1864
 Characiformes - Characidae
Characidae sp.
 Istiophoriformes - Sphyraenidae
Sphyraenidae sp.