Wikipedia

Pisco Formation

The Pisco Formation is a geologic formation located in Peru, on the southern coastal desert of Ica and Arequipa. The approximately 640 metres (2,100 ft) thick formation was deposited in the Pisco Basin, spanning an age from the Late Miocene up to the Early Pliocene, roughly from 9.6 to 4.5 Ma. The tuffaceous sandstones, diatomaceous siltstones, conglomerates and dolomites were deposited in a lagoonal to near-shore environment, in bays similar to other Pacific South American formations as the Bahía Inglesa and Coquimbo Formations of Chile.

Pisco Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Miocene-Early Pliocene
(Tortonian-Zanclean)[1]
~9.6–4.5 Ma
Lithology and sediments of the Pisco Formation across its allomembers
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofPisco Basin
OverliesChilcatay & Caballas Formations
Thickness640 m (2,100 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryTuffaceous sandstone, diatomaceous siltstone
OtherConglomerate, dolomite
Location
Coordinates15°42′S 74°30′W / 15.7°S 74.5°W / -15.7; -74.5
Approximate paleocoordinates15°48′S 73°48′W / 15.8°S 73.8°W / -15.8; -73.8
RegionArequipa & Ica Regions
Country Peru
ExtentFrom Pisco to Yauca
Type section
Named forPisco
Pisco Formation is located in Peru
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
Pisco Formation
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Outcrops of the formation in Peru

Several specialists consider the Pisco Formation one of the most important Lagerstätten,[2][3] based on the large amount of exceptionally preserved marine fossils, including sharks (most notably megalodon), penguins, whales, dolphins, birds, marine crocodiles and aquatic giant sloths.

Famous fossils found in these layers include the giant raptorial sperm whale Livyatan,[4] the aquatic sloth Thalassocnus,[5] the sperm whale Acrophyseter, and the walrus-like dolphin Odobenocetops.[6]

Description

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The Pisco Formation of the Pisco Basin consists of tuffaceous sandstones, diatomaceous yellow to gray siltstones and a basal conglomerate.[7] The formation is deposited from Pisco in the north to Yauca in the south. The northern portion is known as the Ocucaje Area and the southern part as the Sacaco Area.[8] The total thickness of the formation is estimated at 640 metres (2,100 ft).[9] The formation unconformably overlies the Chilcatay and Caballas Formations.

Paleobiota of the Pisco Formation

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The Pisco Formation has provided a rich resource of marine fauna, including marine mammals like cetaceans and seals, large fishes, reptiles, and penguins.[10] It is also one of the richest sites in the world for fossil cetaceans, with close to 500 examples being found in the formation.[11]

The oldest fossils of the aquatic sloth Thalassocnus (T. antiquus) come from the Aguada de Lomas horizon of the Pisco Formation and were dated at roughly 7 Ma. The youngest specimen (T. carolomartini) was found in the Sacaco horizon and dated to approximately 3 Ma.[12] Thalassocnus was preyed upon by the probable apex predators of the environment, Livyatan and megalodon.[13][14] The youngest strata belonging to the formation have been dated at 2 Ma, corresponding to the Early Pleistocene (Uquian). Fossils of the Humboldt penguin were found in these deposits at the Yauca locality.[15]

Birds

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Spheniscus S. humbodti Humboldt penguin
 
 [15]
S. megarhampus Banded penguin
 
 [15]
S. muizoni The oldest banded penguin
 
 [16][17]
S. urbinai A larger banded penguin than S. muizoni
 
 [15]
Ramphastosula R. aguierrei
[18][19]
R. ramirezi
Sula S. brandi
[20][21]
S. magna
S. sulita
Morus M. peruvianus
 
[20]
Perugyps P. diazi
[20]
Ciconiidae indet. Gen. et sp. indet.
[22]
Fulmarus Fulmarus sp.
[18]
Pelagornis Pelagornis sp.
 
[23][24]
Pelecanus Pelecanus sp.
[25]
Phalacrocorax P. aff. bougainvillii
 
[18][26]
cf. Phalacrocorax sp.

Fish

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Bony fish

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Alosinae A. indent A type of herring
[10]
Centropomidae C. aff. Psamoperca A snook fish
[10]
Triglidae T. indent A type of sea robin
[10]
Xiphiidae X. ident A sword fish
[10]
Sardinops S. sp. A sardine
[27]

Rays

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Myliobatis Indeterminate A species of eagle ray
 
[10]

Sharks

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Carcharias C. taurus The sand tiger shark
 
[18]
Carcharhinus C. sp. indent A requiem shark
[10]
Carcharodon C. carcharias The great white shark
 
[28][18]
C. hubbelli
Cosmopolitodus C. hastalis The broad-toothed mako
[10]
Hexanchus H. gigas A cow shark
[28]
Isurus I. oxyrhincus The shortfin mako
 
[23]
Otodus O. chubutensis
[10]
O. megalodon The largest of the megatoothed sharks (and of all fishes)
 

Mammals

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Cetaceans

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Acrophyseter A. deinodon A small raptorial physeteroid
 
[20][29]
A. robustus
Atocetus A. iquensis A small toothed whale
 
[30][31]
Australithax A. intermedia A long-snouted porpoise
[32]
Balaenoptera B. siberi A baleen cetacean
 
[23][33]
Belonodelphis B. peruanus An long delphinid
[23][30][34]
Brachydelphis B. jahuayensis An early delphinid
 
[23][30][35][36]
B. mazeasi
Brujadelphis B. ankylorostris A river delphinid
[37]
Hemisyntrachelus H. oligodon An early form of orca
[18]
Incakujira I. anillodefuego A small baleen cetacean
 
[23][38]
I. fordycei
Kogia K. danomurai A basal member of the Kogia genus. Small physeteroid
[39]
Koristocetus K. pescei A small sperm whale
[40]
Livyatan L. melvillei An 18-meter long raptorial physeteroid with 36 centimetres (1.18 ft) teeth
 
[4]
Lomacetus L. ginsburgi A cetacean
[23][41]
Mamaziphius M. reyesi An early beaked whale.
[42]
Miocaperea M. pulchra A cetothere whale
[43]
Ninoziphius N. platyrostris A giant beaked whale
 
[18]
Odobenocetops O. leptodon A cetacean with dual tusks
 
[6]
O. peruvianus
Piscobalaena P. nana A small baleen whale
 
[18][27]
Piscocetus P. sacaco An extinct cetacean
[28]
Piscolithax P. aenigmaticus A porpoise
 
[18][23]
Pliopontos P. littoralis An early delphinid
[18]
Scaphokogia S. cochlearis An extinct pygmy sperm whale
[23][44]

Pinnipeds

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Seals
Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Acrophoca A. longirostirus A large pinniped thought to be the ancestor of the leopard seal
 
[18]
Australophoca A. changorum A phocidae seal.
[23]
Hadrokirus H. martini A species of true seal
[18][45]
Hydrarctos H. lomasiensis An Otariidae seal.
[18]
Magophoca M. brevirostris A monachinae seal.
[46]
Piscophoca P. pacifica A phocidae seal
[27]

Xenarthrans

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Sloths
Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Thalassocnus T. antiquus a semi-aquatic marine sloth
 
[5][18]
[20][28]
T. carolomartini
T. littoralis
T. natans

Mollusks

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Bivalves

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Dosinia Indeterminate
[18]

Polychaetes

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Diplochaetetes D. mexicanus
[47]

Gastropods

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Acanthina A. obesa
[18]
A. triangularis
[18]
Concholepas C. kieneri
[18]
Herminespina Indeterminate
[18]

Reptiles

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Taxa Species Description Images Notes
Sacacosuchus S. cordovai A gavialid crocodylian
[48]
Piscogavialis P. jugaliperforatus A gryposuchine gavialid crocodylian
[20][27]
Pacifichelys P. urbinai A sea turtle
[13][49]
Chelonia Indeterminate
[10]
Eusuchia Indeterminate
[18]

Correlations

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Laventan

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Laventan correlations in South America
Formation Honda Honda Aisol Cura-Mallín Pisco Ipururo Pebas Capadare Urumaco Inés Paraná Map
Basin VSM Honda San Rafael Caldera Pisco Ucayali Amazon Falcón Venezuela Paraná
Pisco Formation (South America)
Country   Colombia   Bolivia   Argentina   Chile   Peru   Venezuela   Argentina
Boreostemma      
Hapalops      
Miocochilius      
Theosodon      
Xenastrapotherium      
Mylodontidae        
Sparassodonta    
Primates  
Rodents              
Birds      
Terror birds  
Reptiles              
megalodon      
Flora  
Insects  
Environments Fluvial Fluvio-deltaic Fluvio-lacustrine Fluvio-deltaic Fluvial
  Laventan volcanoclastics

  Laventan fauna

  Laventan flora
Volcanic Yes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ochoa, Diana; DeVries, Thomas J.; Quispe, Kelly; Barbosa-Espitia, Angel; Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Foster, David A.; Gonzales, Renzo; Revillon, Sidoine; Berrospi, Raul; Pairazamán, Luis; Cardich, Jorge; Perez, Alexander; Romero, Pedro; Urbina, Mario; Carré, Matthieu (2022). "Age and provenance of the Mio-Pleistocene sediments from the Sacaco area, Peruvian continental margin". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 116: 103799. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2022.103799. ISSN 0895-9811.
  2. ^ Brand et al., 2004
  3. ^ Brand et al., 2011
  4. ^ a b Lambert et al., 2010
  5. ^ a b De Muizon et al., 2003
  6. ^ a b De Muizon & Domning, 2002
  7. ^ Báez Gómez, 2006, p.65
  8. ^ Stucchi, 2007, p.368
  9. ^ Altamirano Sierra, 2013, p.3
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Báez Gómez, 2006, p.66
  11. ^ Poma Porras et al., 2009, p.86
  12. ^ De Muizon et al., 2004, p.287
  13. ^ a b Parham & Pyenson, 2010, p.231
  14. ^ Bianucci et al., 2015, p.543
  15. ^ a b c d Stucchi, 2007, p.370
  16. ^ Göhlich, 2007, p.287
  17. ^ Stucchi, 2007, p.369
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Sud Sacaco West at Fossilworks.org
  19. ^ Stucchi et al., 2016, p.423
  20. ^ a b c d e f Sud Sacaco at Fossilworks.org
  21. ^ Stucchi et al., 2016, p.419
  22. ^ Urbina, M.; Stucchi, M. (2005). "Evidence of a fossil stork (Aves: Ciconiidae) from the Late Miocene of the Pisco Formation, Peru". Bol.Soc.Geol.Peru. 100 (2): 63–66.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Aguada de Loma at Fossilworks.org
  24. ^ Chávez et al., 2007
  25. ^ Altamirano Sierra, 2013, p.6
  26. ^ Yauca at Fossilworks.org
  27. ^ a b c d Hueso Blanco at Fossilworks.org
  28. ^ a b c d Sacaco at Fossilworks.org
  29. ^ Lambert et al., 2008
  30. ^ a b c Cerro la Bruja at Fossilworks.org
  31. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.131
  32. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.88
  33. ^ Demeré et al., 2005, p.115
  34. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.192
  35. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.82
  36. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.108
  37. ^ Lambert et al., 2017
  38. ^ Marx & Kohno, 2016, p.5
  39. ^ Benites-Palomino, Aldo; Vélez-Juarbe, Jorge; Collareta, Alberto; Ochoa, Diana; Altamirano, Ali; Carré, Matthieu; Laime, Manuel J.; Urbina, Mario; Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo (August 2021). Lautenschlager, Stephan (ed.). "Nasal compartmentalization in Kogiidae (Cetacea, Physeteroidea): insights from a new late Miocene dwarf sperm whale from the Pisco Formation". Papers in Palaeontology. 7 (3): 1507–1524. Bibcode:2021PPal....7.1507B. doi:10.1002/spp2.1351. ISSN 2056-2799. S2CID 234058681.
  40. ^ Collareta et al., 2017, p.261
  41. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.27
  42. ^ Bianucci, G.; Benites-Palomino, A. M.; Collareta, A.; Bosio, G.; de Muizon, C.; Merella, M.; Di Celma, C.; Malinverno, E.; Urbina, M.; Lambert, O. (2024). "A new Late Miocene beaked whale (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Pisco Formation, and a revised age for the fossil Ziphiidae of Peru" (PDF). Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana. 63 (1): 21–43. doi:10.4435/BSPI.2024.10.
  43. ^ Miocaperea pulchra at Fossilworks.org
  44. ^ De Muizon, 1988, p.66
  45. ^ Amson & De Muizon, 2014, p.524
  46. ^ Dewaele, Leonard & de Muizon, Christian. (2024). A new monachine seal (Monachinae, Phocidae, Mammalia) from the Miocene of Cerro La Bruja (Ica department, Peru). GEODIVERSITAS. 46. 10.5252/geodiversitas2024v46a3.
  47. ^ Kočí T, Bosio G, Collareta A, Sanfilippo R, Ekrt B, Urbina M, Malinverno E (2021). "First report on the cirratulid (Annelida, Polychaeta) reefs from the Miocene Chilcatay and Pisco Formations (East Pisco Basin, Peru)". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 107: 103042. Bibcode:2021JSAES.10703042K. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2020.103042.
  48. ^ Salas-Gismondi, R.; Ochoa, D.; Jouve, S.; Romero, P.E.; Cardich, J.; Perez, A.; DeVries, T.; Baby, P.; Urbina, M.; Carré, M. (2022-05-11). "Miocene fossils from the southeastern Pacific shed light on the last radiation of marine crocodylians". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 289 (1974). doi:10.1098/rspb.2022.0380. PMC 9091840. PMID 35538785.
  49. ^ Cerro Colorado Pisco at Fossilworks.org

Bibliography

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Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pisco Formation.
  • A. Alván, J. Apolín, and C. Chacaltana. 2004. Los dientes de Seláceos (Condrichthyies) y su aplicación estratigráfica en Las Lomas de Ullujaya (Ica, Perú). XIII Congreso Peruano de Geología. Resúmenes Extendidos 595–598
  • A. Collareta, O. Lambert, W. Landini, C. Di Celma, E. Malinverno, R. Varas-Malca, M. Urbina and G. Bianucci. 2017. Did the giant extinct shark Carcharocles megalodon target small prey? Bite marks on marine mammal remains from the late Miocene of Peru. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 469:84-91
  • R. Esperante, L. Brand, K. E. Nick, O. Poma, and M. Urbina. 2008. Exceptional occurrence of fossil baleen in shallow marine sediments of the Neogene Pisco Formation, Southern Peru. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 257:344-360
  • A. Gioncada, A. Collareta, K. Gariboldi, O. Lambert, C. Di Clema, E. Bonaccorsi, M. Urbina and G. Bianucci. 2016. Inside baleen: Exceptional microstructure preservation in a late Miocene whale skeleton from Peru. Geology
  • C. S. Gutstein, M. A. Cozzuol, A. O. Vargas, M. E. Suarez, C. L. Schultz and D. Rubilar-Rogers. 2009. Patterns of skull variation of Brachydelphis (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Neogene of the Southeastern Pacific. Journal of Mammalogy 90(2):504-519
  • O. Lambert, A. Collareta, W. Landini, K. Post, B. Ramanssamy, C. Di Celma, M. Urbina and G. Bianucci. 2015. No deep diving: evidence of predation on epipelagic fish for a stem beaked whale from the Late Miocene of Peru. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282:20151530
  • J. Machare, T. DeVries, and E. Fourtanier. 1988. Oligo-Miocene transgression along the Pacific margin of South America: new paleontological and geological evidence from the Pisco basin (Peru). Géodyynamique 3(1–2):25-37
  • R. Marocco and C. de Muizon. 1988. Los vertebrados del Neogeno de La Costa Sur del Perú: Ambiente sedimentario y condiciones de fosilización. Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Études Andines 17(2):105-117
  • C. de Muizon and D. P. Domning. 1985. The first records of fossil sirenians in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Section C: Sciences de la Terre: Paléontologie, Géologie, Minéralogie, Paris: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 7(3):189-213
  • C. de Muizon. 1983. Pliopontos littoralis un nouveau Platanistidae Cetacea du Pliocene de la cote peruvienne. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences Paris Série II (296)1101-1104
  • C. de Muizon. 1978. Arctocephalus (Hydrarctos) lomasiensis, subgen. nov. et nov sp., un nouvel Otariidae du Mio-Pliocene de Sacaco. Bulletin de l'Institute Français d'Études Andines 7(3–4):169-189
  • M. Urbina and M. Stucchi. 2005. Los cormoranes (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae) del Mio-Plioceno de la Formacion Pisco, Peru. Boletin de la Sociedad Geologica del Peru 99:41-49
  • R. M. Varas Malca and A. Valenzuela Toro. 2011. A basal monachine seal from the middle Miocene of the Pisco Formation, Peru. Ameghiniana 48(4):R216-R217
  • T. J. DeVries. 2008. Pliocene and Pleistocene Fissurella Bruguiére, 1789 (Gastropoda: Fissurellidae) from Southern Peru. The Veliger 50(2):129-148
  • T. J. DeVries. 2007. Cenozoic Turritellidae (Gastropoda) from southern Peru. Journal of Paleontology 81(2):331-351
  • T. J. DeVries, L. T. Groves, and M. Urbina. 2006. A new early Miocene Muracypraea Woodring, 1957 (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) from the Pisco Basin of southern Peru. The Nautilus 120(3):101-105
  • T. J. DeVries. 2003. Acanthina Fischer von Waldheim, 1807 (Gastropoda: Muricidae), an ocenebrine genus endemic to South America. The Veliger 46(4):332-350
  • T. J. DeVries. 1997. Neogene Ficus (Mesogastropoda: Ficidae) from the Pisco Basin (Peru). Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica de Perú 86:11-18
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