Sprecher
Beschreibung
The Amazon drainage Basin is central to understanding the evolutionary history of Earth’s most extraordinary biodiversity, which holds 40% of the remaining global tropical rainforest. The Chiribiquete Mountains in the Colombian Amazon, characterised by unique tepui-like (tabletop) formations, are strategically located at the crossroad of four major biogeographical provinces: the Guiana Shield, the Northern Andes, the Amazonian plains, and the Orinoco plains. Flora in this region is essential for decoding the phytogeography of both the Colombian Amazon and the Guiana biogeographic province, also serving as a critical component of the macro-biogeographical Andes-Amazon corridor, crucial for species connectivity. Recent geological investigations suggest that the Chiribiquete Mountains already constituted a paleotopographic high in the Early Miocene. Here we present a study of Early Miocene samples from fluvial sediments deposited in incised valleys in the Chiribiquete Mountains, and of coeval lacustrine sediments deposited westwards of the Chiribiquete Mountains. By integrating the established geological timeline with high-resolution palynological analyses, this ongoing research aims to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution and phytogeographic history of the region. The anticipated results will provide critical insights into how palaeotopography influenced regional vegetation dynamics and shaped the modern biodiversity of the Amazonian biome.