Fig. 1

a Location of Cocinetas Basin in the Guajira Peninsula of northern Colombia and other important Early-Middle Miocene (Burdigalian–Langhian) and Late Pliocene units in the southern Caribbean: 1 upper Culebra Formation (Panama), 2 La Rosa Formation (Venezuela), 3 Agua Clara, Querales, and Soccoro formations (Venezuela), 4 Castillo Formation (Venezuela), 5 Cantaure Formation (Venezuela), 6 Brasso and Manzanilla formations (Trinidad and Tobago), 7 Baitoa Formation (Dominican Republic), 8 Cayo Agua Formation (Panama), 9 San Gregorio Formation (Venezuela), 10 Mare and Playa Grande formations (Venezuela), 11 Araya Formation (Venezuela), 12 Bowden Formation (Jamaica), 13 Mao Limestone (Dominican Republic). b Map of northern Colombia and Venezuela showing location of Cocinetas Basin in the context of major regional faults