Saturday, April 12, 2025

Jurassic Ferns from the Girón Group: A Window into Ancient Tropical Ecosystems


A new study published in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences opens a small window on the flora and environmental conditions of tropical South America during the Late Jurassic. 

The paper, "Jurassic fern Piazopteris from the Girón Group, Colombia: A taxonomic and paleoenvironmental evaluation," presents the discovery and analysis of six fossil fern specimens from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, helping expand a bit of knowledge of Jurassic plant life in the paleo-Caribbean region.


The fossils were collected from the carbonaceous mudstones of La Honda Creek, part of the Girón Group—an important but underexplored sedimentary unit that preserves traces of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems. The ferns are tentatively identified as Piazopteris cf. branneri, a member of the now-extinct genus of the Matoniaceae. Piazopteris once thrived in humid, equatorial climates.

What makes this study particularly compelling is its multidisciplinary approach. Using thin-section petrography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and carbon geochemistry—including total organic carbon (TOC) and stable isotope (δ¹³Corg) analyses—the researchers aproximated the depositional environment and climate context of these fossils. The results point to a low-energy, swamp-like setting with significant organic accumulation, likely influenced by a humid, tropical to subtropical climate. The geochemical data not only support this interpretation but also provide a valuable window into the carbon cycling and preservation conditions of Jurassic terrestrial environments.

The genus Piazopteris is a biostratigraphically and paleoecologically relevant genus, typically associated with Jurassic-Cretaceous floras of Gondwanan affinity. The occurrence of Piazopteris cf. branneri in Colombia contributes to a growing record of Jurassic ferns in South America and provides important taxonomic refinements for this group, which has often been misidentified or found poorly preserved.

Importantly, this work also underscores the scientific potential of the Girón Group as a paleobotanical archive. While the Girón Group has been recognized for its sedimentological and tectonic significance, its paleontological potential remains vastly underutilized. This new contribution highlights the need for further research, particularly stratigraphic refinement, paleobotanical and geochemical work in this region.

This study was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of geologists and paleontologists from several institutions in Colombia and abroad, including the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Florida International University (FIU), and research institutes focused on stratigraphy and paleontology. The collaboration brought together the fields of sedimentology, paleobotany, geochemistry, and microscopy to advance understanding of Jurassic floras in tropical settings. 

Special thanks go to all who helped make this discovery and research possible.


Citation:

Torres-Parada, J.M., Orihuela, J., Alarcón Gómez, C.M., Diaz Villamizar, J.S., Gómez-Coronado, J.S., Márquez-Prada, J.J., Lizarazo-Pabón, J.A., Patarroyo, G. (2025). Jurassic fern Piazopteris from the Girón Group, Colombia: A taxonomic and paleoenvironmental evaluation. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 158, 105488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2025.105488




Images created with AI (ChatGPT Image creator, 2025). 




Saturday, February 8, 2025

Ancient Sand Dollars Reveal a Lost Caribbean Ecosystem: New Findings from South-Central Cuba


The fossil record offers glimpses into ancient worlds, and a new study on Clypeaster echinoids from Cuba’s Damují Formation provides valuable insights into the Caribbean’s past. These fossils, dating from the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene, represent some of the earliest known occurrences of this genus in the region.

The research, conducted in Rodas, south-central Cuba, extends the known temporal and geographical range of Clypeaster, a genus of sand dollars that still thrives in tropical and subtropical oceans today. While previous studies focused on Oligocene and Miocene specimens, these newly examined fossils fill a gap in our understanding of how echinoids evolved and dispersed during a critical period of climatic transition—the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.


The geological context of the Damují Formation suggests that Clypeaster lived in a diverse marine environment, alongside large foraminifera, corals, and small fish. The presence of these fossils indicates that warm, shallow-water reef systems persisted in the Caribbean despite global cooling trends at the time. This challenges previous assumptions that echinoid diversification in the region occurred later, during the Miocene.

The study also raises intriguing questions about the role of the Caribbean as a migration corridor for marine life during the Paleogene. Were these Clypeaster populations early colonizers, or did they represent a more ancient lineage persisting through climatic shifts? Future research, including detailed morphological analyses and comparisons with other fossil sites, may help unravel the evolutionary pathways of these echinoids.

By documenting these fossils, this study contributes to our understanding of past ecosystems and the biogeographical history of echinoids. It also underscores the importance of Cuba’s fossil record in reconstructing ancient marine environments and refining our models of species distribution during critical periods of Earth’s history.


This work was made possible through the contributions of coauthors Carlos Rafael Borges-Sellén, Alberto F. Arano-Ruiz, Johanset Orihuela, and Yasmani Ceballos-Izquierdo, whose efforts in fieldwork, analysis, and writing were fundamental to this research. The full paper is available for download here.

The study is published in POEYANA, a peer-reviewed open-access journal (ISSN: 2410-7492, RNPS: 2403) that has been a cornerstone of zoological research in Cuba, the Caribbean, and the Neotropics since its founding in 1964. Originally established at the former Institute of Zoology of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, POEYANA is now edited by the Institute of Ecology and Systematics under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA). With over 500 published articles spanning more than five decades, the journal continues to serve as a platform for scientific contributions from Cuban and international researchers in the field of natural sciences.

Monday, October 28, 2024

Fossil News! First Pliocene Land Vertebrate Fossils from Cuba


I’m thrilled to announce the publication of our latest research paper, "First Record of Terrestrial Vertebrates from a Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene Deposit in Cuba," which uncovers the first documented Pliocene land vertebrate fossils in Cuba’s history to date. Found at the El Abra outcrop in Matanzas, these fossils offer a rare glimpse into the prehistoric fauna of the Greater Antilles, hinting at unique evolutionary patterns and diversity, plus providing new insight into the biodiversity and biogeographic history of the Caribbean region.

While we recognize that possible land vertebrate fossils of older age may exist in the caves of Pinar del Río, these remain untested and are generally assumed to be Pleistocene, and even later in the Pleistocene, in age. As such, our findings from El Abra represent the earliest confirmed fossils within the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene range, adding a new dimension to our understanding of Caribbean vertebrate evolution.

One particularly exciting aspect of this discovery includes previously undocumented remains of capromyine rodents (so called hutias or jutias), showcasing unique dental characteristics that hint at possible connections with species in Hispaniola. This find challenges and enriches our understanding of Caribbean vertebrate dispersal and diversification, underscoring the importance of examining overlooked fossil records or outcrop deposits to piece together new evolutionary histories.

I am immensely grateful to my colleagues and co-authors Yasmani Ceballos, Lazaro Viñola, Logel Lorenzo and Alberto Clark, who collaborated on this project, contributing their expertise and dedication to each step of this investigation. Further thanks are due to the friends and institutions, for logistics, conversations, sharing of ideas, knowledge, and collecting permits. 

Take a look and join us in exploring this new chapter of Cuba's fossil record and its broader implications for Caribbean paleontology!



Source: 

Orihuela, J., Viñola-Lopez, L. W., Lorenzo, L., Clark, A., & Ceballos-Izquierdo, Y. (2024). First Record of Terrestrial Vertebrates from a Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene deposit in Cuba. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 105200.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Carnivorous Fish of the Cretaceous: New Fossil Discoveries Unearthed in Colombia’s La Luna Formation


Beneath the hills of Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera lies an ancient record, preserved in the layers of rock known as the La Luna Formation. Dating back to the Upper Cretaceous, about 90 million years ago, this formation provides a glimpse into vast marine ecosystems, when warm seas covered much of what is now South America. Yet, despite its potential, the fossil record from this period in Colombia has remained surprisingly sparse.

In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers has unearthed fossilized remains of the extinct fish family Enchodontidae from the La Luna Formation in the municipality of Matanza, Santander Department. These fossils, which include jaw and skull fragments, represent the first comprehensive report of Enchodus, a genus within the Enchodontidae family, from this region. Enchodus was a predatory fish, easily recognized by its distinctive sharp teeth, which made it one of the dominant marine predators of its time.

The fossils collected from the field were embedded in calcareous mudstone and concretions. The team utilized morphological analyses, along with computed tomography (CT) scans, to study the specimens in detail. These scans revealed not only the external features of the fossils but also internal structures hidden within the rock matrix — features crucial for taxonomic classification.

One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery is its contribution to understanding the diversity and distribution of Enchodus. The genus was already known to have a wide geographic range, with fossils found across North America, Europe, and Africa, but records from South America, particularly Colombia, have been rare. These newly uncovered specimens, some of which show distinctive morphological features, may even point to the presence of new, yet undescribed species of Enchodus.

The fossils were found in the Galembo Member of the La Luna Formation, a sedimentary sequence rich in organic material and known for its preservation of marine life. The environment in which these fish lived was likely a shallow, oxygen-starved sea, contributing to the preservation of skeletal remains. Despite the disarticulated nature of the fossils — a sign of active sea-bottom conditions and scavenger activity — the bones and teeth of these ancient predators offer a fascinating look at marine ecosystems during the Late Cretaceous.

This discovery not only fills a gap in Colombia’s fossil record but also raises intriguing questions about the factors that influenced the preservation and fossilization of marine life in the region. Why, in a period known for rich marine biodiversity, are fossils from the Colombian Upper Cretaceous so hard to come by? The answers to these questions may lie in the geological and environmental conditions of the time, but further research is needed to unravel these mysteries.

The findings also highlight the potential for future discoveries in the La Luna Formation. As more specimens are uncovered and analyzed, we may uncover further evidence of marine vertebrate diversity in this region. Each fossil tells a story, and these new specimens of Enchodus are beginning to piece together a chapter of the evolutionary history of marine life in South America.

These findings are detailed in the recently published article:

Torres-Parada, J.M., Orihuela León, J., Patarroyo Camargo, G.D., Alarcón Gómez, C.M., Diaz Villamizar, J.S., Gómez-Coronado, J.S., Márquez Prada, J.J. (2024). Upper Cretaceous Enchodontidae (Actinopterygii: Aulopiformes) in the La Luna Formation, Eastern Cordillera, Colombia: A new report. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 148, 105160.

I extend warm thanks to Jose M. Torres-Parada for the opportunity to collaborate on this project. May many more come our way!

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Matanzas Revisited: Unraveling Fact from Fiction in Cuba's Past

For centuries, the traditional narrative surrounding the name "Matanzas" has been accepted as historical fact. According to this widely held belief, the name, which translates to “massacre,” originated from a violent event in which indigenous people of Cuba supposedly drowned a group of Spanish survivors by overturning their canoes while crossing the Bay of Matanzas. This was followed by the hanging of the remaining survivors in a ceiba tree. But upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that this version of events may not be entirely accurate, or even true at all.

A critical reevaluation of historical sources, led by modern scholars, offers a compelling argument that the accepted story of Matanzas may be more myth than reality. Their work, based on an analysis of Diego Velázquez’s Carta de Relación—a letter written by the Spanish governor of Cuba in 1514—presents an alternative view of the events. While Velázquez's letter is by no means free from potential bias, it offers a primary source account that contradicts the violent narrative propagated by later chroniclers like Bartolomé de las Casas and Bernal Díaz del Castillo.


Velázquez’s Account: A Primary Source with a Different Story

Velázquez’s Carta de Relación stands as one of the earliest -and closest in time- accounts of the Spanish interactions with the indigenous people in Cuba. Written in April 1514, just a few years after the events it describes, the letter contains details about the pacification efforts of the Spanish in Cuba and the rescue of three Spanish survivors: García Mexía and two women who had been held by indigenous leaders of the western region of the island. Velázquez notably omits any mention of a massacre or violent confrontation with the indigenous people during this rescue operation.

However, Velázquez does refer to a different massacre, known as the Massacre of Caonao, which is a significant event in Cuban history. This massacre, part of the often violent interactions between Spanish conquistadors and the indigenous population, took place in central Cuba, far from the region where the name Matanzas was superposed. The confusion surrounding the naming of Matanzas may have arisen from later chroniclers conflating these two unrelated events.

In fact, the survivors whom Velázquez rescued were not connected to the area that would later become Matanzas. These individuals had shipwrecked in Guaniguanico, located in present-day Pinar del Río, after a failed expedition from Central America. They were not fleeing from or involved in a massacre in Matanzas. Velázquez’s rescue mission likely took place in the southern territory of what is now Havana, between late 1512 and early 1513. This critical distinction, overlooked or misinterpreted by later chroniclers like Las Casas, highlights that the events in the Bay of Matanzas may have been wrongly attributed to violence, when in reality, it was part of a more complex series of interchanges and interactions.


Questioning the Later Accounts

Bartolomé de las Casas and Bernal Díaz del Castillo are key figures in the perpetuation of the violent narrative associated with the naming of Matanzas. However, both of these chroniclers wrote their accounts decades after the events, and their motivations for shaping the narrative must be considered. Las Casas, in particular, was driven by a moral agenda to highlight the mistreatment of indigenous populations by the Spanish colonizers. His accounts, while influential, are also known for their exaggeration, particularly when it comes to emphasizing Spanish brutality.

In his Historia de las Indias, Las Casas details a massacre in which indigenous people are said to have drowned and hanged Spanish survivors. This story, however, was written long after the fact and cannot be corroborated by primary sources from the time. He himself mentions that he is not remembering these events clearly. Likewise, Díaz del Castillo’s account, written many years after the events, contains discrepancies regarding the number of survivors and the circumstances of their rescue, further complicating the narrative. The unquestionable and excessive use of these, and other chronicles who followed and copied, exacerbated and perpetuated the legend even still. 

The discrepancies between these later accounts and Velázquez’s primary source raise important questions about the reliability of the traditional narrative. While Las Casas and Díaz del Castillo have been influential in shaping the story of Matanzas, their works must be viewed with caution, particularly when they contradict earlier, more immediate accounts like Velázquez’s.


Velázquez’s Bias: A Reasonable Concern?

It is reasonable to question whether Velázquez himself may have been biased in his reporting. As the governor of Cuba and a key figure in the colonization efforts, Velázquez certainly had reasons to present himself and his actions in a positive light. His letter to the crown was meant to showcase his control over the island and the success of his efforts in pacifying the indigenous population. However, even with this potential bias in mind, the absence of any mention of a massacre in Matanzas is significant. If such an event had occurred, Velázquez would have had to address it in some form, if only to justify his actions or downplay the extent of the violence.

Moreover, Velázquez’s letter is not the only source used by Orihuela and Viera in their analysis. They also draw upon archaeological evidence and a study of the region’s toponymy—specifically, the names “Guanima” and “Yucayo,” which have been erroneously linked to the events surrounding the founding of Matanzas. Their research reveals inconsistencies in these place names and shows that the connection between the supposed massacre and the toponymy of the region is likely a later invention, further undermining the traditional narrative. In fact, the Matanzas (= in the form of "Matancas") does not appear in the charts and documents until after 1525. 


The Archaeological Evidence

Archaeological findings in the region provide additional support for Orihuela and Viera’s argument. To date, no physical evidence has been found that corroborates the story of a massacre in the Bay of Matanzas. Instead, the archaeological record suggests that the indigenous populations in the area had a significant and prolonged presence, with evidence of sustained interaction with the Spanish, rather than outright conflict. 

Additionally, the etymology of the name “Matanzas” may have more to do with the economic activities in the region, such as cattle slaughtering, than with a violent event. The term "matanza" was commonly used in Spanish colonies to refer to the killing of animals for food, and it is plausible that this is the true origin of the name, rather than a massacre of Spanish sailors.


The Silent Majority: The Role of Indigenous Peoples in Colonial History

This revised interpretation also sheds light on the often overlooked or minimized role of indigenous populations in the narratives of conquest and colonization. For centuries, indigenous peoples have been portrayed as either victims of violence or passive participants in the colonial process. However, new historiographical approaches are helping to recover the agency of these groups as active players in the history of the Caribbean and Latin America.

In particular, the indigenous peoples of Cuba, like those collectivelly called Taino, were not merely silent witnesses to their own demise. They engaged in complex interactions with the Spanish, negotiating, resisting, and sometimes cooperating with them, depending on the circumstances. The recovery of indigenous agency is an important trend in contemporary scholarship on the conquest of the Americas, and this reinterpretation of the Matanzas story is a part of that broader effort to understand the colonial past in a more nuanced way.


A Revisionist Perspective

In the end, Orihuela and Viera’s work is not merely about defending Velázquez’s account. It is about critically reassessing the evidence, questioning long-held assumptions, and separating myth from historical fact. By reexamining the available documentation, cross-referencing accounts, and considering archaeological data, they offer a revisionist perspective that challenges the traditional story of Matanzas’ naming.

Their approach invites us to rethink the way we understand the early encounters between the Spanish and indigenous people in Cuba. While the idea of a violent massacre may have been compelling to chroniclers like Las Casas, the evidence suggests a more nuanced and peaceful interaction, at least in this instance. It also serves as a reminder that history is often shaped by the interests and biases of those who record it, and that our understanding of the past must be constantly reevaluated in light of new evidence.


Conclusion

The traditional narrative of the massacre at Matanzas may have been a myth, woven together by chroniclers long after the events they described. Through careful analysis of primary sources like Velázquez’s Carta de Relación and a critical evaluation of archaeological and toponymic evidence, Orihuela and Viera provide a fresh interpretation of the events. While Velázquez may have had his biases, the absence of any significant mention of violence in his account, coupled with the lack of corroborating evidence from other sources, suggests that the true story of Matanzas may be far less violent than we’ve been led to believe.

This revisionist perspective encourages us to question the accuracy of historical myths and to seek out the truth behind the legends that have shaped our understanding of the past. As with any historical inquiry, the search for truth is ongoing, and Orihuela and Viera’s work is an important step in the ongoing effort to uncover the real story of Matanzas.

Referenced work: