 The subfamilies Navioideae and Lindmanioideae are endemic to the Guiana Shield as well.The West African species "Pitcairnia feliciana" is the only bromeliad not endemic to the Americas, and is thought to have reached Africa via long-distance dispersal about 12 million years ago.The first groups to leave the Guiana Shield were the genus "Hechtia", which spread to Central America via long-distance dispersal, and the subfamily Tillandsioideae, which spread gradually into northern South America.