1. Abstract
The present work includes a palynofloristic synthesis of Tertiary research carried out at marine and continental basins with particular emphasis on stratigraphy of the Balsas Group sensu Fries (1960). Also it includes palynostratigraphic information related with San Gregorio Formation (Baja California Sur State) and Cuayuca Formation (Puebla State) assemblages. Taxa of chronostratigraphic and ecologic importance are emphasized at every paleobasin. The numerical and cladistic correlation showed that palynological assemblages of units belonging to the Balsas Group are closely related to San Gregorio flora. The results indicate that since the Paleocene, under a tropical regime, an evergreen forest was present together with warm temperate elements. Later, in the Eocene epoch, the tropical floras remained as the principal components of the vegetation. In the Late Eocene - Early Oligocene, the assemblages are a mixture of temperate and desert taxa prevailing over tropical elements at the Sierra Madre Occidental Province. But the subtropical and tropical floras continued as the main components in the Gulf Coast Province where the tropical vegetation stayed up to the Holocene. In contrast, in the western basin localities (Sierra Madre Occidental Province) it was detected a desertification since the Oligocene where savannas and grasses became established. Afterwards, in the Miocene, at the same region, the xerophitic flora dominates the assemblages, proving the existence of a desert at that time.
It is evident that the coniferous forest and oak communities inhabit the mountain ranges since the Eocene becoming more abundant in the Oligocene, but they became the dominant taxa in the pollen assemblages from the Neogene to Quaternary.
According with the Tertiary flora analyzed in this survey the actual vegetation present in Mexico is a response to climatic changes and active volcanism throughout the Tertiary. Finally, different types of vegetation began to be recognizable in the fossil assemblages since the Oligocene. The historical development of Mexico (tectonic, rifting, volcanism) explains the richness and endemism of Mexican flora.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Axelrod, D. I., 1950, Evolution of desert vegetation in western North America. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. 590: 216–306.
Axelrod, D. I., 1979, Age and origin of Sonoran desert vegetation. Occ. Pap. California Acad. Sci. 132: 73p.
Biaggi, R. E., 1978, Palynology and Paleoecology of some Oligo-Miocene sediments from Chiapas, Mexico. M. S. Thesis, Walla Walla College, California. U.S.A. 92p.
Briggs, J. S., 1987, Biogeography and plate tectonics developments. Pal. and Strat. 10: 195.
Brooks, D. R., and Van Veller, M. G. P., 2003, Critique of parsimony analysis of endemicity as a method of historical biogeography. J. Biogeog. 30:819–825.
Cross, A. T., and Martínez-Hernández, E., 1980, Compositae pollen in early Tertiary rocks, Baja California, Mexico, Abstracts 5th. International Palynological Conference, Cambridge p. 97.
Cserna, Z. de, 1965, Reconocimiento geológico en la Sierra Madre del Sur de México, entre Chilpaningo y Acapulco, Estado de Guerrero, UNAM, Inst. Geol. Bol. 62, 76p.
Cserna, Z. de, 1978, Relaciones de Facies de las Rocas cretácicas en el noreste de Guerrero y en áreas colindantes de México y Michoacán. UNAM, Inst. Geol. Rev. 2:8–18.
Cserna, Z. and Fries, C. Jr., 1981, Hoja Taxco 14 Q-h(7). Resúmen de la Geología de la hoja Taxco, Estados de Guerrero, México y Morelos. UNAM. Inst. Geol., Carta Geológica de México, Serie 1:1000, 000, 47 p.
Cserna, Z. de, Ortega-Gutiérrez, F., and Palacios-Nieto, M., 1980, Reconocimiento Geológico de la parte central de la cuenca del alto río Balsas, Estados de Guerrero y Puebla: In Libro-Guía de la excursión geológica a la Parte Central de la Cuenca. Soc. Geol. Mex. p. 1–31.
Elsik, W. C, 1974, Characteristic Eocene palynomorphs in the Gulf Coast, U.S.A. Palaeont. Abt. B 149.1–4:90–111
Elsik, W. S., and Dilcher, D. L., 1974, Palynology and age of clays exposed Lawrence clay pit, Henry County, Tennessee. Palaeont. Abt. B 146:65–87.
Espinosa, O. D., Aguilar, Z. C, and Escalante, E. T., 2003, Endemismo, áreas y reorganizatión biogeográfica, in: Introductión a la Biogeografía en Latinoamérica: Teorías, conceptos, métodos y aplicaciones (Llorente B.J. and Morrone J.J., eds.), Las Prensas de Ciencias, Fac. Ciencias, UNAM, 273–277.
Frakes, L. A., Francis, J. E., and Syktus, J. I., 1992, Climate modes of Phanerozoic. Cambridge University Press, 274 p.
Frederiksen, N. O., 1984, Stratigraphic, paleoclimatic and paleobiogeographic significance of Tertiary sporomorphs from Massachusetts. U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1308:1–25.
Frederiksen, N. O., 1988, Sporomorph Biostratigraphy, floral changes and paleoclimatology, Eocene and earliest Oligocene of the eastern Gulf Coast. U. S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Pap. 1448:1–68.
Fries, C. Jr., 1960, Geología del Estado de Morelos y de partes adyacentes de México y Guerrero, región central meridional de México. UNAM, Inst. Geol. Bol. 60:1–236.
Fries, C. Jr., 1966, Hoja Cuernavaca 14Q-h(8). Resúmen de la geología de la Hoja Cuernavaca, Estado de Morelos. Univ. Nac. Autón. México. Inst. Geológia, Carta Geológica de México. Serie 1: 100, 000, mapa con texto.
Goloboff, P.A. 1993. NONA version 2.0 Program and documentation. Computer program distributed by J.M. Carpenter, Dept. of Entomology. Ameriacan Museum of Natural History, New York.
Graham, A., 1976, Late Cenozoic evolution of tropical lowland vegetation in Veracruz, México. Evolution 29:723–735.
Graham, A., 1999a, Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic History of North American Vegetation. Oxford University Press. 350p.
Graham, A., 1999b, Terrestrial Pliocene climates in northern Latin America, in: The Pliocene: Time of change (Wrenn, J.H., Suc, J.-P. and Leroy, S.A.G., eds.), Am. Assoc. Strat. Palyn. Foundation p. 209–216.
Hausback, B. P., 1984, Cenozoic volcanic and tectonic evolution of Baja California Sur. Mexico, in: Geology of the Baja California Peninsula. San Diego, Pacific Section (Frizell, V.A. Jr., ed.), S.E. P.M. 39:219–236.
Kim, W. H., and Barron, J. A., 1986, Diatom biostratigraphy of the Upper Oligocene to lowermost Miocene San Gregorio Formation, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Diatom Res. 1:169–187.
Langenheim, J. H., Hackner, B. L., and Bartlett, A., 1967, Mangrove pollen at the depositional site of Oligo-Miocene amber from Chiapas, México. Bot. Mus. Leaflets, Harvard Univ. 21:289–324.
Leopold, E. B., Gengwu, L., and Scott, C. P., 1992, Low-biomass vegetation in the Oligocene? in: Eocene-Oligocene climatic and biotic evolution (D.R. Prothero and W.A. Berggren, eds.): 399–420. Princeton University Press.
Luna, V. I. and Alcántara, A. O., 2003, Análisis de simplicidad de endemismos (PAE) para establecer un modelo de vicarianza preliminar del Bosque Mesófilo de Montaña mexicano in: Introductión a la Biogeografía en Latinoamérica: Teorías, conceptos, métodos y aplicaciones. Llorente B. J. and Morrone J. J. (eds.). Las Prensas de Ciencias, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM: 273–277.
Lyle, M. and Ness, G.E., 1991, The opening of the southern Gulf of California. In: Dauphin J.P. and Simoneit B.R.T. (eds.) The Gulf and Peninsular Province of the Californias. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Mem. 47:403–427.
Magallón-Puebla, S., and Cevallos-Ferriz, S. R. S., 1994, Eucommia constans n. sp. fruits from Upper Cenozoic strata of Puebla, México: Morphological and anatomical comparason with Eucommia ulmoides Oliver. Int. J. Plant Sci. 155:80–95.
Martínez-Hernández, E., 1992, Caracterización ambiental del Terciario de la región de Ixtapa, estado de Chiapas — un enfoque palinoestratigráfico. UNAM, Inst. Geol. Rev. 10:54–64.
Martínez-Hernánez, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 1996a, Oligocene phosphorite sequence and presence of low biomass vegetation from San Gregorio Fm., Baja California, Mexico. IX IPC Meeting. Houston, Texas, U.S.A. June 23–28. Abstracts: p. 98.
Martínez-Hernánez, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 1996b, Paleocorología de angiospermas de la flora mexicana durante el Mesozoico y Terciario. Algunas evidencias palinológicas. Bol. Soc. Bot. Méx. 58: 87–97.
Martínez-Hernández, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 1998, Paleogeographic implications of Oligocene dinocysts from the phosphorites deposits of Baja California Sur: opening of the Gulf of California. Sixth International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dinoflagellates. DINO6. Trondheim, Norway, June 7–12.
Martínez-Hernández, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 1999, Palinoestratigrafía de la región de Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla, implicaciones cronoestratigráficas. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Geol. 16:187–207
Martínez-Hernández, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 2000, Palinoestratigrafía y ambientes de la Fm. Cuayuca, Izúcar de Matamoros. GEOS Boletín informativo. Época II. Unión Geof. Mex. 20:159–160.
Martínez-Hernández, E., and Ramírez-Arriaga, E., 2003, Early abundance of grasses (Poaceae) during the Oligocene in southern North America. Am. Assoc. Strat. Palyn.. St. Catharines Ontario. Abstracts. p.15.
Martínez-Hernández, E., and Tomasini, O. A. C, 1986, Palinoestratigrafía preliminar del Terciario continental de Sonora. 1er Simposio Geología Regional de México. Instituto de Geología, Ciudad Universitaria. Programas y Resúmenes: 19–21.
Martínez-Hernández, E., Hernández-Campos, H., and Sánchez-López, M., 1980, Palinología del Eoceno en el Noreste de México. UNAM, Inst. Geol. Rev. 4:155–166 p.
Méndez, L.I. and Villaseñor R.J.L. 1997. Breve guía para el uso de NTSYS-PC en estudios de Taxonomía numérica. Instituto de Biología UNAM. Departamento de Botánica. 22p.
Morán-Zenteno D. J., Alba-Aldave, L. A., Solé, J., and Iriondo, A. 2004. A major resurgent calderain southern Mexico: the source of the late Eocene Tilzapotla ignimbrite. J. Vol. Geoth. Res. 136:97–119.
Morrone, J. J., 1994, On the identification of areas of endemism. Sist. Biol. 43:438–441.
Nixon, K. C. 2002. WinClada ver. 1.00.08 Published by the autor, Ithaca, N.Y.
Ortega-Gutiérrez, F., 1980, Rocas volcánicas del Maestrichtiano en el área de San Juan Tetelcingo, Estado de Guerrero: in Libro-guía de la excursión geológica a la parte central de la cuenca del alto Río Balsas, México, D. F., Soc. Geol. Mexicana, p.34–38.
Palacios, Ch. R., and Rzedowski, J., 1993, Estudio palinológico de las floras fósiles del Mioceno inferior y principios del Mioceno medio de la región de Pichucalco, Chiapas, México. Acta Bot. Mex. 24:1–96.
Pantoja-Alor, J., Malpica-Cruz, V. M., and Galguera, G. A., 1988, Geología de los alrededores de la cantera de Tlayua, Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla. UNAM, Tercer Simp. Geol. Reg. México. Mem. p. 61–69.
Ramírez-Arriaga, E., and Martínez-Hernández, E., 2003, Synthesis of Cuayuca Formation and correlation with palynoflora of Balsas Group: Paleogene Lacustrine environments from central of Mexico. Am. Assoc. Strat. Palyn. Palynology 27:264.
Retallack, G. J., 1997, Neogene expansion of the North American Praire. Palaios 12:380–390.
Rosales-Lomelí, J., Ayala-Nieto, M., and Martínez-Hernández, E., 1992, Investigatión palinológica de fósiles terciarios en una columna de la Cuenca Tampico-Misantla. Proyecto CAO-1405, 27 p. (Unpub. report).
Rosen D. E. 1988. From fossils to earth history: applied historical biogeography. In: Myers A.A. and P.S. Giller eds. Analytical biogeography an integrated approach to the study of animal and plant distributions. Chapman, London & New York. 437–481.
Srivastava, S. K., 1984, Palynology of the Monterey Formation (Miocene) Phosphatic facies at Lions Head, Santa Maria area, California. Palynology 8:33–49.
Tomasini-Ortíz, A. C, and Martínez-Hernández, E., 1984, Palinología del Eoceno-Oligoceno de Simojovel, Chiapas. UNAM, Inst. Geol. Pal. Mex. 50:61 p.
Tschudy, R. H., 1973, Stratigraphic distribution of significant Eocene palynomorphs of the Mississippi embayment. Contributions to Paleontology. U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 743-B:B1–B24.
Wolfe, J. A., 1985, Distribution of major vegetational types during the Tertiary. Am. Geoph. Union Mon. 32:357–375.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Martínez-Hernández, E., Ramírez-Arriaga, E. (2006). Tertiary Palynofloristic correlations between Mexican Formations with emphasis in dating the Balsas Group. In: Vega, F.J., Nyborg, T.G., Perrilliat, M.D.C., Montellano-Ballesteros, M., Cevallos-Ferriz, S.R.S., Quiroz-Barroso, S.A. (eds) Studies on Mexican Paleontology. Topics in Geobiology, vol 24. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3985-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3985-9_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3882-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3985-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)