Article: Pre-Miocene seagrass communities in the Caribbean

Fossil seagrasses are rarely found in the geological record. Since their ancient distribution cannot be determined directly, it has to be inferred by examining the components which characterize seagrass communities. In this way it has been suggested that although seagrasses first appeared in the late Cretaceous, they did not reach the Caribbean until the Miocene.Caribbean larger foraminifera of late Cretaceous to Oligocene age are discussed, and certain species belonging to the genera Chubbina, Ayalaina, Yaberinella, Cyclorbiculinoides, Cyclorbiculina, and Peneroplis are recognized as probable seagrass-dwellers. A new model for the Caribbean is proposed in which seagrasses first appeared in late Cretaceous times, and became widespread during the Eocene.