Bridging two oceans: small toothed cetaceans (Odontoceti) from the Late Miocene Chagres Formation, eastern Caribbean (Colon, Panama)

Author:

Benites-Palomino Aldo123ORCID,Vélez-Juarbe Jorge4ORCID,De Gracia Carlos256ORCID,Jaramillo Carlos2

Affiliation:

1. Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland

2. Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón 0843-03092, Panama

3. Departamento de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de Historia Natural-Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Avenida Arenales 1256, Lima 11, Perú

4. Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA

5. Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef Holaubek Platz 2 (UZA II)/2A323, 1090 Vienna, Austria

6. Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria

Abstract

Fossil cetaceans are often found in Miocene marine outcrops across the globe. However, because this record is not homogeneous, the dissimilar increase in occurrences, along with the sampling bias has created regions with extensive records and others with great scarcity. Among these, the Caribbean has remained enigmatic due to the lack of well-preserved cetacean fossils. Here, we report new Caribbean fossil cetaceans from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation exposed along Piña beach, Eastern Panama, including a scaphokogiine kogiid, an Acrophyseter -like physeteroid and the phocoenid Piscolithax . Along with previous records of the iniid Isthminia panamensis and the kogiine Nanokogia isthmia , the Chagres cetacean fauna shows some similarities with other Late Miocene cetacean communities such as the Californias in the North Pacific, although their closest affinities lie with the eastern South Pacific Pisco Formation, Peru. Such findings indicate that though deep and intermediate Caribbean–Pacific water interchange was reduced by the Middle Miocene due to the shallowing of the Central American Seaway, shallow waters marine connection that persisted until the Pliocene might have facilitated the dispersal of coastal species across both sides of the Isthmus.

Funder

Universität Zürich, Candoc Grant

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)

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