The Cucaracha Formation (Tca)Geologic Map, 1980 is a
geologic formation
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...
in
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
. It preserves
vertebrate
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...
and
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...
fossils
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...
dating back to the
Neogene
The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...
Centenariosuchus
''Centenariosuchus'' is an extinct genus of caimanine crocodylian known from the Miocene of the Panama Canal Zone of Panama.Rhinoclemmys panamaensis
''Rhinoclemmys panamaensis'' is an extinct species of turtle belonging to the genus ''Rhinoclemmys'' of the family Geoemydidae known from the early to middle Miocene (Hemingfordian) Cucaracha Formation of the Panama Basin of central Panama.
P ...
'' and the artiodactyl ''
Paratoceras
''Paratoceras'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America. They lived during the Early to Middle Miocene, 20.4—10.3 Ma, existing for approximately . ''Paratoceras'' resembled deer, but were mor ...
Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...
.org
The Cucaracha Formation is approximately thick,Kirby et al., 2008, p.9 and dated to 19 to 14 Ma.Kirby et al., 2008, p.11
Prioria canalensis
''Prioria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. Members of this genus are found in Central America, Africa, southern Asia, and Oceania.
Species
''Prioria'' comprises the following species
African species
* '' Prioria balsami ...
'', '' P. hodgesii''Rodríguez Reyes et al., 2017b
* ''
Rhinoclemmys panamaensis
''Rhinoclemmys panamaensis'' is an extinct species of turtle belonging to the genus ''Rhinoclemmys'' of the family Geoemydidae known from the early to middle Miocene (Hemingfordian) Cucaracha Formation of the Panama Basin of central Panama.
P ...
''Cadena et al., 2012
* ''
Rourea blatta
''Rourea'' is a genus of plants in the family Connaraceae. They are found worldwide across the tropics and subtropics.
Species
Currently accepted species include:
*'' Rourea accrescens'' Forero
*'' Rourea acutipetala'' Miq.
*'' Rourea adenophor ...
''Jud & Nelson, 2017
* ''
Staurotypus moschus
''Staurotypus'' is a genus of aquatic turtles, commonly known as giant musk turtles, Mexican musk turtles, or three-keeled musk turtles, in the family Kinosternidae. The genus contains two recognized species, which are endemic to Mexico and Cent ...
*
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* {{cite LSA , last=Woodring , first=W.P , year=1957 , title=Geology and Paleontology of Canal Zone and Adjoining Parts of Panama - 306A Geology and description of Tertiary mollusks (Gastropods: Trochidae to Turritellidae) , url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0306a/report.pdf , publisher=
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...