Thermochronologic and geomorphometric constraints on the Cenozoic landscape evolution of the Northern Andes: Northwestern Central Cordillera, Colombia

The Tracking of Moist Habitats Allowed Aiphanes (Arecaceae) to Cover the Elevation Gradient of the Northern Andes

“…The progression from mid to higher elevations probably follows the process of mountain building and points at mid-elevation areas in the Colombian Andes (possibly the Eastern Cordillera where A. killipii is found today and is near two other microendemic species from different clades, A. graminifolia and A. suaita ) already available during the Miocene ( Anderson et al, 2015 ). Despite the absence of paleoelevation constraints for the Central and Western Cordilleras, thermochronological and geomorphological considerations suggest that these Cordilleras may have also experienced exhumation and uplift since the Miocene ( León et al, 2018 ; Noriega-Londoño et al, 2020 ). Nevertheless, the concentrated origin of several early-diverging species in the Eastern Cordillera suggests that this area was either uplifted or connected earlier in time.…”

Geogenomics of montane palms points to Miocene–Pliocene Andean segmentation related to strike‐slip tectonics

“…For the Western and Central Cordilleras, the timing of uplift is poorly known. However, several potential temporal constraints on the generation of topography come from thermochronological and geomorphological data, recording fast exhumation phases in the Miocene to Pliocene (León et al, 2018; Noriega‐Londoño et al, 2020; Spikings & Simpson, 2014; Toro et al, 2007; Villagómez & Spikings, 2013). This same time window is also supported for the Central Cordillera by the deformation of sedimentary basins exposed along the Cauca‐Patía and Magdalena River basins (Figure 3, Figure S4) that bound or structurally overlie its basement (Alfonso et al, 1994; Gómez et al, 2003, 2005; Suter et al, 2008).…”

“…For the Western and Central Cordilleras, the timing of uplift is poorly known. However, several potential temporal constraints on the generation of topography come from thermochronological and geomorphological data, recording fast exhumation phases in the Miocene to Pliocene (León et al, 2018;Noriega-Londoño et al, 2020;Spikings & Simpson, 2014;Toro et al, 2007;Villagómez & Spikings, 2013).…”

“…Particularly in the Northern Andes, the uplift history of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and the Merida Andes of Venezuela have been intensively explored (Anderson et al, 2016; Bermúdez et al, 2011; Mora et al, 2013; Parra et al, 2009), but the mountain building record—and particularly the elevation history—of the Central and Western Cordilleras of Colombia remains scarcely known (León et al, 2018; Noriega‐Londoño, et al, 2020; Restrepo‐Moreno et al, 2009; Spikings & Simpson, 2014; Villagómez & Spikings, 2013). This hinders the understanding of the evolution of the Northern Andes and their extraordinary plant life.…”

Crustal Seismogenic Thickness and Thermal Structure of NW South America

“…In this study, we grouped the Palestina and Otú-Pericos faults in what we will refer to as the Otú-Palestina fault system (OPF, Figure 3), even though those two structures might be genetically different (Restrepo & Toussaint, 1988). The right-lateral Espíritu Santo fault (ES, Figure 3) can be considered a part of the large-scale suture zone defined by the Romeral Fault System (Noriega-Londoño et al, 2020). This region concentrates most of the deepest seismic events of the study area.…”