Ware Formation

The Ware Formation (Spanish: Formación Ware) is a fossiliferous geological formation of the Cocinetas Basin in the northernmost department of La Guajira. The formation consists of fine lithic to quartzitic sandstones, mudstones, pebbly conglomerates with sedimentary and metamorphic rock fragments, fossiliferous packstones and sandy to conglomeratic beds with high fossil content. The Ware Formation dates to the Neogene and Quaternary periods; Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene epochs, typically Pliocene (3.5 to 2.8 Ma), Uquian, Chapadmalalan and Montehermosan in the SALMA classification, and has a maximum thickness of 25 metres (82 ft).

Ware Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Miocene-Early Pleistocene, typically Pliocene ~3.5–2.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Cocinetas Basin
Underlies	Alluvium
Overlies	Castilletes Formation
Thickness	up to 25 m (82 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, mudstone
Other	Conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	11°51′4.32″N 71°19′26.4″W
Approximate paleocoordinates	11.7°N 70.8°W / 11.7; -70.8
Region	La Guajira  Caribbean region
Country	Colombia
Type section
Named for	Wayuunaiki: "friend"
Named by	Moreno et al.
Location	Uribia
Year defined	2015
Coordinates	11°51′4.32″N 71°19′26.4″W
Region	La Guajira
Country	Colombia
Type locality of the formation in La Guajira

Etymology

The formation was defined in 2015 by Moreno et al., and given the name Ware, meaning "friend" in Wayuunaiki, the language of the local indigenous Wayuu, meaning "friend". The name has been given to pay tribute to the friendship between Colombia and Venezuela.^[1]

Description

Lithologies

The Ware Formation consists of fine lithic to quartzitic sandstones, mudstones, pebbly conglomerates with sedimentary and metamorphic rock fragments, fossiliferous packstones and sandy to conglomeratic beds with high fossil content.^[2]

Stratigraphy and depositional environment

The Ware Formation overlies the Castilletes Formation and is overlain by Quaternary alluvium. The age has been estimated to be Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene (5.2 to 1.22 Ma), Uquian, Chapadmalalan and Montehermosan in the SALMA classification, with a narrow definition in the Pliocene (3.5 to 2.8 Ma). The marine invertebrate fauna of the Ware Formation shows a greater similarity with modern assemblages offshore of the Guajira Peninsula than with those of the underlying units.^[3] The base of the Ware Formation was deposited in a fluvio-deltaic environment, whereas the marine invertebrate assemblage at the top of the unit contains taxa typical of exposed open-ocean shoreface and nearshore settings, but with proximity to coral reef habitats. The Ware Formation correlates with the San Gregorio Formation in the Venezuelan Falcón Basin.^[4]

Fossil content

Group	Fossils	Notes
Mammals	Camelidae, Glyptodontidae, Pampatheriidae, Proterotheriidae, Toxodontidae, Caviidae, Erethizontidae	[5]
	Tardigrada gen. et sp. indet.	[6]
	Mylodontidae gen. et sp. indet.	[6]
	Lestodontini gen. et sp. nov.	[7]
	Scelidotheriinae gen. et sp. indet., ?Hyperleptus sp.	[8]
	Megalonychidae gen. et sp. nov.	[9]
	Pliomegatherium lelongi	[10]
	Nothrotherium sp.	[11]
	Chapalmalania sp.	[12]
	Hydrochoeropsis wayuu	[13]
Reptiles	Crocodylus sp., Crocodylidae indet., Alligatoridae, Podocnemididae	[5][14]
Fish	Characidae, Cynodontidae, Serrasalmidae, Cichlidae, Sciaenidae, Doradidae, Pimelodidae, Carcharhinidae, Sphyrnidae, Myliobatidae, Pristidae	[5]
Invertebrates	Argopecten sp., Euvola sp., Nodipecten sp., Crassostrea sp., Plicatula sp., Spondylus sp., Anodontia sp., Codakia sp., Bulla sp., Laevicardium sp., Trachycardium sp., Macrocallista sp.	[3]

See also

• Colombia portal
• Geology portal
• Paleontology portal

Geology of the Eastern Hills

Cesar-Ranchería Basin

Honda Group

Chorrera, Pisco, Tilatá, Tunjuelo Formations

Urumaco