Paleogene Prehistoric Animals
Paleogene Period (65-23.7 Ma) Prehistoric Mammals, Reptiles & Marine Life
Mesozoic Prehistoric Marine Animals
Mesozoic Era (248-65 Ma) Prehistoric Marine Animals
Paleozoic Prehistoric Marine Trilobites
Paleozoic Era (543-248 Ma) Marine Trilobites
Prehistoric Animals &
Life of Latin America
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Fossil assemblages of Latin America on the most part are understudied.
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They are key to understanding animal lineages, past climates and ecosystems. They also act as indicators to age rock layers -crucially important when when mining or exploring for oil, gas, coal & other economic deposits
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Please explore below all of the extinct prehistoric species throughout Latin America. Please note: Our site is a work in progress and being constantly updated by our team - also that most content can only be viewed by desktop device
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For any Paleontological related inquiries please contact us
Latin Scientific
ESTB 2012
Neogene to Quaternary Prehistoric Animals
Neogene to Quaternary (23.7-0 Ma)
Prehistoric Mammals, Reptiles & Marine Life
Mesozoic Era (248-65 Ma) Prehistoric Terrestrial Animals
Paleozoic Prehistoric Marine Brachiopods, Bivalves & Gastropods
Mesozoic Era (248-65 Ma) Prehistoric Marine Ammonites, Fish & Sharks
Paleozoic Era (543-248 Ma) Placoderms, Fish & Sharks
Paleozoic Prehistoric
Fish, Placoderms & Sharks
Mesozoic Prehistoric Ammonites, Fish & Sharks
Terrestrial Mesozoic Prehistoric Animals
Paleozoic Era (543-248 Ma)
Brachiopods, Bivalves & Gastropods
Paleozoic-Mesozoic-Cenozoic
Prehistoric Plant Life
Paleozoic to Cenozoic Era
(543-0 Ma)
Prehistoric Plant Life
Paleozoic Prehistoric
Marine Corals,
Conodonts & Graptolites
Paleozoic Era (543-248 Ma) Corals, Conodonts & Graptolites
Source: United States Geological Survey, 2009
USGS Geological Time Scale in
Millions of Years (Ma)
Miocene 18 Million Years Ago)
11
Pliestocene 18,000 Years Ago)
The Neogene & Quaternary periods included the Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene & Holocene epochs, which ranged from 23.7 millon years ago to the present day. The periods were an important time in animal and plant evolution as the land bridge between North and South America was finally bridged ~3 million years ago, allowing the "Great American Interchange" of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, arthropods, freshwater fish & plant species, both north and south. This was also an important time in the Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica & Panama as they were finally geologically formed as land masses above the sea level & the global sea levels dropped. This excess land, essentially allowed the the migration of species between North and South America with these newly formed land bridges. The climate of the Neogene and Quaternary continued as a cool & dry climate, with the distinctive seasons now in motion. Ice caps had formed on both the north and south poles and a series of "Ice Ages" had begun.
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Isthmus of Panama - The Great American Interchange of Species
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
When the Panama Isthmus land brige connected North and South America ~ 3 million years ago, from the south to north migrated - Primates, Sloths, Armadillos, Caviomorph Rodents, Opossoms, Shew Opossoms etc. From the north to south migrated Cats, Tapirs, Deers, Peccaries, Sigmodontine Rodents, Camels etc. With the the drop in sea levels and the formation of islands, Bats began island hopping from north to south, across the newly formed Caribbean Islands from 23 to 5 million years ago.
Megafauna Extinction and Human Arrival in Latin America
At the end of the Pleistocene ~13,000 to 8,000 years ago, signalled the extinction of most of the megafauna mammals of Latin America during the Quaternary Extinction Event. This period was marked by the end of the ice ages with 1) An increase in global mean temperatures of 6 °C 2) A generally drier climate with infrequent rainfall 3) A general change in vegetation from the climate change. This extinction also coincided with the arrival of modern humans - "Paleo Indians" originally from North Asia over the Siberian-Alaskan land bridge into North America sometime between 40,000 to 20,000 years ago. They are thought to have migrated through Mexico, The Caribbean Islands, Central America & into South America sometime between 22,000 to 15,000 years ago. A combination of the natural climatic change of conditions and human predation is thought to have contributed to the megafaunal extinctions of Latin America.
Neogene to Quaternary Prehistoric Animals (23.7 Million Years Ago to Present Day)
Mourasuchus (Crocodiles)
Living Relatives: Crocodiles
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia & Peru
Age: Miocene 23.7 Ma
Gompothere (Elephants)
Living Relatives: Elephants
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Mexico, Colombia & Chile
Age: Miocene to Pleistocene
12-1.6 Ma
Nuciruptor (Primates)
Living Relatives: Titis, Saki Monkeys and Uakaris
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Venta, Colombia
Age: Miocene 12.8 Ma
Lycopsis
(Metatheria Marsupials)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia & Argentina
Age: Miocene 16.3-9 Ma
Nothrotherium (Ground Sloths)
Living Relatives: Sloths
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Bolivia, Colombia & Brazil
Age: Pleistocene 1.8-0.012 Ma
Xenorhinotherium (Camels)
Living Relatives: Camels & Rhinos
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Brazil & Venezuela
Age: Pleistocene 0.126-0.011 Kya
Eocene 50.2 Million Years Ago)
10
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
The Paleogene period included the Paleocene, Eocene & Oligocene epochs and ranged from 66 to 23.7 million years ago. The Paleocene period was marked as a world without dinosaurs after the Cretaceous extinction which left generally smaller animals which could survive as omnivores and scavengers. The climate of the Paleogene began to cool and became drier than the previous humid and tropical Mesosoic. Geographically, South America was connected to Antarctica and Australia at the beginning of the Paleogene and most of the Caribbean Islands & Central America had formed some landmass above the sealevel. However most of the South American animals evolved uniquely thoughout the Paleogene as they were essentially disconnected from all other continents from 34 to 9 million years ago, with Mexican, Central American and Caribbean Paleogene animals evolving differently to the South American animals.
Paleogene Mammals
With the cooler drier climate came grasslands and open woodlands, where the Paleogene mammals evolved into a variety of unique species suited to these environments. Many mammals & birds grew to immense sizes, some equal to dinosaur sizing & were known as the "Megafauna". The South American mammals of the Paleogene mostly consisted of Xenarthrans (Armadillos, Sloths & Anteaters) , Native Ungulates (a variety of Camels, Horses, Rhinos, Tapirs, Hippos etc. ancient ancestors & Early Marsupials. Primates & Cavimorph Rodents are thought to have arrived to South America sometime in the Oligocene, 30 to 40 million years ago across the Atlantic via floating vegetation masses from Africa.
Paleogene Reptiles
A wide range of snakes, lizards, turtles & over 50% of crocodilian species survived the Cretaceous extinction event into the Paleogene due to their adapatability to scavange and adapt to a variety of environments. All reptiles species experienced an evolution radiation through this period & are found across all Latin America's mainland throught the Paleogene.
Paleogene Prehistoric Animals (65-23.7 Millon Years Ago)
Titanoboa (Snakes)
Living Relatives: Boas
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, La Guajira-Colombia
Age: Paleocene, 60-58 Ma
Heptranchias howelli (Sharks)
Living Relatives: Sevengill Sharks
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Uitpa Formation, Cocinetas Basin-Colombia
Age: Eocene to Miocene, 37.2- 20.43 Ma
Sebecus (Crocodiles)
Living Relatives: Crocodiles
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Peru, Bolivia, Argentina & Colombia
Age: Paleocene to Miocene 66-11.8 Ma
Carbonemys (Turtles)
Living Relatives: Side Necked
Turtles
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, La Guajira-Colombia
Age: Paleocene 60-58 Ma
Cerrejonisuchus
(Dyrosaurid Crocodylomorphs)
Living Relatives: Crocodiles
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, La Guajira-Colombia
Age: Paleocene 60-58 Ma
Colombitherium (Ungulates)
Living Relatives: Tapirs
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Gualanday Group, Tolima-Colombia
Age: Eocene, 35-33 Ma
Cretaceous 66 Million Years Ago
9
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
The Cretaceous period spanned from 144 to 66 million years ago, and included the dominance of and radiation of the dinosaur species. During the Cretaceous, the supercontinent Gondwana completed its breakup with all of the continents becoming independant. These gaps in the ocean, along with a warm climate continuing on from the Jurassic, resulted in high sea levels and shallow inland seas across the globe. These seaways covered much of Mexico, Central America, northern & southern South America. It was also a period of the extensive deposition of organic matter in anoxic marine environments, resulting some of the largest oil & gas reserves in the world in the Gulf of Mexico and Venezuela. The end of the Cretaceous was market by the K-Pg extinction event, brought on by the meteorite impact in the Yucutan penninsula of Mexico. This signalled the dissapearance of dinosaurs and many other species who would not survive into the Paleogene - the age of the mammals. It was the 4th largest extinction event, where over 76% of species on earth vanished.
Sea Reptiles of the Mesozoic
Sea Reptiles of the Mesozoic era, grew to enormous sizes and dominated the open oceans and inland seaways throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of Latin America. The 3 most common orders of the large sea reptiles, were all air breathers like dolphins & whales, which included:
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Mosasaurs
Mosasaurs lived from 101 to 66 million years ago. They were large carnivores & had features similar to a monitor lizard, with a rudder like tail, four flippers for propulsion & grew up to 17m long. Over 38 species have been discovered worldwide & in Latin America they have been found in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Brazil & Chile.
Plesiosaurs
Plesiosaurs lived from 203.6 to 66 million years ago & were large carnivores with a short tail & four long flippers for their main propulsion. They were classed as either long necked - Plesiosauroidea (e.g. Callywaysaurus) or short necked - Pliosauroidea (e.g. Kronosaurus) and grew up to over 15m in length. Over 100 species have been described worldwide & their fossil remains in Latin America have been found in Mexico, Colombia & Argentina, in Jurassic and Cretaceous sedimentary strata.
Ichthyosaurs
Ichthyosaurs were dolphin like sea reptiles which had a vertical tail fin similar to sharks for propulsion. They grew up to 20m in length & lived from 250 to 90 million years ago. There have been over 97 species of Ichthyosaurs described globally and the Latin American examples have been found in Chile, Argentina & Colombia.
Mesozoic Prehistoric Marine Animals (248-65 Million Years Ago)
Kronosaurus (Plesiosaurs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Paja Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 125-99 Ma
Callawayasaurus (Plesiosaurs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Paja Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 125-112 Ma
Muiscasaurus (Ichthyosaurs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Paja Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 130-112.6 Ma
Desmatochelys (Turtles)
Living Relatives: Sea Turtles
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Paja Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 120 Ma
Eonatator (Mosasaurs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Coello, Tolima & Olini Group, La Mesa -Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 84-72.1 Ma
Stenorhynchosaurus (Plesiosaurs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Paja Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 126 Ma
Early Jurassic 195 Million Years Ago
8
The Jurassic period ranged from 206 to 144 million years ago. Tectonically, the supercontinent Pangea began to break apart into Laurasia in the North (now encompassing Mexico,Guatemala, Honduras & Cuba ) and Gondwana in the south (including South America).The environment shifted from the dry arid climate from the Triassic to a more humid and lush tropical climate. The Jurassic is the period of the dominance of Dinosaurs on the land, sea & sky. It was also the appearance of the first birds, lizards and soley aquatic crocodilians. The Jurassic was also an important period for plant evolution and radiation, of Cycads, Tree Ferns, Conifers & Ginkgos due to the favourable lush tropical conditions.
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
Late Jurassic 152 Million Years Ago
Ammonites
Ammonites were primitive ancestors of Octopuses & Squids which lived from the Devonian to the Cretaceous periods, 400 to 66 million years ago. They lived as filter feeders in open oceans, similar to mordern Nautilus' of the Pacific, with octopus like tentacles. They were as small as 2cm and grew as large as 2m in diameter. They were generally common & their fossil shells well preserved in the seaways of northern South America.
Mesozoic Sharks & Fish
After the Permian-Triassic extinction, ray finned, bony & other fish species diversity declined. They slowly recovered during the Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous, where they begun to evolve into the modern fishes of today. Around 100 million years ago the first modern sharks appeared and later throughout the Paleocene and Neogene further radiated in species diversity, including the largest shark to have existed, the 20m long Megalodon, from 23-2.6 million years ago.
Mesozoic Prehistoric Marine Ammonites, Fish & Sharks (248-65 Million Years Ago)
Acanthohoplites (Ammonites)
Living Relatives: Octopuses, Squid, and Cuttlefish
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina & Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 133-130 Ma
Pachyrhizodus (Fishes)
Living Relatives: Ray Finned Fishes
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Frontera Formation, Colombia
Age: Cretaceous 94-66 Ma
Heminautilus (Nautiloids)
Living Relatives: Nautilus and Allonautilus
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Venezuela, Colombia & Mexico
Age: Cretaceous 125-112 Ma
Acanthodiscus (Ammonites)
Living Relatives: Octopuses, Squid, and Cuttlefish
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia & Mexico
Age: Cretaceous 122-109 Ma
Neocomites (Ammonites)
Living Relatives: Octopuses, Squid, and Cuttlefish
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina, Peru, Colombia & Mexico
Age: Cretaceous 145-130 Ma
Douvilleiceras (Ammonites)
Living Relatives: Octopuses, Squid, and Cuttlefish
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Peru & Brazil
Age: Cretaceous 125-89 Ma
Late Triassic 237 Million Years Ago
​
7
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002,
The Triassic period from 248 to 206 million years ago followed the great Permian extinction with a shift in diversity of the marine life - to a great diversity on land, as the age of the dinosaurs and mammals begun. The period included the dominance of the vertebrate Therapsids (early ancestors of mammals e.g Dicynodonts) and Archosaurs (e.g Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs and primitive relatives of modern day crocodiles & birds). The climate during the Triassic was arid, hot & dry with much of the Pangea landmass covered by extensive deserts. Argentina, south western Brazil and Mexico yielded the most terrestrial Therapsid & Archosaur Dinosaur fossils from the Permian, Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous periods from all of Latin America. The Triassic - Jurassic extinction was the 3rd largest extinction event with over 80% of all species on earth dissapearing.
Therapsids - Earliest Mammal Ancestors
The earliest Therapsids (mammals early ancestors) found in Latin America were from Southern Brazil & Argentina. Some examples include Brasilherium, Dinodontosaurus & Brasilodon which lived from ~242 to 201 million years ago. Therapsids would decline in their species variety at the end of the Triassic but continue to evolve throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous. They would not begin to flourish into the wide array of mammalian species seen today until after the dinosaur extinction ~66 million years ago.
Archosaurs - Terrestrial Dinosaurs
Archosaurs are the Amnoites decendants from the preceeding Carboniferous-Permian period. These Archosaurs of the Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous periods, gave rise to the terrestrial Dinosaurs (Sauropods, Theropods, Pterosaurs etc.) and all birds and crocodilian species, alive or extinct. All terrestrial Dinosaur species of Latin America have been currently found only in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico & Honduras. This is mostly due to the abundance of continental sedimentary rock strata located in these regions from the Mesosoic period and the lack of plate tectonic, volcanism and extreme weathering found in other regions of Latin America.
Mesozoic Prehistoric Terrestrial Animals (248-65 Million Years Ago)
Dinodontosaurus (Dicynodonts)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina
& Brazil
Age: Triassic 242-235 Ma
Amargasaurus (Sauropods)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Armarga Formation, Argentina
Age: Cretaceous 129.4-122.5 Ma
Eoraptor (Theropods)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina
Age: Triassic 231-228 Ma
Mapusaurus (Theropods)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Armarga Formation, Argentina
Age: Cretaceous 129.4-122.5 Ma
Chromogisaurus (Sauropodmorphs)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Armarga Formation, Argentina
Age: Cretaceous 129.4-122.5 Ma
Padillasaurus (Sauropods)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Armarga Formation, Argentina
Age: Cretaceous 129.4-122.5 Ma
356 Million Years Ago
Early Carboniferous
5
255 Million Years Ago
Late Permian
6
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002,
The Carboniferous period (including the early Mississippian & late Pennsylvanian) spanned from 354 to 290 million years ago. During this time, oxygen levels in the atmosphere were at their greatest of 35% (present day is 21%). This alongside a hot & humid climate with favourable terrestrial conditions, allowed for the formation of large swaths of carbon rich forests & organic rich swamps across much of the land. This organic matter would later be compressed through time to create the worlds largest coal beds across the planet. The period also included the further radiation of arthropod and Anamniotes (egg laying aquatic animals-fish & amphibians) & the appearance of reptilian Amnoites (egg laying land animals) which would later evolve into all future dinosaur, mammal and bird species.
The Permian period preceeded the Carboniferous, and spanned from 290 to 248 million years ago. The Carboniferous ended primarily due to a period of global cooling and drying out from an ice age glaciation. The Permian then marked the evolution of the Amnoite land dwellers (dinosaurs, reptiles, mammals, birds ancestors) which could cope with these drier conditions, more so than the Anamnoite aquatic dwellers (Amphibians). The end of the Permian was maked by the Permian-Triassic extinction which was the largest extinction event in history where over 96% of life on earth dissapeared. This was primarily due to the formation of all continents into one as a arid, desertic landmass-Pangea & the closing up of much of the oceans, signalling the death of most marine animals of the coastal shorelines.
Evolution of Plants
The evolution of plants of Latin America followed the rest of the worlds evolution when primitive algal mats appeared sometime in the middle Proterozoic ~1 billion years ago. The earliest land plants appeared as liverworts and mosses sometime in the Ordovician around 470 million years ago. The Devonian was the period of great evolution in plants with the first appearance of trees, soils, seeds, stems & roots of plants taking form. From the Carboniferous onwards signalled the spread across all land of plant species The earliest flowers appeared in the Cretaceous ~130 million years ago and grasses around 35 mya.
Paleozoic-Mesozoic-Cenozoic Prehistoric Plants (417 Million Years Ago to Present Day)
Sapotaceae
(Flowering Plants)
Living Relatives: Flowering plants
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, Colombia
Age: 58 Ma Paleocene
Sphenopteris (Seed Ferns)
Living Relatives: Seed ferns
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Rio Bonito Formation-Brazil, Valle Alto Formation-Colombia
Age:388-70 Ma Devonian-Cretaceous
Arecaceae (Palms)
Living Relatives: Palms
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, Colombia
Age: 58 Ma Paleocene
Malvaceae (Mallows)
Living Relatives: Mallows
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, Colombia
Age: 58 Ma Paleocene
Araucaria mirabilis
(Coniferous Trees)
Living Relatives: Araucaria bidwillii
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Matilde Formation, Argentina
Age: 164.7-155.7 Ma Jurassic
Lauracaceae (Laurel)
Living Relatives: Laurel
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cerrejón Formation, Colombia
Age: 58 Ma Paleocene
Early Devonian 390 Million Years Ago
4
The Devonian period from 417 to 354 million years ago, was generally a warm period with little glaciation, where life on earth continued to evolve and diversify extravagantly. Plants & trees with true roots, began to finally colonise the land with the first seed bearing & spore bearing plants. The Devoniian heralded a radiation in all species, most noteably in marine life as ray and lobe finned bony fish, sharks & placoderms rapidly evolved. The first four legged primitive tetrapods (all present living four & two legged creatures ancestors) at this time left the water & began to breathe air and walk on land. This period was marked by increased and accelerated global tectonics whereby Euramerica (containing Mexico) & Gondwana (containing South America) began to drift closer together. The Devonian period continued with high sea levels and the earth was covered in shallow seas with extensive reef systems. At the periods end in the Devonian-Carboniferous extinction event was the 5th largest extinction event with 75% of life dissapearing.
Placoderms
Placoderms were a primitive armoured fish which lived from 430 to 360 million years ago. There was over 100 species which inhabited fresh and saltwater, they dissapeared from the fossil record at the Devonian-Carboniferous extinction event.
Ray and Lobe Finned Fishes
Ray Finned Fishes encompass 99% of all current living fishes, they first appeared 420 million years ago. Lobe finned fishes appeared 423 million years ago, and it is thought all living tetrapods (including humans) eventually evolved from these species, as their fins evolved into legs and they took to land in the form of amphibians. Their only modern day living relatives are Coelacanths & Lungfishes
Sharks
The first primitive Sharks appeared in the fossil record in the late Silurian ~420 million years ago. These early sharks had a much different teeth structure to modern sharks of today which were recognizable around 100 million years ago in the Eocene period. All primitive shark remnants are only found as teeth, as their cartilaginous skeletons disintegrate rapidly after death, leaving no trace but their teeth.
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
Paleozoic Prehistoric Sharks, Fish & Placoderms (543-248 Million Years Ago)
Bothriolepis (Placoderms)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cuche Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian 387-360 Ma
Cephalaspis (Placoderms)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Precordillera de San Juan, Argentina
Age: Devonian 415-398 Ma
Antarctilamna (Sharks)
Living Relatives: Sharks
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Bolivia & Cuche Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian, 416-360 Ma
Groenlandaspis (Placoderms)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: La Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian 385-359 Ma
Holoptychius quebecensis
(Lobed Finned Fishes)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Cuche Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian-Carboniferous 383-318 Ma
Xenacanthus decheni (Sharks)
Living Relatives: Conger Eels
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Devonian-Triassic
385-200 Ma
Middle Silurian 425 Million Years Ago
3
The Silurian was the period with the first appearance of: invertebrates on land, vascular plants on land, coral reef systems, jawed, jawless & freshwater fishes.
​During the Silurian the as in the Ordovician, sea levels continued to remain high and life was generally limited to the seas. During this period there was an increase in global temperatures, O2 and Co2 levels - allowing life to further diversify and evolve. Tectonically, South America (in Gondwana) shifted further towards the south pole, although there was less glaciation due to the higher global temperatures and warm seas.
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
Corals of the Paleozoic
​Although corals first appeared in the Cambian, it wasn't until the Ordovician and Silurian where they diversified into the modern reef building organisms recognisable today. Rugose & Tabulate Corals were the most prominent Paleozoic species. Rugose Corals existed in colonies or individually and Tabulate Corals evolved in large reef communities. Tabulate Corals went extinct around the Permian-Triassic extinction 250 million years ago, with the Rugose Corals dissapearing in the early Triassic. Scleractinian Corals began to fill the missing nieche of these corals into the Mesozoic, up until today.
Graptolites
Graptolites were marine dwelling, soft bodied worm like creatures which appeared in the Cambrian from 510 to 320 million years ago. They were tubular & branch like in general shape and posessed small radial tentacle like appendages which were used for filter feeding & locomotion. They lived in a variety of marine settings including shoreline, open ocean and deep marine.
Conodonts
​Conodonts first appeared in the Cambian from 328 to 200 million years ago. They were eel like creatures which were similar to modern Lampreys & Hagfish, & lived in open water and along shorelines. There have been over 1000 conodont species variations described & they are only known from their fossilised teeth remains. ​
Paleozoic Prehistoric Corals, Conodonts & Graptolites (543-248 Million Years Ago)
Favosites (Tabulate Corals)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Permian
452-265 Ma
Tetragraptus (Graptolites)
Living Relatives: Pterobranchs
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina,
Chile, Caño Cristales-Colombia
Age: Ordovician 478-455 Ma
Heliophyllum (Rugose Corals)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian 392-376 Ma
Cordylodus (Conodonts)
Living Relatives: Agnathans (Lampreys & Hagfish)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites:Mexico, Argentina & Tarqui-Colombia
Age: Ordovician 488-416 Ma
Pleurodictyum (Tabulate Corals)
Living Relatives: None
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Floresta Formation-Colombia
Age: Silurian-Carboniferous
418-345 Ma
Dichograptus (Graptolites)
Living Relatives: Pterobranchs
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Caño Cristales, Colombia
Age: Ordovician 478-463 Ma​
View More
Corals
Conodonts
Graptolites
Late Ordovician 458 Million Years Ago
2
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002,
​During the Ordovician the sea levels were the highest recorded during the Paleozoic era, with molluscs (Bivalves, Brachiopods & Gastropods) and arthropods (Tilobites and Crustaceans) dominating the oceans. At the end of the Ordovician, South America (part of Gondwana) had drifted to the south pole and was completely glaciated in one of the the worlds first ice ages. The end of the Ordovician from this ice age, marked the 2nd largest extinction event on earth with over 86% of life on earth dissapearing.
Brachiopods
​Fossil Brachiopods first appeared the early Cambrian ~540 million years ago with some species ancestors surviving up to the present day. There is over 12,000 described fossil species worldwide and are classed as either articulate and inarticulate due to their shell openings. They were some of the most prominent carbonate reef builders of the Paleozoic era.
​​
Bivalves
​Bivalves first appeared alongside Brachiopods in the Cambian explosion ~540 million years ago. Unlike Brachiopods, they were able to burrow and with other evolutionary adaptations, led to their diversification and survival of extinction events. Their modern ancestors include clams, oysters, mussels etc.
​​
Gastropods
​Gastropods first evolved in the late Cambrian in a marine environment, with over 275 species in the fossil record. Gastropods ventured onto land sometime in the Pennsylvanian Carboniferous ~323 million years ago. Modern Gastropods are much more similar to the Mesosoic than primitive Paleozoic species. Their modern surviving relatives include all living snails & slugs. ​​
Paleozoic Prehistoric Brachiopods, Bivalves & Gastropods (543-248 Million Years Ago)
Chonetes (Brachiopods)
Living Relatives: Brachiopods (Horseshoe Worms)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Jurassic
460-175 Ma
Trigonia (Bivalves)
Living Relatives: Bivalves (Clams & Mussels)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Permian-Paleocene
298-56 Ma​
Aviculopecten (Bivalves)
Living Relatives: Bivalves (Clams & Mussels)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites:Colombia
Age: Devonian-Triassic 416-206 Ma
Platyceras (Gastropods)
Living Relatives: Marine Gastropods (Sea Snails)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Silurian-Triassic 439-221 Ma
Composita (Brachiopods)
Living Relatives: Brachiopods (Horseshoe Worms)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Devonian-Permain
376-252 Ma
Spirifer (Brachiopods)
Living Relatives: Brachiopods (Horseshoe Worms)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina,
Chile, Caño Cristales-Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Triassic
460-232 Ma
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Brachiopods
Bivalves
Gastropods
Earliest Life Forms of Latin America
​The fossil record of the earliest life in Latin America is incomplete. The oldest found multicelluar organism Aspidella, is from the late Proterozoic era 560 million years ago, in Argentina. However, the oldest lifeforms of Latin America are microorganisms found in ancient Archean to Proterozoic cherts, banded iron formations (BIF's) and other sedimentary rock strata throughout Venezuela, Colombia, the Guyanas & Brazil. These microorganisms may be as old as ~3.4 Billion years old, from the middle Archean eon. ​​
Late Cambrian 506 Million Years Ago
1
During the Cambrian, the earth was covered in shallow, warm epicontinental seas where most life on earth lived. South America was a part of Gondwana, Mexico was a part of Laurentia. Central America and the Caribbean would not appear as major landmasses until the Mesozoic era.
Trilobites
​Trilobites are primitave ancestors of arthropods (spiders,millipedes,crabs etc.) which lived throughout the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and the Carboniferous periods. Their fossils are well preserved due to their calcium carbonate (CaCO3) exoskeletons and have been found in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil & Bolivia, within sedimentary rock strata of the era. They inhabited a variety of marine settings from shorelines, shallow seas, continental shelfs to deep marine environments. ​
Source: Scotese, C.R., 2002, http://www.scotese.com
Paleozoic Prehistoric Marine Trilobites (543-248 Million Years Ago)
Cyphaspis (Trilobites)
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Devonian
499-388 Ma
Phacops (Trilobites)
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Devonian
457-360 Ma
Odontopleura (Trilobites)
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Floresta Formation, Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Devonian
449-388 Ma
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Duda Formation, Colombia
Age: Cambrian 514-497 Ma
Paradoxides (Trilobites)
Dalmanites (Trilobites)
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Colombia
Age: Ordovician-Devonian
449-388 Ma
Geragnostus (Trilobites)
Living Relatives: Arthropods (Horseshoe Crabs)
Latin Am. Fossil Sites: Argentina & Colombia
Age: Ordovician 485.4-443.7 Ma​