Gatun Formation

Gatun Formation

The Gatun Formation includes late Miocene (12-9 million year old) rocks cropping out in Colon Province and around the periphery of Lago Gatún, Panama. These deposits typically comprise extremely fossiliferous grey siltstone, fine sandstone, and rare conglomeratic sandstone. The paleoecology of the fossils indicate deposition in quiet shallow marine to offshore water depths.

Common fossils

Saccella acritaSaccella balboae (Brown & Pilsbry, 1911) Anadara chaveziAnadara (Cunearca) chavezi (Engerrand & Urbina, 1910) Anadara dariensisAnadara (Rasia) dariensis (Brown & Pilsbry, 1911)
Chama berjadinensisChama berjadinensis (F. Hodson, 1927) Apiocardia spApiocardia n. sp. Dallocardia baiterumDallocardia baiterum (Woodring, 1982)
Semele laevisSemele laevis (G. B. Sowerby I, 1833) Agriopoma gatunensisAgriopoma gatunensis (Dall, 1911) Chionopsis tegulumChionopsis tegulum (Brown & Pilsbry, 1911)
Clementia darienaClementia dariena (Conrad, 1855) Lirophora falconensisLirophora falconensis (H. Hodson, 1927)
 Panchione mactropsisPanchione mactropsis (Conrad, 1855)
Caryocorbula oropendulaCaryocorbula stena (Woodring, 1982) Caryocorbula prenasutaCaryocorbula prenasuta (Olsson, 1964) Crucibulum springvaleenseCrucibulum (Dispotaea) springvaleense Rutsch, 1942
Turritella altiliraTurritella altilira (Conrad, 1857) Turritella gatunensisTurritella gatunensis (Conrad, 1857) Petaloconchus sculpturatusPetaloconchus sculpturatus Lea 1843
Architectonica nobilisArchitectonica nobilis Röding, 1798 Stigmaulax guppianaFossil name Polinices stanislasmeunieriFossil name
Distorsio clathrataFossil name Antillophos candeanusFossil name Cymatophos veatchiFossil name
Solenosteira dalliFossil name Oliva gatunensisFossil name Olivella terryiFossil name
Strombina lessepsiana Bivetiella dariensis Euclia codazzii
Terebra cucurrupiensis Conus molis Clathrodrillia gatunensis
Hindsiclava consors Polystira sp Polyschides epetrion
Carcharodon megalodon Carcharinhus sp Galeocerdo cuvier
Hemipristis serra Negaprion brevirostris Sphyrna sp
Rhinoptera sp

Additional literature

Brown, A. P., & Pilsbry, H. A. (1911). Fauna of the Gatun formation, Isthmus of Panama. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 336-373.

Brown, A. P., & Pilsbry, H. A. (1912). Fauna of the Gatun Formation, Isthmus of Panama: II. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 500-519.

Hendy, A. J. (2013). Spatial and stratigraphic variation of marine paleoenvironments in the Middle-Upper Miocene Gatun Formation, Isthmus of Panama. Palaios, 28(4), 210-227.

Pimiento, C., Ehret, D. J., MacFadden, B. J., & Hubbell, G. (2010). Ancient nursery area for the extinct giant shark Megalodon from the Miocene of Panama. PloS one, 5(5), e10552.

Pimiento, C., González-Barba, G., Ehret, D. J., Hendy, A. J., MacFadden, B. J., & Jaramillo, C. (2013). Sharks and Rays (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Late Miocene Gatun Formation of Panama. Journal of Paleontology,87(5), 755-774.

Woodring, W.P. (1957). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (A), p. 1-145.

Woodring, W.P. (1960). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (B), p. 147-239.

Woodring, W.P. (1964). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (C), p. 241-297.

Woodring, W.P. (1970). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (D), p. 299-452.

Woodring, W.P. (1973). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (E), p. 453-539.

Woodring, W.P. (1982). Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306 (F), p. 541-759.