A minute ostracod (Crustacea: Cytheromatidae) from the Miocene Solimoes Formation (western Amazonia, Brazil): evidence for marine incursions?

ABSTRACT: A huge wetland (the 'Pebas system') covered western Amazonia during the Miocene, hosting a highly diverse and endemic aquatic fauna. One of the most contentious issues concerns the existence, potential pathways and effects of marine incursions on this ecosystem. Palaeontological evidences (body fossils) are rare. The finding of a new, presumably marine ostracod species (Pellucistoma curupira sp. nov.) in the upper middle Miocene Solimões Formation initiated a taxonomic, ecological and biogeographical review of the genus Pellucistoma. We demonstrate that this marine (sublittoral, euhaline), subtropical-tropical taxon is biogeographically confined to the Americas. The biogeographical distribution of Pellucistoma largely depends on geographical, thermal and osmotic barrie

SUBMITTER: Gross M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4936381 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature