Comment by J.P. Figueiredo, & Hoorn, C. on ‘Late Miocene sedimentary environments in south-western Amazonia (Solimões Formation; Brazil)’ by Martin Gross, Werner E. Piller, Maria Ines Ramos, Jackson Douglas da Silva Paz

• Published in: Journal of South American earth sciences Vol. 35; pp. 74 - 75
• Main Author: Figueiredo, Jorge Jesus Picanço
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2012
• Subjects: Amazon region geological evolution; Amazon river onset and evolution; Amazonian megawetland; Palaeogeographic and palaeoenviromental evolution of the Amazon Region; Palaeogeographic and palaeoenviromental evolution of the Northern South America; Amazon region geological evolution; Palaeogeographic and palaeoenviromental evolution of the Amazon Region; Amazonian megawetland; Palaeogeographic and palaeoenviromental evolution of the Northern South America; Amazon river onset and evolution
• ISSN: 0895-9811; 1873-0647
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsames.2011.12.003

In their paper Gross et al., 2011 present an excellent description of a series of outcrops from the Eirunepe region in western Amazonia (Brazil). The authors interpret these sediments as relics of a Late Miocene anastomosing fluvial system and conclude that the paleogeography of the entire western Amazon region must have been characterized by this environmental setting. They also imply that therefore a long-lived lake system - or megawetland - never existed. We contend this assumption for some reasons, amongst them, the most important are: (1) this is an inconsistent overgeneralized conclusion; (2) The authors make references to previous scientific works we published which we consider incorrect, and therefore can mislead their readers.