The Andes rose in a complex migration of mountain building over millions of years
In short: Researchers reconstructed the history of the Andes, the world's longest continental mountain range, finding that its growth was not a uniform event. By compiling data from 36 different regions, they mapped how the mountains rose at different times and in different locations since the Late Cretaceous, beginning roughly 80 million years ago.
Understanding this timeline is vital for explaining how moisture moved across the continent, how the Amazon River formed, and how biodiversity evolved in South America. The study shows that mountain building migrated northwards in the northern Andes and from west to east in the central region.
The reconstruction was built by compiling existing paleoelevation estimates from various literature sources. A limitation of this approach is that it relies on the accuracy of previously published data to create the comprehensive regional map.
Why it matters: The physical landscape of South America was shaped by a slow, moving wave of mountain building that influenced the continent's climate and life.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Boschman (2021). Andean mountain building since the Late Cretaceous: A paleoelevation reconstruction. Earth-Science Reviews. · cc-by-nc-nd
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