Article
Plant Sciences
Eliise Kara, Jeremie Bardin, Dario De Franceschi, Cedric Del Rio
Summary: This paper focuses on the study of fossil endocarps belonging to the Menispermaceae family found in the Petit-Patis locality, one of the few Paleocene localities in Europe. Three genera (Stephania, Palaeosinomenium, Tinospora) and one new fossil species (Palaeosinomenium oisensis) are recognized in the Late Paleocene of Paris Basin before the onset of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. These three genera are currently the oldest occurrences in Europe, highlighting the connection between paleofloras of the Americas, Europe, and Asia in the Paleocene.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lin-Bo Jia, Jian Huang, Tao Su, Robert A. Spicer, Shi-Tao Zhang, Shu-Feng Li, Bo Pan, Gi-Soo Nam, Yong-Jiang Huang, Zhe-Kun Zhou
Summary: This study reports the discovery of infructescence and fossil fruits of Cladrastis in the Paleogene of southeastern Yunnan, China, establishing the first Paleogene record of the genus in Asia. The findings support the Paleogene establishment of Cladrastis in Asia and provide significant evidence for the Paleogene origin of Yunnan biodiversity.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Brian A. Atkinson
Summary: Today, asterids, a group of flowering plants, consist of over 80,000 species. However, little is known about the early diversification of this group, especially the lamiid clade which constitutes half of the asterid diversity. By studying a fossil fruit from western North America, researchers have discovered evidence suggesting that lamiids diverged at least 80 million years ago, providing insights into potential Cretaceous rainforest-like ecosystems.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Paul M. Velazco, Alexandra J. Buczek, Eva Hoffman, Devin K. Hoffman, Maureen A. O'Leary, Michael J. Novacek
Summary: Research on the systematics of fossil mammals before and after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (KPg) boundary reveals a new sister clade to placentals, with the extinct Leptictidae being part of it. Detailed analysis in a character-rich context identifies shared-derived features of marsupials, extending the understanding of their evolutionary history.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joyce Rodrigues do Prado, Rita G. Rocha, Heitor Bissoli-Silva, Ana Cristina Mendes-Oliveira, Regeane C. L. Pontes, Paula Cristina R. de A. Maues, Leonora Pires Costa
Summary: This study presents a checklist of small mammals in the Tapajos region, including both species-level and genus-level identifications. The region harbors a unique and significant mammal assembly, but has been neglected in terms of conservation priorities due to limited sampling efforts. Increasing research on small mammals in the Amazon is crucial for understanding the biodiversity patterns and biogeography of this biome.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Claudia Fegies, Ana Paula Carmignotto, Manolo Fernandez Perez, Mariana Dias Guilardi, Ana Claudia Lessinger
Summary: Systematic revisions of South American marsupials have enhanced our understanding of genus and species diversity, with the study of Cryptonanus genus providing valuable insights into their phylogeny and evolution through analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. The diversification of Cryptonanus species is suggested to have occurred during the Quaternary, with best supported biogeographical hypothesis indicating speciation by vicariance and subset speciation in dry tropical landscapes of South America.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Bruno F. Melo, Mario C. C. de Pinna, Lucia H. Rapp Py-Daniel, Jansen Zuanon, Cristhian C. Conde-Saldana, Fabio F. Roxo, Claudio Oliveira
Summary: Tarumania walkerae belongs to the family Erythrinidae but differs in its placement from the morphological hypothesis. The study also suggests that modern Erythrinidae and Tarumaniidae emerged during the Paleogene based on fossil records.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Serena Acha, Alexander Linan, John MacDougal, Christine Edwards
Summary: Through DNA sequencing and ancestral area reconstruction, the study revealed that Section Decaloba consists of two main clades: the Central American clade and the South American clade. Section Decaloba originated in Central America around 10.4 million years ago, then dispersed to South America, the Greater Antilles, and the Bahamas. The South American clade diversified in the Northern Andes and subsequently spread to other regions of South America and the Lesser Antilles.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Pengfa Li, Leho Tedersoo, Thomas W. Crowther, Alex J. Dumbrell, Francisco Dini-Andreote, Mohammad Bahram, Lu Kuang, Ting Li, Meng Wu, Yuji Jiang, Lu Luan, Muhammad Saleem, Franciska T. de Vries, Zhongpei Li, Baozhan Wang, Jiandong Jiang
Summary: Exploiting the potential benefits of plant-associated microbes can enhance crop productivity in a sustainable way. However, little is known about the biogeography and community structure of these microbes. This study constructs a database to analyze the global distribution of potential plant-beneficial bacteria (PBB) and shows that PBB diversity peaks in low-latitude regions. The distribution of potential PBB is primarily influenced by environmental filtering, mainly determined by local climate. Projections suggest that fossil-fuel-dependent scenarios could lead to a significant decline in PBB abundance by 2100, posing a potential threat to global food production and agroecosystem services.
Article
Plant Sciences
Cedric Del Rio, Aixa Tosal, Eliise Kara, Steven R. Manchester, Fabiany Herrera, Margaret E. Collinson, Dario De Franceschi
Summary: This study aims to document newly recognized Anacardiaceae fossils from the Paris Basin, understand their paleoecology, and discuss their biogeographic history. Based on the examination of lignite fruits, a new species called Cyrtocarpa biapertura has been described, and a previously known species called Lannea europaea has been reported. The study reveals an enrichment of Anacardiaceae diversity in the early Eocene of the Paris Basin and documents a rare disjunction between the Paleogene of Europe and the recent tropical flora of South America.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Lydian M. Boschman, Fabien L. Condamine
Summary: The study explores the impact of climate-driven and geology-driven factors on the evolutionary rates of ancient organisms in the South American Andes. Different clades diversified at different times due to mountain building, with some showing correlation with temperature variations and others with elevation changes. This underscores the importance of understanding the complexity of mountain building in shaping biodiversity patterns.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rosemary A. E. Glos, Shayla Salzman, Michael Calonje, Andrew P. Vovides, Mario Coiro, Maria Alejandra Gandolfo, Chelsea D. Specht
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive comparison of leaflet anatomy in Zamia species, describing anatomical diversity and exploring diagnostic characters for resolved clades. The results show widespread incongruence between phylogenetic relationships and anatomical traits, and no significant correlations between anatomy and ecology.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Michele Rossini, Vasily Grebennikov, Thomas Merrien, Andreia Miraldo, Heidi Viljanen, Sergei Tarasov
Summary: The phylogenetic relationships of the Paleotropical dung beetle clades (Grebennikovius, Epactoides, and Ochicanthon) were reconstructed using morphology and molecular data. The study reveals the divergence and dispersal patterns of these clades in relation to geological changes and climate conditions between Africa, Madagascar, and Reunion island.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lin-Bo Jia, Jin-Jin Hu, Shi-Tao Zhang, Tao Su, Robert A. Spicer, Jia Liu, Jiu-Cheng Yang, Pu Zou, Yong-Jiang Huang, Zhe-Kun Zhou
Summary: This article reports the discovery of three Bauhinia fossil species with cuticular preservation from the Paleogene of Puyang Basin, southwestern China, extending the emergence of Bauhinia in Asia to the late Eocene. It also shows that the diversification of Bauhinia in Asia and the phenomenon of a small region harboring multiple Bauhinia species in southwestern China can be traced back to the Paleogene.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tushar Adsul, Molly D. O'Beirne, Santanu Ghosh, Josef P. Werne, Devleena Mani, Sudip Bhattacharyya, Atul Kumar Varma
Summary: The Paleogene coals from the Jaintia, Khasi, and the Garo hills of Meghalaya, India, were studied for biomarker distributions, carbon isotope signatures, and Rock-Eval pyrolysis to determine their organic matter source, depositional environment, thermal maturity, and hydrocarbon generation potential. The results indicate the presence of sulfur-rich organic matter with mixed gymnosperm-angiosperm input. The presence of specific compounds suggests shifts in paleovegetation, and variations in thermal maturity were also observed.
ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Natalia Hoyos, Alex Correa-Metrio, Carlos Jaramillo, Juan Camilo Villegas, Jaime Escobar
Summary: The transition between tropical savanna and humid forest is mainly influenced by the average duration of dry and wet spells and the interaction between these variables, with total monthly precipitation having a marginal effect. Dry spell duration has the largest effect on the probability of forest occurrence, decreasing by 7.5% for each additional consecutive dry day. Wet spell duration also impacts forest occurrence, increasing by 4.1% for each additional consecutive wet day.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Gustavo A. Ballen, Carlos Jaramillo, Fernando C. P. Dagosta, Mario C. C. de Pinna
Summary: Studies suggest that during the middle Miocene period 15-16 million years ago, the riverine systems of the Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia were connected to the Amazon region, with the Western Andes not acting as a complete geographical barrier. The structured distribution of fish faunas in the Miocene period across the continent indicates that factors such as ecological conditions also played a role in shaping the evolution of South American fish faunas, in addition to the uplift of the Andes.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Elena Stiles, Camilo Montes, Carlos Jaramillo, Murray K. Gingras
Summary: The Chagres Formation on the Caribbean coast of Panama is shown to have accumulated in shallow water environments, contradicting previous interpretations of deep-water connection. This study also suggests deposition on a tectonically stable platform at the apex of the Panama orocline.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Felipe de la Parra, Carlos Jaramillo, Pim Kaskes, Steven Goderis, Philippe Claeys, Victor Villasante-Marcos, German Bayona, Yuichi Hatsukawa, Dayenari Caballero
Summary: The study of a sediment core from northern Colombia revealed a thin layer with spherules associated with the K-Pg boundary event. This layer is located within the extinction level of the palynomorph Echimonocolpites franciscoi, indicating its correlation with the K-Pg boundary in Colombia.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Carlos Castaneda-Posadas, Alex Correa-Metrio, Jaime Escobar, J. Enrique Moreno, Jason H. Curtis, Maarten Blaauw, Carlos Jaramillo
Summary: This study examines the sedimentary record of a mangrove swamp in Punta Galeta, Caribbean coast of Panama, to understand the evolution of littoral zones over the past 5200 years. It reveals that fluctuations in sea level and regional climate have played significant roles in shaping the mangrove ecosystem. Sea level rise has driven the progradation process of the mangrove forest, while high precipitation has potentially offset its effects.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Juan S. Jaramillo, Sebastian Zapata, Monica Carvalho, Agustin Cardona, Carlos Jaramillo, James L. Crowley, German Bayona, Dayenari Caballero-Rodriguez
Summary: The study of the Paleocene-early Eocene continental magmatic arc (PECMA) in the Northern Andes revealed that after the collision of the Caribbean Plate, magmas in the PECMA differentiated under a thick continental crust with limited subduction input. Diverse magmatic patterns observed in detrital zircons from 62-50 Ma reflect contrasting crustal architectures, varied temperatures of crystallization, and significant mantle and subduction inputs, suggesting the evolution of the continental crust.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Zapata, L. Calderon-Diaz, C. Jaramillo, F. Oboh-Ikuenobe, J. C. Piedrahita, M. Rodriguez-Cuevas, A. Cardona, E. R. Sobel, M. Parra, V. Valencia, A. Patino, J. S. Jaramillo-Rios, M. Flores, J. Glodny
Summary: A new dataset including detrital U-Pb zircon ages, sandstone petrography, and low-temperature thermochronology from the Southern Central Cordillera were used to construct a paleogeographical model of the Miocene hinterland and foreland regions in the Northern Andes.
Article
Paleontology
Laura Mora-Rojas, Andres Cardenas, Carlos Jaramillo, Daniele Silvestro, German Bayona, Sebastian Zapata, Federico Moreno, Cesar Silva, Jorge W. Moreno-Bernal, Juan Sebastian Jaramillo, Victor Valencia, Mauricio Ibanez
Summary: This study provides an overview of the middle Miocene Konzentrat-Lagerstatte of the La Venta site, which contains valuable information on the biotic response to climatic changes. By compiling published studies and using geological maps and geochronological data, the researchers have established a comprehensive understanding of the Neotropics terrestrial ecosystems during the Neogene. The findings highlight the importance of the La Venta site in understanding Miocene paleoecological dynamics in northern South America, yet further exploration is still needed.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michele Andriolli Custodio, Martin Roddaz, Roberto Ventura Santos, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Laurent Marivaux, Narla S. Stutz, Elton Luiz Dantas, Carlos Jaramillo, Melanie Louterbach, Christian Hurtado, Guilherme Oliveira Goncalves
Summary: This study investigates the paleoenvironments of Western Amazonia during the Paleogene through a multi-proxy approach. The results reveal the presence of lacustrine and tide-dominated depositional systems in the Hual-laga Basin, northern Peru. The biostratigraphic and U-Pb zircon dating suggest a hiatus in the depositional record during the Paleocene, and the carbon and oxygen stable isotope values indicate a transition from freshwater to brackish conditions. It is proposed that the Bartonian shallow marine incursion in the Huallaga Basin originated from the north through the Caribbean Sea and might have influenced regional biodiversity patterns in the Paleogene.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Carlos Jaramillo
Summary: This review examines the development of South American tropical biomes, specifically their origins and timing. The transition from non-angiosperm dominance to full angiosperm dominance took place during the Cretaceous period. However, there are no existing equivalents to the Cretaceous biomes, as lowland forests lacked closed canopies and were mainly dominated by gymnosperms and ferns. The extant lowland tropical rainforests first emerged in the Cenozoic era with a multistratified forest, angiosperm-dominated closed canopy, and the dominance of major tropical plant families.
Article
Plant Sciences
Luke Mander, Carlos Jaramillo, Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe
Summary: Fossil pollen and spores provide crucial information about the geological history of tropical vegetation. However, the large number of pollen and spore types encountered makes taxonomy and classification challenging. This study focuses on the Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene sediments in southeastern Nigeria, describing a palynoflora consisting of 29 spores, two gymnosperm pollen grains, and 138 angiosperm pollen grains. The samples suggest an increase in diversity from the Paleocene to the Eocene in the region.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xavier Delclos, Enrique Penalver, Eduardo Barron, David Peris, David A. Grimaldi, Michael Holz, Conrad C. Labandeira, Erin E. Saupe, Christopher R. Scotese, Monica M. Solorzano-Kraemer, Sergio Alvarez-Parra, Antonio Arillo, Dany Azar, Edwin A. Cadena, Jacopo Dal Corso, Jiri Kvacek, Antonio Monleon-Getino, Andre Nel, Daniel Peyrot, Carlos A. Bueno-Cebollada, Alejandro Gallardo, Beatriz Gonzalez-Fernandez, Marta Goula, Carlos Jaramillo, Iwona Kania-Klosok, Rafael Lopez-Del Valle, Rafael P. Lozano, Nieves Melendez, Cesar Menor-Salvan, Constanza Pena-Kairath, Vincent Perrichot, Ana Rodrigo, Alba Sanchez-Garcia, Maxime Santer, Victor Sarto i Monteys, Dieter Uhl, Jose Luis Viejo, Ricardo Perez-de la Fuente
Summary: Amber, fossilized resin, has revolutionized our understanding of past terrestrial organisms and habitats. Cretaceous amber outcrops are abundant in the Northern Hemisphere during a 54 million year interval. The extensive resin production during this time, attributed to coniferous trees and climatic dynamics, has led to a remarkable record of terrestrial life known as the 'Cretaceous Resinous Interval' (CREI).
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Rafael Francisco Castano-Cardona, Carlos Jaramillo, Andres Pardo-Trujillo, Barbara Vento, Daniela Quiroz-Cabascango, Estefania Angulo-Pardo
Summary: Several Cretaceous amber-bearing localities have been recently discovered in Ecuador and Colombia. A palynological study was conducted to determine their age and assess the floral content. The findings reveal that these localities date back to the late Aptian to early Albian and late Aptian to early Cenomanian, indicating a humid climate in these regions.
BOLETIN DE GEOLOGIA
(2023)
Article
Biology
Aldo Benites-Palomino, Jorge Velez-Juarbe, Carlos De Gracia, Carlos Jaramillo
Summary: New fossil cetaceans from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation in the Caribbean have been discovered in Eastern Panama. These fossils show similarities with Late Miocene cetacean communities in the Californias in the North Pacific and the Pisco Formation in Peru. This indicates that shallow water marine connection might have facilitated the dispersal of coastal species across both sides of the Isthmus, despite the reduction in deep and intermediate Caribbean-Pacific water interchange during the Middle Miocene.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christoph Haggi, B. David A. Naafs, Daniele Silvestro, Dailson J. Bertassoli Jr, Thomas K. Akabane, Vinicius R. Mendes, Andre O. Sawakuchi, Cristiano M. Chiessi, Carlos A. Jaramillo, Sarah J. Feakins
Summary: This study surveys the distribution of brGDGT and isoGDGT in tropical South America and establishes new brGDGT-based temperature models. The results show variations in the distribution of these lipids in different soil types and profiles, and provide insights for paleoclimatic reconstructions.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
