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Miocene Marine Transgressions: Paleoenvironments and Paleobiodiversity

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Late Cenozoic of Península Valdés, Patagonia, Argentina

Part of the book series: Springer Earth System Sciences ((SPRINGEREARTH))

Abstract

Two major marine transgressions covered part of Patagonia during the Miocene and both are recorded in the Península Valdés region. The older (early Miocene) is represented by the volumetrically scarce outcrops of the Gaiman Formation, composed by shelf mudstones and fine sandstones. The late Miocene transgression is represented by the Puerto Madryn Formation, widely distributed in Península Valdés and composed of mudstones, sandstones and shell beds, being the focus of this work. Sediments of this unit were deposited in inner shelf, nearshore, tidal channel and tidal flat environments. Fossil content is abundant and diverse, including palynomorphs, foraminifers, marine invertebrates (dominated by molluscs), cetaceans, pinnipeds, marine fishes and birds, as well as continental mammals, birds, and fishes. Isotopic and biostratigraphical data suggest a late Miocene age for the Puerto Madryn Formation, although some middle Miocene biostratigraphical indicators are present. Paleoenvironmental information suggests oceanic and continental temperatures warmer than present day, evidenced by the Caribbean molluscan association and the continental vertebrate and palinological associations, respectively. Instead, cetaceans, dinoflagellates, and some marine fishes, suggest colder oceanic temperatures. Precipitations were also higher than present, evidenced by the presence of freshwater mammals, birds, fishes, and plants. This work highlighted some gaps in the geological and paleontological knowledge including geochronology, stratigraphic control of paleontological studies and the knowledge of poorly known fossil groups, which should be the focus of future investigations.

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Acknowledgements

We thank at a first place to the editors (Pablo Bouza and Andrés Bilmes) for the kind invitation to contribute to this book; to the reviewers Sergio Vizcaíno and Sebastián Richiano, and the critical review by Sergio Martínez, for the useful suggestions to this chapter, which considerably improve its quality. Thanks to Jorge González for its excellent illustrations of the fossil fauna in their environment. Fieldworks were conducted under the authorization and permissions to collect fossil material from Secretaría de Cultura and Secretaría de Turismo y Áreas Protegidas, Chubut Province, Argentina. Finally, we express our gratitude to many people of Península Valdés, especially many generous estancia owners for their assistance and hospitality during the fieldworks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología (IPGP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—CCT Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT), Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    José I. Cuitiño, María T. Dozo & Mónica R. Buono

  2. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia—CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 460, C1405DJQ, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Claudia J. del Río, Luis Palazzesi & Sabrina Fuentes

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Ambientales y Aplicadas de Buenos Aires CONICET, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EHA, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Roberto A. Scasso

Authors
  1. José I. Cuitiño
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  2. María T. Dozo
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  3. Claudia J. del Río
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  4. Mónica R. Buono
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  5. Luis Palazzesi
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  6. Sabrina Fuentes
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  7. Roberto A. Scasso
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José I. Cuitiño .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Pablo Bouza

  2. Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología (CCT CONICET- CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Andrés Bilmes

Glossary

Assemblage (fossil)

Group of fossils found together in a given stratum or package of strata

Biostratigraphy

The discipline that study the spatial and temporal distribution of fossil organisms as a means of dating rock strata

Bioturbation

Term used to describe the disruption of sedimentary deposits by organism activity. Frequently used to describe bedding that has been highly disrupted but which doesn’t show any specific traces

Bioturbation index

Rating system for the degree of bioturbation of sedimentary deposits. Higher ratings indicate greater amounts of disruption to primary sedimentary structures

Facies (associations)

Descriptive attributes that characterize a sedimentary deposit such as lithology, grain size or biota, which are used to interpret depositional processes. They can be grouped in facies associations to interpret depositional paleoenvironments

Maximum flooding phase

An interval of strata deposited at the time the shoreline is at its maximum landward position (i.e., the time of maximum transgression). It separates the transgressive and highstand phases

Paleoecology

The study of fossil organisms and their associated remains to interpret their life cycle, living interactions, natural environment, communities, and manner of death and burial. Such interpretations aid the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment

Paleoenvironment

Physicochemical conditions of an area in a certain period of the geological past. Mostly refers to topography/bathymetry, energy levels of waves, tides, winds, and fluvial currents, as well as temperature and salinity

Regressive phase

An interval of strata that form when sediment accumulation rates exceed the rate of relative sea level rise. The base of this phase is formed by the maximum flooding zone (or surface)

Sedimentary structures

Features of any sedimentary deposit, formed in response to the physical, biogenic or chemical processes that deposited the sediment (primary sedimentary structures) or modified them during or following deposition (secondary sedimentary structures)

Shelf (continental)

The flat portion of a continent that extends under a shallow sea (no deeper than 200 meters), from the coastline to the continental slope

Taxon

Any group or rank in a biological classification into which related organisms are classified

Transgressive phase

An interval of strata accumulated from the onset of coastal transgression until the time of maximum transgression of the coast, just prior to renewed regression

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Cite this chapter

Cuitiño, J.I. et al. (2017). Miocene Marine Transgressions: Paleoenvironments and Paleobiodiversity. In: Bouza, P., Bilmes, A. (eds) Late Cenozoic of Península Valdés, Patagonia, Argentina. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48508-9_3

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