Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 31, 2026

Cucaracha Formation

The Cucaracha Formation (Tca) is a geologic formation in Panama. It preserves vertebrate and plant fossils dating back to the Neogene period; Early to Middle Miocene epochs (Hemingfordian). Fossils of the crocodylian Centenariosuchus, the turtle Rhinoclemmys panamaensis and the artiodactyl Paratoceras have been found in the formation.

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Cucaracha Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Burdigalian-Mid Langhian (Hemingfordian-Barstovian)
TypeFormation
UnderliesPedro Miguel & La Boca Formations
OverliesCulebra Formation
Thickness~125 m (410 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, conglomerate
OtherClaystone
Location
Coordinates9°00′N 79°36′W / 9.0°N 79.6°W / 9.0; -79.6
Approximate paleocoordinates8°24′N 77°30′W / 8.4°N 77.5°W / 8.4; -77.5
RegionPanamá Province
CountryPanama
ExtentPanama Basin
Cucaracha Formation (Panama)

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

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Mammals

Bats

Bats reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus Species Presence Material Notes Images
Americanycteris67 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
Bassaricyonoides6 B. sp. Gaillard Cut A procyonid
Daphoenodon6 cf. D. sp. Gaillard Cut A bear dog
source ↗
Hemicyonidae indet.8 Indeterminate Gaillard Cut Radius & ulna fragment A bear
Tomarctus68 T. brevirostris Gaillard Cut Jaw & teeth A borophagine dog
source ↗

Rodents

Rodents reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus Species Presence Material Notes Images
Nototamias6 N. sp. Gaillard Cut A ground squirrel
Petauristodon6 P. sp. Gaillard Cut A flying squirrel
Proheteromys6 P. sp. Gaillard Cut A heteromyid
source ↗
Texomys69 T. stewarti Pedro Miguel Lock & Gaillard Cut Teeth A jimomyid

Ungulates

Ungulates reported from the Cucaracha Formation
Genus Species Presence Material Notes Images
Anchitherium6810 A. clarencei Gaillard Cut & Centenario Bridge Mandible fragment, upper cheek tooth & maxilla An equid
Archaeohippus68 A. sp. Gaillard Cut Calcaneus & tooth An equid
Cynorca611 C. occidentale Gaillard Cut, Centenario Bridge & Hodges Hill Jaw elements with teeth Species reassigned to the genus Tedfordhyus12
Floridaceras68 F. whitei Gaillard Cut Jaws, teeth & femur fragment A rhinoceros
Floridatragulus6 cf. F. nanus Gaillard Cut A camelid
Machaeromeryx6 cf. M. sp. Gaillard Cut A moschid
Menoceras68 M. barbouri Gaillard Cut Teeth & limb elements A rhinoceros
source ↗
Merycochoerus68 M. matthewi Gaillard Cut Skull elements An oreodont
Parablastomeryx6 cf. P. sp. Gaillard Cut A moschid
Paratoceras6813 P. coatesi Gaillard Cut, Centenario Bridge, Hodges Hill & Cartagena Hill Skull elements, teeth & limb fragments A protoceratid, first reported as P. wardi
P. wardi Gaillard Cut Skull elements, teeth & limb fragments Remains reassigned to P. coatesi
Tedfordhyus611 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
Centenariosuchus15 C. gilmorei Hodges Hill Skull & jaw A caiman
cf. C. gilmorei Centenario Bridge Right angular A caiman
Dadagavialis16 D. gunai East margin of the Panama Canal Partial snout A gavialid
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
Boa17 B. cf. B. constrictor Cartagena Hill & Hodges Hill Incomplete vertebrae A boid snake
source ↗

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
Rhinoclemmys18 R. panamaensis Centenario Bridge Shell elements A geoemydid turtle
R. sp. Centenario Bridge & Culebra Reach Isolated bones A geoemydid turtle
Staurotypus18 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
Ampelorhiza19 A. heteroxylon Culebra Cut Roots A member of Paullinieae
Antrocaryon20 A. panamaensis Lirio East Endocarps A member of Anacardiaceae
Dracontomelon20 D. montesii Lirio East Endocarps A member of Anacardiaceae
Guazumaoxylon21 G. miocenica Hodges Hill Wood A member of Malvaceae, similar to Guazuma
Mammea22 M. paramericana Northern Lirio East Stem A member of Calophyllaceae
Oreomunnea23 O. grahamii Lirio East Nuts A member of Juglandaceae
Panascleroticoxylon24 P. crystallosa Hodges Hill Wood A member of Malpighiales
Parinari25 P. panamensis Lirio East, Gold Hill & Empire sites Endocarps A member of Chrysobalanaceae
Parinarioxylon25 P. panamensis Lirio East Wood A member of Chrysobalanaceae
Periplanetoxylon21 P. panamense Hodges Hill Wood A member of Malvaceae
Prioria26 P. canalensis Hodges Hill Wood A legume
P. hodgesii Hodges Hill Wood A legume
Rourea27 R. blatta Northern Lirio East site Wood A liana belonging to the Connaraceae
Spondias20 S. rothwellii Lirio East Endocarps A member of Anacardiaceae
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Geologic Map, 1980
  2. Cucaracha Formation at Fossilworks.org
  3. Centenariosuchus at Fossilworks.org
  4. Kirby et al., 2008, p.9
  5. Kirby et al., 2008, p.11
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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:NAMLMF]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. JSTOR 4524616.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. PROTHERO, DONALD R. (2021-05-28). THE SYSTEMATICS OF NORTH AMERICAN PECCARIES (MAMMALIA: ARTIODACTYLA: TAYASSUIDAE). New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
  13. 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) e970688. Bibcode:2015JVPal..35E0688R. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.970688. ISSN 0272-4634.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Jud, Nathan A.; Allen, Sarah E.; Nelson, Chris W.; Bastos, Carolina L.; Chery, Joyce G. (2021-04-07). Wong, William Oki (ed.). "Climbing since the early Miocene: The fossil record of Paullinieae (Sapindaceae)". PLOS ONE. 16 (4) e0248369. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1648369J. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0248369. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8026063. PMID 33826635.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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. Missouri Botanical Garden. pp. 124–133.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
  27. 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