Geology of the Lesser Antilles

Maury, René C.; Westbrook, G. K.; Baker, P. E.; Bouysse, Philippe; Westercamp, D.

doi:10.1130/dnag-gna-h.141

Cited by 51 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…However, the geology of the island has yielded few absolute dates (see Introduction), especially of the older formations. We do know that all the younger islands were formed at a similar time in the late Miocene--early Pliocene (Maury et al 1990). Even the older islands of the northern Lesser Antilles are only likely to have emerged from a period of submergence (during which extensive limestone deposits were laid down) at around the same time.…”

Section: Historical Vicariance In Anolis Oculatus Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is clear that these estimates are very speculative. Higher rates of evolution may have occurred if the islands are younger than assumed (e.g., 5 my suggested by Maury et al 1990) or if a substantial time-lag existed between the origin of the island and its colonization. However, unrealistic rates of pairwise evolution (an order of magnitude higher than that suggested above) would be required for the divergence between the clades to match the dates of the lava flows depicted in Figure 5.…”

Section: Historical Vicariance In Anolis Oculatus Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, some pre-Pliocene rocks are exposed on the east coast (based on unpubl. K-Ar dates, quoted in Maury et al 1990). On much of the west coast this has been overlain by sedimentary deposits (observed up to 30-60 m above presentday sea level) and later volcanic material, particularly that associated with the Pleistocene explosive eruptions of the main volcanic cones present today (Sigurdsson and Carey 1990).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Dominica belongs to a younger, still volcanically active section where activity is widely considered to have begun in the late Miocene (Ӎ 15 mya), becoming widespread approximately 5 mya, in the Pliocene (Maury et al 1990). In terms of subaerial volume of volcanic products, Dominica is by far the most active island in the chain (Carr and Stoiber 1990).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

Malhotra¹,

Thorpe

2000

Evolution

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Abstract. The larger islands of the Lesser Antilles are ecologically and geologically complex and are inhabited by single, but morphologically variable, Anolis species. Although earlier work has indicated that a large part of the morphological variation in Anolis oculatus from Dominica can be attributed to selection, a history of recurrent volcanic activity over the last few million years suggests that vicariance may have also played a significant role. We report a study of variation in the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA across the island to address this issue. We uncovered a very high degree of polymorphism, with an overall gene diversity of 0.97 and a nucleotide diversity of 0.04. Sequences, on average, differ by 3.82% and the maximum pairwise divergence (corrected for multiple hits) is 9.29%. Most haplotypes are restricted to single localities (a pattern not changed by increasing the sample size). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two distinct lineages on the island with strong phylogeographic structure. One of these is geographically restricted to a relatively small part of the central Caribbean coast. Sublineages were also discernible within the other more widely distributed lineage, but resolution within and support for these sublineages was poor. The phylogeographic pattern is not congruent with generalized body shape and scalation, but is significantly correlated with color pattern. Even when correcting for this lineage effect with partial Matrix correspondence tests, the relationship between color pattern and vegetation is reaffirmed, suggesting that although both vicariance and selection have played a role in the morphological differentiation of this species, selection for current environmental conditions has been more important. We discuss the causes of the phylogeographic structure in light of the volcanic history of the island and highlight the exceptional instance of congruence between all morphological character systems and lineage boundaries, which occurs at the transition between the northern and southern Caribbean ecotypes.

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Section: Historical Vicariance In Anolis Oculatus Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Vicariance In Anolis Oculatus Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

Malhotra¹,

Thorpe

2000

Evolution

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“…This extinct volcanic arc is composed of the islands of Sombrero, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthélémy, Antigua, and Grande Terre of Guadeloupe. Here, Eocene to Oligocene igneous rocks are capped by Miocene and younger limestones [Maury et al, 1990].…”

Section: Tectonic Setting Of the Lesser Antilles Arc In The Caribbeanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of Lower Cretaceous synmetamorphic thrust tectonics in French Lesser Antilles (La Désirade Island, Guadeloupe): Implications for Caribbean geodynamics

et al. 2011

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[1] Located east of Guadeloupe, the island of La Désirade exhibits the oldest rocks of the Lesser Antilles arc and the eastern Caribbean plate. An old magmatic basement is composed of (1) late Jurassic ophiolitic complex with meta-basaltic pillow lavas and interbedded radiolarites, (2) acid igneous complex comprising meta-quartz-diorite and meta-rhyolitic lavas flows, and (3) meta-diabasic/microdioritic dyke swarm complex. We present and discuss the discovery of synmetamorphic thrust tectonics in this island. Based on detailed structural analysis we evidenced two main compressive events. The first event (D1) is characterized by pervasive folding associated with thrust development. In the northeastern part of the island, a major thrust fault, the Grand Abaque Thrust, has been discovered which displaces for several kilometers the acid igneous complex onto the ophiolitic unit. The second deformation event (D2) is featured by a main pervasive cleavage S2 observed at the regional scale associated with upright folding (F2) and by the development of two sets of conjugated steeply dipping strike-slip shear zones, dextral 130°N and sinistral 20°N striking, respectively. Microstructural observations indicate that Greenschist facies metamorphism is clearly contemporaneous with the development of D1 and D2 superimposed tectonic structures. Ar/Ar geochronology was performed on two bulk of adularia minerals sampled in the northeast volcanic complex within a deformed zone related to a D2 event. These analyses yield well-defined and concordant plateau ages at 106.2 ± 1.7 Ma and 107.2 ± 1.8 Ma. Thus, shortening and thickening tectonics occurred during Lower Cretaceous (Albian). In the available framework of Caribbean geodynamics, the synmetamorphic thrust tectonics we discovered in the French Lesser Antilles is related to the collision between an Aptian-Albian oceanic plateau and the Andean-Cordilleran east-dipping subduction zone. Our results support subduction polarity reversal during Lower Cretaceous.

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The Evolution of the Silver Hills Volcanic Center, and Revised ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Geochronology of Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, With Implications for Island Arc Volcanism

Hatter

Palmer

Gernon

et al. 2018

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Studying the older volcanic centers on Montserrat, Centre Hills and Silver Hills, may reveal how volcanic activity can change over long time periods (≥1 Myr), and whether the recent activity at the Soufrière Hills is typical of volcanism throughout Montserrat's history. Here we present the first detailed mapping of the Silver Hills, the oldest and arguably least studied volcanic center on Montserrat. Volcanism at the Silver Hills was dominated by episodic andesite lava dome growth and collapse, produced Vulcanian style eruptions, and experienced periodic sector collapse events, similar to the style of volcanic activity that has been documented for the Centre Hills and Soufrière Hills. We also present an updated geochronology of volcanism on Montserrat, by revising existing ages and obtaining new 40Ar/39Ar dates and paleomagnetic ages from marine tephra layers. We show that the centers of the Silver, Centre, and Soufrière Hills were active during at least ∼2.17–1.03 Ma, ∼1.14–0.38 Ma, and ∼0.45 Ma to present, respectively. Combined with timings of volcanism on Basse‐Terre, Guadeloupe, these ages suggest that ∼0.5–1 Ma is a common lifespan for volcanic centers in the Lesser Antilles. These new dates identify a previously unrecognized overlap in activity between the different volcanic centers, which appears to be a common phenomenon in island arcs. We also identify an older stage of Soufrière Hills activity ∼450–290 ka characterized by the eruption of hornblende‐orthopyroxene‐phyric lavas, demonstrating that the petrology of the Soufrière Hills eruptive products has changed at least twice throughout the volcano's development.

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Geology of the Lesser Antilles

Cited by 51 publications

References 71 publications

The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

Discovery of Lower Cretaceous synmetamorphic thrust tectonics in French Lesser Antilles (La Désirade Island, Guadeloupe): Implications for Caribbean geodynamics

The Evolution of the Silver Hills Volcanic Center, and Revised ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Geochronology of Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, With Implications for Island Arc Volcanism

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Geology of the Lesser Antilles

Cited by 51 publications

References 71 publications

The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

The Dynamics of Natural Selection and Vicariance in the Dominican Anole: Patterns of Within-Island Molecular and Morphological Divergence

Discovery of Lower Cretaceous synmetamorphic thrust tectonics in French Lesser Antilles (La Désirade Island, Guadeloupe): Implications for Caribbean geodynamics

The Evolution of the Silver Hills Volcanic Center, and Revised 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology of Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, With Implications for Island Arc Volcanism

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The Evolution of the Silver Hills Volcanic Center, and Revised ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Geochronology of Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, With Implications for Island Arc Volcanism