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Pisco Formation

The Pisco Formation is a prominent Miocene geological unit exposed in the East Pisco Basin along the southern coast of Peru, spanning from approximately 14.8 to 6.7 million years ago (Ma) and renowned worldwide as an exceptional Fossil-Lagerstätte for well-preserved marine vertebrates.^[1] This formation, with a thickness varying between 200 and over 1,000 meters, consists primarily of diatom-rich sediments deposited in a forearc basin influenced by the ancient Humboldt Current, providing critical insights into Neogene marine ecosystems.^[2] Geologically, the Pisco Formation is subdivided into three main allomembers—P0 (14.8–12.4 Ma), P1 (9.5–8.9 Ma), and P2 (8.5–6.7 Ma)—separated by unconformities and reflecting cyclic changes in sea level and depositional environments from shallow nearshore to deeper offshore shelf settings.^[1] Its lithology is dominated by fine-grained marine mudstones, siltstones, and diatomites, interspersed with sandstones, conglomerates, volcanic ash layers, and phosphatic intervals that indicate episodes of upwelling and low-oxygen conditions conducive to fossil preservation.^[2] The basin's formation resulted from subduction along the Peru Trench, leading to a progression from semi-enclosed bays in the early stages to more open marine conditions later, with evidence of rocky shores and storm-influenced deposition.^[1] Paleontologically, the Pisco Formation stands out for its extraordinary concentration of articulated skeletons and soft-tissue remains, including over 890 documented vertebrate specimens from 16 localities, with cetaceans comprising about 85% of the assemblage (61% mysticetes and 24% odontocetes).^[2] Notable fossils include the giant predatory sperm whale Livyatan melvillei, the megalodon shark Carcharocles megalodon, diverse dolphins, seals, seabirds, turtles, crocodiles, sharks, rays, and bony fishes such as Sardinops cf. sagax, offering glimpses into a productive upwelling-driven ecosystem that supported early marine megafauna gigantism.^[1] Taphonomic features like rapid burial in soupy sediments, phosphatization, and rare preservations of baleen and stomach contents further highlight its status as one of the most significant Cenozoic marine fossil sites globally.^[2]

Geographic and tectonic setting

Location and extent

The Pisco Formation is primarily exposed in the East Pisco Basin along the southern coastal plain of Peru, extending discontinuously approximately 200 km from the Ica region near the Pisco River southward to the Yauca area.^[3] This span corresponds to latitudes roughly between 13.5°S and 15.6°S.^[3] The formation's thickness varies significantly across the basin, ranging from 200 to 1000 m.^[1]^[3] Major outcrop areas include the Ocucaje region in the north, the Sacaco area in the central portion, and the Yauca locality in the south, where the formation is well-exposed in hills and valleys of the arid coastal desert.^[1] The northern boundary lies near the Pisco River valley, while the southern limit is marked by the vicinity of the Yauca River; inland, the extent is constrained by the rising terrain of the Andean foothills to the east.^[3] The Pisco Formation unconformably overlies older units such as the Chilcatay Formation in various parts of the basin.^[4] These exposures provide accessible sites for geological fieldwork, with prominent localities including Cerro Colorado in the Ica Desert and Agua Blanca, where detailed stratigraphic sections have been documented.^[1]^[5]

Regional geological context

The Pisco Formation is situated within the East Pisco Basin, a component of the broader forearc basin system that parallels the Peru-Chile Trench off the coast of southern Peru. This tectonic regime arises from the ongoing oblique subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, at a convergence rate of approximately 7-8 cm per year, which has driven the development of these basins since the late Mesozoic.^[6] The East Pisco Basin's evolution commenced in the middle Eocene with a major marine transgression, marked by the deposition of the Paracas Formation, reflecting initial subsidence and inundation of the forearc region amid early Andean margin tectonics. By the Miocene, uplift of the Coastal Cordillera—a structural high linked to the overriding plate's deformation—interrupted this subsidence, creating a barrier that influenced sediment routing and led to localized erosional unconformities within the basin fill. This uplift phase, tied to intensified subduction dynamics, transitioned the basin toward renewed accommodation space in the late Miocene, facilitating the accumulation of the Pisco Formation's thick marine sequences.^[7]^[8] The Andean orogeny profoundly shaped the basin's sedimentary record, with detrital inputs primarily sourced from volcanic arcs in the western Andes, as evidenced by the abundance of tuffaceous components and zircon populations dated to 23-1.2 Ma from the Huaylillas-Calipuy and Barroso arcs. These volcaniclastic materials, including syndepositional ash layers, underscore the proximal influence of arc magmatism during Pisco Formation deposition. Basin geometry and subsidence patterns were further controlled by an array of high-angle normal faults, striking NNW-NNE, which bound depocenters and induce significant thickness variations across the East Pisco Basin, with offsets up to several hundred meters accommodating differential loading and extension.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Stratigraphy

Lithology

The Pisco Formation is predominantly composed of tuffaceous sandstones, diatomaceous siltstones, conglomerates, and dolomitic limestones.^[12]^[1] These lithologies reflect a marine sedimentary succession with significant biogenic and volcanic inputs.^[13] The sandstones are typically medium- to fine-grained, incorporating volcanic ash components such as glass shards, biotite, and feldspar from tuffaceous layers.^[13]^[14] Shell fragments, including bivalves and gastropods, are common in coquina beds, while phosphatic nodules and intraclasts occur throughout, particularly in coarser units.^[15]^[14] Conglomerates feature well-rounded pebbles to boulders in a sandy or silty matrix, often phosphate-enriched.^[14] Diatomaceous siltstones and limestones are fine-grained, with the former dominated by biogenic silica from coastal diatoms and the latter by microcrystalline dolomite.^[13]^[1] Vertically, the formation exhibits a fining-upward trend, beginning with basal conglomerates that transition to sandstones and siltstones, interspersed with intermittent coquina shell beds.^[14]^[13] In the East Pisco Basin, the formation reaches thicknesses up to 1000 m.^[12] Diagenetic alterations include widespread dolomitization, forming nodular horizons and cementing siltstones and sandstones in upper units, as well as localized silicification evident in chert layers and fossil bone replacement.^[16]^[17]^[14]

Internal subdivisions

The Pisco Formation exhibits a cyclical nature, composed of three depositional sequences or allomembers designated P0 (basal), P1 (middle), and P2 (upper), each characterized by transgressive-regressive cycles bounded by intraformational unconformities. These subdivisions are defined through sequence stratigraphic analysis, with erosional surfaces marking the bases of each allomember and reflecting episodic sea-level fluctuations. Thicknesses and lithological details vary by locality within the basin.^[18]^[19] The basal P0 allomember comprises diatomaceous mudstones, fine- to medium-grained sandstones, phosphatic nodule beds, and dolomite-cemented mudstones, attaining a thickness of approximately 40 m in studied sections, and represents the lowermost depositional phase overlying the Chilcatay Formation via a major unconformity.^[18]^[19] The middle P1 allomember consists of diatomaceous mudstones, siltstones, sandstones, and coquinas, is notably rich in fossils, and reaches about 100 m in thickness, separated from P0 by an erosional unconformity.^[18]^[19]^[1] The upper P2 allomember includes sandstones, silts, conglomerates, and coquinas, with a thickness of over 200 m, transitioning upward into Pliocene units, and is bounded below by another unconformity that onlaps previous strata.^[18]^[19]

Age and biostratigraphy

Dating methods

The primary dating method for the Pisco Formation involves radiometric techniques, particularly 40Ar/39Ar dating applied to sanidine and biotite crystals from interbedded volcanic ash layers (tuffs). This approach provides direct numerical age constraints by measuring the decay of 40K to 39Ar in potassium-bearing minerals, with samples typically processed through stepwise heating in a mass spectrometer to isolate the argon release spectrum and calculate plateau ages. Magnetostratigraphy has been employed to refine relative age assignments through the analysis of remanent magnetization in sedimentary rocks, correlating observed normal and reversed polarity zones to the global geomagnetic polarity timescale. Paleomagnetic samples are collected, demagnetized using thermal or alternating field methods, and analyzed for characteristic directions, enabling correlation to specific chrons and assessment of tectonic rotations or sedimentation rates.^[20] Biostratigraphic integration utilizes microfossils such as calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera to establish zonal schemes, with nannofossil assemblages assigned to standard biozones based on first and last appearances of marker species like Triquetrorhabdulus rugosus. Foraminiferal biostratigraphy complements this by identifying zones through species like Globorotalia menardii, providing relative dating tied to the international chronostratigraphic framework. Diatom biostratigraphy is also key, particularly for the upper allomembers. Recent post-2020 studies have incorporated U-Pb dating on zircon grains from tuffaceous layers and detrital sediments, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to determine crystallization ages and maximum depositional constraints, often combined with provenance analysis to link sources to Andean volcanism. For instance, Ochoa et al. (2022) applied this method to refine ages in the Sacaco area, enhancing integration with prior radiometric data.^[9] Strontium isotope stratigraphy has been used to constrain ages in the basal P0 allomember.^[1]

Temporal framework

The Pisco Formation spans the Miocene, from approximately 14.8 to 6.7 million years ago (Ma).^[1] This chronological range is established through integrated biostratigraphy, radiometric dating, and isotopic analyses, reflecting a period of significant marine sedimentation in the East Pisco Basin. Some regional exposures in the Sacaco area suggest the upper part extends to about 4.5 Ma into the early Pliocene, but this is not representative of the entire formation and may include overlying units like the Caracoles Formation.^[9] Internally, the formation is subdivided into three unconformity-bounded depositional sequences or allomembers: P0 (14.8–12.4 Ma), P1 (9.5–8.9 Ma), and P2 (8.5–6.7 Ma).^[1] These subdivisions represent transgressive-regressive cycles, with ages constrained by diatom biostratigraphy, strontium isotope stratigraphy, and 40Ar/39Ar dating of intercalated volcanic ashes.^[1] 40Ar/39Ar dating results, in particular, have refined the timing of P1 and P2, confirming their placement within the late Tortonian to Messinian stages.^[1] Early uncertainties about temporal overlap between the Pisco and underlying Chilcatay formations, particularly regarding the nature of their bounding unconformity, have been resolved through recent correlations, which demonstrate a clear separation with the Chilcatay ending around 18 Ma.^[21]

Depositional environment

Sedimentary facies

The Pisco Formation exhibits a range of sedimentary facies reflecting shallow-marine depositional environments along the Miocene Peruvian coast. Key facies associations include shoreface sands composed of fine- to coarse-grained, cross-stratified calcarenites and sandstones, characterized by unidirectional cross-lamination, swaley cross-stratification, and wave ripples indicative of storm-influenced wave-dominated settings.^[22] These sands are often moderately to highly bioturbated and transition upward into finer-grained deposits. Open marine silts occur as finely laminated, gray to white diatomaceous siltstones and mudstones, rich in planktic and benthic diatoms, deposited in low-energy, highly productive offshore environments.^[23] Within these silts, phosphate-rich layers form as transgressive lags, consisting of phosphatic clasts, nodules, and bone fragments, resulting from phosphogenesis in suboxic conditions with low sedimentation rates.^[24] Gypsum occurs as veins and casts in the formation, associated with later diagenetic processes.^[24] The formation's cycle architecture is organized into three main depositional sequences (P0, P1, P2), each comprising transgressive systems tracts with deepening-upward successions from shoreface sands to offshore diatomaceous silts, bounded by ravinement surfaces. Regressive phases show shallowing-upward trends, with coarser conglomeratic and sandy intervals at sequence bases marking progradational episodes. These cycles reflect eustatic sea-level fluctuations and local tectonic subsidence in a forearc basin setting. Trace fossils are abundant, particularly in shoreface and transition zones, including pre-lithification burrows and borings that indicate softground conditions during deposition. The Glossifungites ichnofacies dominates at sequence boundaries, featuring firmground burrows such as vertical shafts and horizontal networks that colonized omission surfaces.^[18] Post-depositional alterations include incipient cementation by dolomite and calcite, forming nodules within siltstones and around clasts, often associated with microbial activity and early diagenesis.^[24] Basin-wide erosion surfaces, represented by unconformities separating the sequences, show evidence of subaerial exposure and ravinement, with irregular topography and lag deposits.^[22] Diatomaceous siltstones, a dominant lithology, preserve these features with minimal compaction due to high silica content.^[25]

Paleoecological interpretations

The paleoecological interpretations of the Pisco Formation reveal a dynamic marine ecosystem influenced by coastal upwelling, sea-level variations, and fluctuating salinity in nearshore to lagoonal settings. The lower P0 allomember (middle Miocene) records a warm, semi-enclosed shallow-water environment with restricted circulation, as evidenced by nearshore calcarenites and coastal diatom assemblages indicating subtropical conditions during the Miocene Climatic Optimum. This setting supported initial nutrient enrichment from early upwelling activity associated with the precursor to the modern Humboldt Current, fostering high primary productivity in a protected embayment.^[1]^[26] In the P1 allomember (late Miocene, Tortonian), depositional conditions shifted to shallow marine nearshore environments with evidence of restricted circulation and localized hypersaline episodes, inferred from evaporitic features such as gypsum beds and bedded evaporites in lagoonal facies. These indicators suggest periodic evaporation in semi-protected coastal lagoons, interspersed with nutrient-rich incursions that enhanced productivity. Prominent upwelling, driven by strengthened coastal currents, is documented by abundant diatom microfossils (e.g., Thalassionema and Chaetoceros) and phosphatic lags at sequence bases, which formed during transgressive ravinement and concentrated organic phosphates from high-biomass decay. Sea-level fluctuations, linked to eustatic cycles and tectonic subsidence in the forearc basin, produced cyclical transgressive-regressive patterns, with unconformities marking lowstands that exposed phosphatic hardgrounds. Cooler temperatures relative to P0 reflect post-Middle Miocene Climate Transition cooling, yet overall warm temperate marine conditions prevailed with seasonal upwelling pulses.^[27]^[26] The upper P2 allomember (late Miocene) indicates a transition to more open marginal marine settings with rocky shores, where intensified upwelling in distal areas sustained elevated diatom productivity and a complex trophic structure. Transgressive trends throughout the formation, culminating in deeper offshore diatomaceous siltstones, underscore eustatic control on habitat shifts, while persistent warm temperate climate with El Niño-like variability maintained overall ecosystem stability. These interpretations highlight the Pisco Formation as a record of an ancient Humboldt Current-influenced system, where upwelling-driven productivity and sea-level dynamics shaped coastal paleoecologies.^[1]^[26]

Paleobiota

Invertebrates

The invertebrate fossil assemblage of the Pisco Formation is remarkably diverse, with mollusks representing the most prominent group and serving as key indicators of the paleoenvironmental conditions in the ancient Humboldt Current ecosystem. Numerous species of mollusks have been documented, encompassing a wide array of bivalves and gastropods that inhabited shallow marine to lagoonal settings.^[28] Bivalves such as Ostrea, Pecten, Dosinia, Chionopsis, and Panopea are particularly abundant, often occurring in dense shell concentrations that reflect episodes of elevated biological productivity and rapid sedimentation.^[28]^[29] Gastropods, including Conus, Ficus distans, Miltha, Cancellaria, Northia, and various buccinids, further diversify the record, with their distributions aiding in biostratigraphic correlations across the formation's sequences.^[28] These molluscan assemblages, preserved primarily as molds and casts in diatomaceous shales, highlight thriving benthic communities adapted to the nutrient-rich coastal waters. Polychaetes contribute to the invertebrate paleobiota through the presence of cirratulid reefs, which were first reported in 2021 from the Miocene strata of the Pisco Formation and associated Chilcatay Formation. These tube-building annelids formed organomineralized structures in subtidal environments, indicating stable, soft-bottom habitats conducive to reef development. Other notable invertebrate groups include foraminifera, echinoids, and barnacles, which, though less dominant than mollusks, provide insights into the formation's microfossil and macrofossil dynamics. Benthic foraminifera, such as Lepidocyclina, Miogypsina, Operculina, Amphistegina, and Cycloclypeus, occur in shallow-water carbonates and are valuable for biostratigraphy, spanning assemblages from the late Oligocene to late Miocene that reflect shifts in water depth and nutrient availability. Echinoid fragments appear subordinately in bioclastic deposits, alongside barnacles, contributing to skeletal grainstones formed by storm reworking in offshore settings. Barnacles, often identified as balanids similar to Austromegabalanus, form dense accumulations in barnacle-rich facies, signaling high-energy, nearshore conditions with encrusting growth on substrates. Shell beds dominated by bivalves, echinoids, and barnacles underscore the high productivity of the benthic realm, likely driven by upwelling in the proto-Humboldt Current. Recent post-2020 investigations have highlighted additional microfossil components, including ostracods from the P2 allomember, such as Cytheridea sp., Xestoleberis sp., Hemicytherura sp., Costa edwardsii, and Aurila sp., utilized in geochemical analyses to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions.^[30] These findings emphasize the role of invertebrates in lagoonal ecosystems, where size and abundance patterns in shell assemblages likely responded to fluctuations in benthic oxygenation and nutrient flux.

Vertebrates

The vertebrate fossil record of the Pisco Formation is exceptionally rich and diverse, dominated by marine and coastal species that reflect adaptations to the productive upwelling systems of the ancient Humboldt Current. This assemblage includes over 500 cetacean specimens alone, alongside numerous remains of elasmobranchs, reptiles, birds, and other mammals, highlighting a complex trophic web in nearshore to open-marine environments.^[1]^[2] Fish represent a foundational component of the ecosystem, with elasmobranchs and bony fishes showing specialized marine predatory and schooling behaviors. Sharks, such as Carcharocles megalodon, reached lengths of up to 17 m and occupied apex predator niches, preying on large marine vertebrates in open-water settings.^[31] Other sharks like Cosmopolitodus hastalis and Carcharhinus brachyurus utilized nursery areas in shallower bays, indicating reproductive adaptations to coastal habitats.^[1] Rays, including myliobatids such as Myliobatis spp., were durophagous bottom-feeders, crushing shelled prey on the seafloor with reinforced jaws suited to benthic marine life.^[32] Bony fishes, particularly teleosts like clupeids (Sardinops cf. sagax), formed massive schools that served as keystone prey, with hundreds of specimens preserving evidence of high productivity in upwelling zones. A new species, Sardinops humboldti, was described in 2025 based on articulated skeletons from the upper Miocene.^[1]^[33] Reptiles in the Pisco Formation exhibit clear transitions to fully marine lifestyles, particularly among cheloniids and crocodilians inhabiting coastal lagoons and shelves. Crocodilians, represented by longirostrine forms like Piscogavialis sp., adapted to piscivory in brackish to marine waters, with slender snouts for capturing fish in shallow embayments.^[1] Sea turtles dominated open-marine facies, including cheloniids such as Pacifichelys urbinai, which displayed durophagous dentition for crushing mollusks and crustaceans, underscoring their role as mid-level consumers in productive nearshore ecosystems.^[1] Birds are primarily seabirds with diving and flighted adaptations for exploiting surface and mid-water resources. Penguins, such as Spheniscus muizoni, were pursuit divers specialized for underwater foraging on fish schools in coastal upwelling areas.^[1] Procellariids and sulids, including Sula brandii and Sula figueroae, represented flighted forms that foraged over open seas, with remains indicating aerial piscivory and scavenging behaviors tied to nutrient-rich surface waters.^[1] Mammals, especially cetaceans, pinnipeds, and xenarthrans, showcase peak diversity and specialization for fully aquatic or semi-aquatic niches. The cetacean assemblage includes approximately 50 species, spanning mysticetes like Piscobalaena nana (filter-feeders adapted to krill-rich waters) and odontocetes such as the macroraptorial Livyatan melvillei (up to 17 m long, with conical teeth for tearing large prey) and suction-feeding Odobenocetops spp. (walrus-like tusks for benthic foraging).^[1] Recent discoveries, including the 2024 beaked whale Nazcacetus urbinai (a small-bodied ziphiid with reduced dentition for deep suction feeding, dated to ~7.45 Ma) and a 12-million-year-old porpoise skeleton from 2025, further illustrate odontocete evolutionary radiations in productive marine settings.^[34]^[35] Pinnipeds like Piscophoca sp. were monachine seals adapted for bottom-feeding in coastal zones, while xenarthrans such as semi-aquatic sloths (Thalassocnus spp.) grazed on seagrasses in protected lagoonal habitats, bridging terrestrial and marine realms.^[36]^[37]

Taphonomy and preservation

The Pisco Formation is recognized as an exceptional marine Fossil-Lagerstätte, renowned for preserving articulated skeletons, stomach contents, and soft tissues in remarkable detail. Approximately 27% of vertebrate specimens exhibit full articulation, including complete mysticete whales with associated baleen plates phosphatized for enhanced preservation. Stomach contents, such as masses of sardine remains in the abdominal regions of baleen whales like Piscobalaena nana, provide direct evidence of diet and are preserved through rapid mineralization processes. Soft tissues, including baleen and possible integumentary structures, are often found within phosphate nodules, highlighting the formation's capacity for Konservat-Lagerstätte conditions. Taphonomic processes in the Pisco Formation are dominated by rapid burial in anoxic or dysoxic bottom waters, which minimized scavenging and disarticulation. Carcasses experienced scour-induced self-burial during storms, penetrating soupy diatomaceous sediments, followed by early diagenetic mineralization via apatite recrystallization and dolomite concretion formation around skeletons. Phosphatization particularly aids in preserving delicate features, such as baleen fringes and fish scales in gut contents. Bonebeds, formed from mass mortality events possibly linked to algal blooms or seasonal anoxia, occur in concentrations at sites like Cerro Colorado, where hundreds of individuals accumulated in low-energy settings. Preservation biases in the Pisco Formation favor large vertebrates, with cetaceans comprising 85% of the assemblage and mysticetes overrepresented at 61% due to their durable, dense bones resisting post-mortem transport and decay. Size-sorting is evident in current-influenced deposits, where larger skeletons (>10 m) show better articulation than smaller odontocetes, which are more prone to dispersal. These biases reflect hydrodynamic and durability factors rather than original abundance, leading to an incomplete record skewed toward megafauna. The formation has yielded over 500 cetacean specimens, underscoring these patterns. Recent research from 2021 to 2025 has elucidated cyclical taphonomic variations tied to the formation's three allomembers (P0, P1, P2), which represent transgressive-regressive cycles influencing sediment type and oxygen levels. Studies highlight how dolomite layers in these allomembers record fluctuating diagenetic environments, enhancing preservation during anoxic phases. For instance, analyses of vertebrate assemblages across localities reveal periodic mass accumulations linked to sequence boundaries, providing a framework for understanding temporal biases in the fossil record.

Stratigraphic correlations

Regional comparisons

The Pisco Formation exhibits stratigraphic equivalence with other late Miocene marine sequences along the western margin of South America, particularly the Bahía Inglesa Formation in northern Chile and the Urumaco Formation in northwestern Venezuela. These units represent contemporaneous depositional episodes in forearc and marginal marine settings influenced by Andean tectonics and volcanism during the Tortonian to Messinian stages. The Pisco and Bahía Inglesa formations, with their upper sections spanning the late Miocene (approximately 9.5–6.1 Ma), share lithofacies dominated by sandstones, siltstones, and tuffaceous deposits, reflecting nearshore to inner shelf environments shaped by the proto-Humboldt Current.^[38]^[39] Biostratigraphic correlations highlight shared marine vertebrate assemblages across these Pacific and Caribbean coast formations, including odontocete cetaceans such as kentriodontids (e.g., Kentriodon sp.) and other delphinidans, alongside sharks like Carcharodon hastalis and aquatic sloths (Thalassocnus natans). Mass mortality events, evidenced by bonebeds of rorqual whales and pinnipeds in the Pisco and Bahía Inglesa formations, suggest analogous paleoecological dynamics, including harmful algal blooms and rapid burial in supratidal settings. The Urumaco Formation, dated to the late Miocene (ca. 11.6–5.3 Ma), complements this regional pattern with similar cetacean diversity, though its more marginal marine to estuarine facies distinguish it from the fully open-marine Pisco sequence.^[40]^[39]^[38] Lithostratigraphically, the Pisco Formation's tuffaceous sandstones and diatom-rich siltstones find analogs in the volcaniclastics of the Bahía Inglesa Formation, where ash layers and bioclastic sands indicate comparable sediment supply from Andean sources. Marginal equivalents in the Paraná Basin, such as tuffaceous intervals in the late Miocene Entrerriano Group, reflect broader dispersal of volcanogenic sediments across southern South America during this period. These matches underscore a unified regional response to enhanced arc magmatism and subsidence.^[1] Prominent disconformities within the Pisco Formation, such as those bounding its internal allomembers (P1 and P2), record erosional hiatuses tied to late Miocene eustatic sea-level falls, correlated to glacio-eustatic events such as Mi6 (ca. 10.4 Ma) and Mi7 (ca. 8.7 Ma). These unconformities, marked by conglomerate lags and angular discordances, mirror similar sequence boundaries in the Bahía Inglesa Formation, where sea-level lowstands facilitated subaerial exposure and ravinement surfaces. Such features highlight the Pisco Formation's sensitivity to far-field tectonic and climatic forcings across the South American margin.^[41]^[38]

Global equivalents

The Pisco Formation as a whole spans the middle to late Miocene (ca. 14.8–6.7 Ma), with upper sections in areas like Sacaco extending into the early Pliocene Zanclean stage (to ca. 4.5 Ma).^[1]^[9] This temporal framework aligns it with global marine sequences, including those of the European Paratethys, where Tortonian deposits reflect similar shallow to outer shelf environments during a period of tectonic and climatic transition.^[42] The Zanclean portion corresponds to the onset of the Pliocene, marked by renewed marine flooding and faunal turnover in Paratethyan basins.^[43] Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy supports correlations for parts of the formation, with late Miocene sections encompassing zones NN9 to NN11 in low-latitude Tethyan sequences, characterized by marker species such as Catinaster coalitus in NN9 and Discoaster quinqueramus in NN11, along with co-occurring taxa like Amaurolithus tricorniculatus.^[44]^[45] Tectonically, the Pisco Formation represents a forearc basin setting analogous to the Monterey Formation of California, both developed along convergent margins with organic-rich, siliceous mudstones formed under intense coastal upwelling.^[46] Shared features include dolomite precipitation in anoxic muds and abundant phosphatic nodules, reflecting nutrient-rich waters that supported prolific marine life.^[46] The depositional record of the Pisco Formation also aligns with major global climate events, including the Miocene Climatic Optimum (ca. 17–14 Ma) in its lower sections and the subsequent late Miocene cooling trends toward the Messinian salinity crisis.^[1] This is evidenced by shifts from warm, semi-enclosed conditions in the middle Miocene to cooler, open-marine upwelling regimes in the upper Miocene, mirroring broader oceanic reorganization.^[1]

References

[1]
Vertebrate Palaeoecology of the Pisco Formation (Miocene, Peru)
The Pisco Formation is broadly exposed in the East Pisco Basin (EPB) of southern Peru (Figure 1A). It varies in thickness from 200 to 1000 m and, with ...
[2]
Taphonomy of marine vertebrates of the Pisco Formation (Miocene ...
The Miocene Pisco Formation, broadly exposed in the Ica Desert of southern Peru, is among the most outstanding Cenozoic marine Fossil-Lagerstätten worldwide. It ...
[3]
[PDF] Late Neogene evolution of the Peruvian margin and its ecosystems
Nov 29, 2021 · The Pisco Formation discontinuously extends from Pisco up to Yauca (13.5 º–15.6 ºS; Adams 1908; Caldas 1978; León et al. 2008) and shows ...
[4]
[PDF] Towards deciphering the Cenozoic evolution of the East Pisco Basin ...
May 7, 2022 · This sedimentary succession includes (from oldest to youngest): the Caballas, Paracas, Otuma, Chilcatay, and Pisco formations (DeVries, 2017; ...
[5]
[PDF] Stratigraphic framework of the late Miocene to Pliocene Pisco ...
May 26, 2015 · This paper describes a 200m-thick section of the Pisco Formation exposed at Cerro. Colorado, an important fossiliferous site in the Ica desert.Missing: Agua | Show results with:Agua
[6]
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024TC008514
[7]
[PDF] The early depositional history of the Pisco Formation (Middle to ...
Feb 25, 2025 · Geological setting The Pisco Basin is a forearc basin, elongated along the Peru trench, that formed as a consequence of the sub- duction of the ...
[8]
Uplift history of the Central and Northern Andes: A review
Jun 1, 2017 · From west to east, the Coastal Cordillera and Pacific Piedmont of Peru around lat 16°S were at or near sea level in the Oligocene. Evidence for ...
[9]
Age and provenance of the Mio-Pleistocene sediments from the ...
The Pisco Formation is formed by alternations of gray sandstones intercalating with 10–20 cm-thick yellowish sandstone and shell beds. An erosional angular ...
[10]
Towards deciphering the Cenozoic evolution of the East Pisco Basin ...
By earliest Miocene time uplift ceased, and subduction erosion and thinning of the overriding plate resulted in renewed subsidence, rise in relative sea level, ...
[11]
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17445647.2025.2472779
[12]
Schematic stratigraphic section of Pisco Formation and adjacent ...
This marine formation mainly consists of sandstone, siltstone, and diatomite, along with minor amounts of tuff and dolomite, the latter of which contains an ...
[13]
Stratigraphic framework of the late Miocene to Pliocene Pisco ...
Abstract. This paper describes a ∼200 m-thick section of the Pisco Formation exposed at Cerro Colorado, an important fossiliferous site in the Ica desert.Missing: extent | Show results with:extent
[14]
None
### Summary of Lithology Descriptions in the Pisco Formation (Brand et al., 2011)
[15]
Stratigraphic framework of the late Miocene Pisco Formation at ...
... coquina beds with abundant molds of bivalves. and ... fragments. The P-rich clasts are mainly composed of phosphatic intraclasts and small phosphatic nodules.
[16]
Insights into the diagenetic environment of fossil marine vertebrates ...
In the deposits of the Pisco Formation, dolomite concretions grew around vertebrate carcasses during the very early phases of diagenesis, as a consequence of ...Missing: silicification dolomitization
[17]
STRUCTURAL AND PROTEIN PRESERVATION IN FOSSIL WHALE ...
This study first documents the microstructural preservation with some silicification of the fossil whale bones of the Pisco Formation, and then quantifies
[18]
https://doi.org/10.13130/2039-4942/8373
[19]
https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2018.1517701
[20]
Paleomagnetic tracking of mountain building in the Peruvian Andes ...
Sep 23, 2003 · The tuffaceous horizon at Quebrada Lloclla lies about 15 m above highly altered volcanic rocks assigned to the Calipuy Formation, upon which the ...
[21]
SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE ...
May 4, 2017 · DI CELMA, C. (2017) “SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE UPPER MIOCENE PISCO FORMATION ALONG THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE LOWER ICA ...
[22]
[PDF] Miocene stratigraphy and vertebrate paleontology along the western ...
The Pisco Formation has abundant marine fossils, including cetaceans, seals, and bony fishes, found in the Tortonian and Tortonian-Messinian sequences. Seals ...
[23]
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022PA004566
[24]
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254395
[25]
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.07.047
[26]
https://doi.org/10.1127/nos/2025/0864
[27]
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241527580_Geology_and_paleontology_of_late_Cenozoic_marine_deposits_in_the_Sacaco_area_Peru
[28]
Geology and paleontology of late Cenozoic marine deposits in the ...
Aug 6, 2025 · To date, Thalassocnus material from the Pisco Formation of Peru has only been reported from the Sacaco area. Various studies (e.g., Muizon & ...
[29]
[PDF] Pisco.pdf - Earth History Research Center
The total measured thickness of the Pisco Formation in this valley is 435 m. ... Evidence of a fossil stork (Aves: Ciconiidae) from the. Late Miocene of the Pisco ...
[30]
(PDF) Taphonomy of a Panopea Ménard de la Groye, 1807 shell ...
Mar 2, 2021 · The Miocene Pisco Formation (Fm) hosts one of the major marine vertebrate Fossil-Lagerstätte of the Cenozoic Era, which includes fossil ...Missing: ostracoda | Show results with:ostracoda
[31]
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00531-021-02003-1
[32]
Foraminifer and ostracod species used for geochemical analyses ...
The sequence stratigraphic framework and a summary of the fossil fauna of the Upper Miocene portion of the Pisco Formation exposed along the western side of ...
[33]
Early Paleogene brackish-water molluscs from the Caballas ...
... Pisco Formation, the latter member being characterized by marine delta foreset beds. ... [Show full abstract] as well as brachiopods and trace fossils.Missing: post- | Show results with:post-
[34]
Late Neogene evolution of the Peruvian margin and its ecosystems
Mar 9, 2021 · The last preserved Pisco sediments at Sacaco were deposited ~ 4.5 Ma, while the overlying Caracoles Formation accumulated from ~ 2.7 Ma onwards.
[35]
The late Miocene elasmobranch assemblage from Cerro Colorado ...
... sharks and rays of the Pisco Formation. This elasmobranch assemblage, 995 coming from three tooth-bearing deposits, includes at least 21 taxa attributed to ...
[36]
[PDF] A new Late Miocene beaked whale (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the ...
May 9, 2024 · Laterally-continuous dolomite layers of the Miocene Pisco Formation (East Pisco. Basin, Peru): a window into past cyclical changes of the.Missing: Cetus | Show results with:Cetus
[37]
Fossil Seals from Late Neogene Deposits in South America: A New ...
Nov 24, 2003 · At least two genera, Acrophoca and Piscophoca (both originally described from the Pisco Formation of Peru), are present. The Chilean ...
[38]
Aquatic sloths (Thalassocnus) from the Miocene of Chile and ... - PMC
Oct 2, 2025 · Thalassocnus localities at the Pisco Formation. Published specimens for type species of Thalassocnus from Pisco Formation localities in Peru.Missing: Piscophoca | Show results with:Piscophoca
[39]
Controls on late Miocene marine vertebrate bonebed genesis in ...
Feb 1, 2025 · We present a revised chronostratigraphic framework for the Bahía Inglesa Formation at the Cerro Ballena and Mina Fosforita paleontological sites.
[40]
Repeated mass strandings of Miocene marine mammals from ...
Apr 22, 2014 · ... Pisco Formation. Thus, we infer a Late Miocene age (or Late Tortonian to Early Messinian stage) for the Bahía Inglesa Formation part of the ...<|separator|>
[41]
[PDF] Allostratigraphy and paleontology of the lower Miocene Chilcatay ...
May 5, 2019 · Tephrochronology and chronostratigraphy of the. Miocene Chilcatay and Pisco formations (East Pisco. Basin, Peru). Newsletters on Stratigraphy ...
[42]
(PDF) Intraformational unconformities as a record of late Miocene ...
Oct 7, 2018 · They converge and merge landward into a single composite surface representing the time-transgressive lower boundary of the Pisco Formation.
[43]
[PDF] The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the ...
A brief description of the stratotype-section, the boundary and the various stratigraphic tools available for global correlation of the. Tortonian GSSP is ...Missing: Pisco equivalents NN11
[44]
[PDF] The base of the Zanclean Stage and of the Pliocene Series
The boundary-stratotype of the stage is located in the Eraclea Minoa section on the southern coast of Sicily (Italy), at the base of the. Trubi Formation. The ...Missing: Pisco | Show results with:Pisco<|control11|><|separator|>
[45]
Cretaceous and Cenozoic calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of ...
Aug 1, 2025 · Calcareous nannofossils are the minuscule remains of marine phytoplankton and are found from Upper Triassic up to Holocene deposits (Bown et al.Cretaceous And Cenozoic... · 1. Introduction · 3. Results
[46]
dolomites in organic-rich muds of the peru forearc basins
Similar processes and conditions are believed to have played an analogous role in the development of the Monterey Formation. Organic matter decomposes by ...