7.4.8 Pliocene
Mihaljevic ´ et al. (2010) reported Lovenia sp. Rhynobrissus rostratus, Schizaster
eurynotus, Tripneustes tobleri, Brissopsis antillarum, and Cassidulus (Cassidulus)
falconensis from Punta Gavilán Formation of Falcón state. Cooke (1961) found
Encope emarginata, E. secoensis and Moira atropos, in San Gregorio Formation
of Falcón state, a place characterized for having been a shallow littoral marine
environment, with ostreid reefs and small waves. This author also reported
Agassizia excentrica, A. scrobiculata, arbacia punctulata, Encope kugleri, Litechinus variegatus and Melitella falconensis from San Gregorio Formation in
Falcón state. Finally, this author indicated that Pericosmus stehlini, and Plagiobrissus grandis, occur in Paraguaná Formation in Falcón state, a place which
similarly shows a littoral marine paleoenvironment with shallow waters.
7.4.9 Pleistocene
Weisbord (1969) recorded Brissopsis cf. atlantica, Echinolampas sp., Echinometra
lucunter, Encope emarginata Leske, 1778, E. secoensis Cooke, 1961, Leodia
divinata and M. atropos, from the Cabo Blanco Group of Vargas state, but the
author did not define the formational units. The Cabo Blanco Group with marine
fossils is made up by Playa Grande and Mare Formations. The paleoenvironment
of both corresponds to a littoral shallow water marine one, with coastal lagoons
and moderate surf zone. Clypeaster ravenelii, Meoma ventricosa and Encope
kugleri, were recorded for the Cumaná Formation by Macsotay et al. (2009), and
its paleoenvironment corresponds to a tropical marine one with quiet and shallow
waters with reefs.
7.4.10 Recent
Agassizia excentrica, A. punctulata, Clypeaster rosaceus, C. subdepressus, Encope
emarginata, E. secoensis, Lytechinus cf. euerces, Melitella falconensis, Moira
atropos and Prionocidaris sp., have been registered as fossils in Venezuela
(Mihaljevic ´ et al. 2010).
The geochronological descriptions of the echinoderm species, as expressed by
Mihaljevic ´ et al. (2010), show that the fossil echinoderms of Venezuela were most
diverse during Middle Miocene, in contrast to the rest of the Caribbean Sea where
they were most diverse during Eocene (Kier 1977; McKinney et al. 1992; Donovan
2001). However, it should be noted that the oceanographic and environmental
changes that took place in the Caribbean Sea, as a result of the elevation of the
Panama isthmus and the separation of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans during
256
C. Lodeiros et al.
Mihaljevic ´ et al. (2010) reported Lovenia sp. Rhynobrissus rostratus, Schizaster
eurynotus, Tripneustes tobleri, Brissopsis antillarum, and Cassidulus (Cassidulus)
falconensis from Punta Gavilán Formation of Falcón state. Cooke (1961) found
Encope emarginata, E. secoensis and Moira atropos, in San Gregorio Formation
of Falcón state, a place characterized for having been a shallow littoral marine
environment, with ostreid reefs and small waves. This author also reported
Agassizia excentrica, A. scrobiculata, arbacia punctulata, Encope kugleri, Litechinus variegatus and Melitella falconensis from San Gregorio Formation in
Falcón state. Finally, this author indicated that Pericosmus stehlini, and Plagiobrissus grandis, occur in Paraguaná Formation in Falcón state, a place which
similarly shows a littoral marine paleoenvironment with shallow waters.
7.4.9 Pleistocene
Weisbord (1969) recorded Brissopsis cf. atlantica, Echinolampas sp., Echinometra
lucunter, Encope emarginata Leske, 1778, E. secoensis Cooke, 1961, Leodia
divinata and M. atropos, from the Cabo Blanco Group of Vargas state, but the
author did not define the formational units. The Cabo Blanco Group with marine
fossils is made up by Playa Grande and Mare Formations. The paleoenvironment
of both corresponds to a littoral shallow water marine one, with coastal lagoons
and moderate surf zone. Clypeaster ravenelii, Meoma ventricosa and Encope
kugleri, were recorded for the Cumaná Formation by Macsotay et al. (2009), and
its paleoenvironment corresponds to a tropical marine one with quiet and shallow
waters with reefs.
7.4.10 Recent
Agassizia excentrica, A. punctulata, Clypeaster rosaceus, C. subdepressus, Encope
emarginata, E. secoensis, Lytechinus cf. euerces, Melitella falconensis, Moira
atropos and Prionocidaris sp., have been registered as fossils in Venezuela
(Mihaljevic ´ et al. 2010).
The geochronological descriptions of the echinoderm species, as expressed by
Mihaljevic ´ et al. (2010), show that the fossil echinoderms of Venezuela were most
diverse during Middle Miocene, in contrast to the rest of the Caribbean Sea where
they were most diverse during Eocene (Kier 1977; McKinney et al. 1992; Donovan
2001). However, it should be noted that the oceanographic and environmental
changes that took place in the Caribbean Sea, as a result of the elevation of the
Panama isthmus and the separation of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans during
256
C. Lodeiros et al.