The Miocene transgression: perilous seas

 

This map shows the extent to which shallow seas flooded South America during the Miocene epoch (gray colored areas). Our previous work focused on fossils from the Valdes Peninsula in the north, and this project will be focused in the south, closer to the Andean volcanic front. These seaways were periodically inundated by large volumes of volcanic ash which had catastrophic effects on marine ecosystems, but lead to excellent fossil preservation. Bad for the animals; good for paleontologists!