First record of Chaetophractus villosus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae) in the late Pleistocene of Corrientes Province (Argentina)

Chaetophractus villosus is recorded from the Chapadmalalian (middle Pliocene) to present. This species shows one of the widest distributions of living dasypodids, but its current and past ranges do not include the provinces of the argentinean Mesopotamia (Entre Ríos, Corrientes and Misiones Provinces). We report the first record of Chaetophractus villosus in the Quaternary of Corrientes Province. These Quaternary deposits are exposed along the banks of the Paraná River and are represented by two successive upper Pleistocene formations: the Toropí Formation and Yupoí Formation. During the Pleistocene the southern end of South America has experienced climatic fluctuations, with alternations of short humid and warm periods and arid/semiarid and cold periods, leading to contraction or expansion of the biota from neighboring areas. The presence of Chaetophractus villosus in the late Pleistocene of argentinean Mesopotamia provides new evidence of periods with more arid and colder climatic conditions than the present.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Armadillos: antiguos mamíferos acorazados habitantes de las Américas

Desde hace varios millones de años, un peculiar grupo de mamíferos habita nuestro continente, los armadillos, cuyo nombre alude a la “armadura” que recubre su cuerpo dorsalmente. Actualmente están representados por las mulitas, los peludos, el armadillo de tres bandas, el tatú carreta, los armadillos de cola desnuda y los pichiciegos. Pero esta diversidad es solo una pequeña muestra de lo que fueron en el pasado.Fundación Museo de La Plat

Los armadillos (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra) del Cenozoico temprano-medio de Argentina: Aspectos evolutivos, bioestratigráficos y biogeográficos

Fil: Ciancio, Martín Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentin

Los xenarthra de gran barranca : más 20 ma de historia

Fil: Carlini, Alfredo Armando. Departamento de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosaque s/n,1900 La Plata, ArgentinaFil: Ciancio, Martín Ricardo. Departamento de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosaque s/n,1900 La Plata, ArgentinaFil: Scillato-Yané, Gustavo Juan. Departamento de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosaque s/n,1900 La Plata, Argentin

Identification of type specimens of Dasypodidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra) of the paleogene of Argentina

The first collections of Dasipodids of the Paleogene of Argentina were made by Carlos Ameghino in Patagonia. These remains were studied later by his brother Florentino, who described 45 species of Dasipododids distributed in the successive associations that form the first known mammalian faunas: 19 for the Notostylopeén (Casamayoran), 9 for the Astraponoteén (Mustersan) and 17 for the Pyrothéréen (Deseadan). With the aim of studying the diversity of Dasipodids of the Lower Tertiary, the main and immediate reference to wich we have to access to, is the collection of fossils of Ameghino. Nowadays it is a part of the numerous vertebrate collections of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (MACN) "Bernardino Rivadavia". In the original publications of Ameghino, there is no reference to any collection number belonging to the described species and it was long after he described them, that the specimens were deposited in the MACN. When we started studying the type specimens we found that some of them were missing, including those mentioned by other authors. However, after checking out every single specimen of Dasypodidae of Ameghino Collection of MACN, we have identified some remains corresponding to the ones that Ameghino used to describe his species, hence, the types. In this work, we bring to light the specimen types of Dasypodidae that have been identified and until now, were not known as such, or were considered lost. The information about the geographical and stratigraphic origin of the remains was actualized.Las primeras colecciones de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno de Argentina fueron realizadas por Carlos Ameghino en Patagonia. Estos restos fueron luego estudiados por su hermano, Florentino, quién describió 45 especies de Dasipodinos distribuidas en las sucesivas asociaciones que conforman las primeras faunas mamalíferas conocidas: 19 para el Notostylopeén (Casamayorense), 9 para el Astraponoteén (Mustersense) y 17 para el Pyrothéréen (Deseadense). Con el objetivo de estudiar la diversidad de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno, la principal referencia inmediata a la que debemos acceder es a la colección de fósiles de Ameghino. Actualmente, esta colección forma parte de las numerosas colecciones de vertebrados fósiles del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”. En las publicaciones originales de Ameghino no hay referencia a algún número de colección de las especies descriptas, y fue mucho después de que él las describiera, que los ejemplares fueron depositados en el MACN. Al momento de estudiar los materiales tipo de estas especies, nos encontramos, en principio, con muchas ausencias, incluso aquellas que habían sido mencionadas por otros autores. Sin embargo, luego de revisar todos los ejemplares de Dasipodinos de la colecciónAmeghino del MACN, hemos podido identificar varios restos que se corresponden con aquellos sobre los cuales Ameghino describió sus especies, por ende, los tipos. En este trabajo damos a conocer los ejemplares tipo de Dasypodidae que se han identificado y que hasta el momento no se encontraban como tales, o se consideraban extraviados. También se actualizó la información sobre la procedencia geográfica y estratigráfica de estos restos.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Diversity of cingulate xenarthrans in the middle-late Eocene of Northwestern Argentina

The study of Paleogene mammals of intermediate and low latitudes has increased in the last decades and has been clearly demonstrated their importance in the comprehension of the evolution and faunistic changes outside Patagonia. The study of these faunas permits establishing new comparisons among contemporaneous faunistic associations, completing the distributional patterns, and evaluating evolutionary changes in the lineages in relation to climatic conditions prevailing in each of the different regions. In this work we study the diversity of Dasypodidae recovered from the Geste Formation (Northwestern Argentina). Bearing levels of Geste Formation were referred alternatively to a Barrancan subage of Casamayoran SALMA (middle Eocene, Lutetian-Bartonian) or a Mustersan SALMA (middle-late Eocene, Bartonian-Priabonian) on faunistic comparations with their equivalent in Patagonia, although absolute isotopic data indicates ca. 37-35 Ma (late Eocene, Priabonian). We described the following taxa of Dasypodidae: (i) Dasypodinae Astegotheriini: cf. Astegotherium sp., ?Prostegotherium sp., Parastegosimpsonia cf. P. peruana; (ii) Dasypodinae indet.; (iii) Euphractinae Euphractini: Parutaetus punaensis sp. nov.; (iv) Dasypodidae incertae sedis: Pucatherium parvum, Punatherium catamarcensis gen. et sp. nov. In comparison with other beds bearing Eocene cingulate faunas from Northwestern Argentina, Geste Formation presents the greatest diversity of dasypodids. This association is consistent with a late Eocene age and shows a taxonomic and biogeographic relevant features given by a unique specific composition: (i) it differs from that known for contemporaneous faunas from Southern latitudes and younger associations from more tropical areas; (ii) it includes genera with close affinities to those distant areas; (iii) it presents unique taxa typical from Eocene units exposed at Northwestern Argentina. This highlights the evolutionary and biogeographic meaning of the cingulate of the Geste Formation and supports the idea that the faunistic regionalization probably obeyed to latitudinal than to temporal factors.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Diversity of cingulate xenarthrans in the middle-late Eocene of Northwestern Argentina

The study of Paleogene mammals of intermediate and low latitudes has increased in the last decades and has been clearly demonstrated their importance in the comprehension of the evolution and faunistic changes outside Patagonia. The study of these faunas permits establishing new comparisons among contemporaneous faunistic associations, completing the distributional patterns, and evaluating evolutionary changes in the lineages in relation to climatic conditions prevailing in each of the different regions. In this work we study the diversity of Dasypodidae recovered from the Geste Formation (Northwestern Argentina). Bearing levels of Geste Formation were referred alternatively to a Barrancan subage of Casamayoran SALMA (middle Eocene, Lutetian-Bartonian) or a Mustersan SALMA (middle-late Eocene, Bartonian-Priabonian) on faunistic comparations with their equivalent in Patagonia, although absolute isotopic data indicates ca. 37-35 Ma (late Eocene, Priabonian). We described the following taxa of Dasypodidae: (i) Dasypodinae Astegotheriini: cf. Astegotherium sp., ?Prostegotherium sp., Parastegosimpsonia cf. P. peruana; (ii) Dasypodinae indet.; (iii) Euphractinae Euphractini: Parutaetus punaensis sp. nov.; (iv) Dasypodidae incertae sedis: Pucatherium parvum, Punatherium catamarcensis gen. et sp. nov. In comparison with other beds bearing Eocene cingulate faunas from Northwestern Argentina, Geste Formation presents the greatest diversity of dasypodids. This association is consistent with a late Eocene age and shows a taxonomic and biogeographic relevant features given by a unique specific composition: (i) it differs from that known for contemporaneous faunas from Southern latitudes and younger associations from more tropical areas; (ii) it includes genera with close affinities to those distant areas; (iii) it presents unique taxa typical from Eocene units exposed at Northwestern Argentina. This highlights the evolutionary and biogeographic meaning of the cingulate of the Geste Formation and supports the idea that the faunistic regionalization probably obeyed to latitudinal than to temporal factors.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Identification of type specimens of Dasypodidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra) of the paleogene of Argentina

The first collections of Dasipodids of the Paleogene of Argentina were made by Carlos Ameghino in Patagonia. These remains were studied later by his brother Florentino, who described 45 species of Dasipododids distributed in the successive associations that form the first known mammalian faunas: 19 for the Notostylopeén (Casamayoran), 9 for the Astraponoteén (Mustersan) and 17 for the Pyrothéréen (Deseadan). With the aim of studying the diversity of Dasipodids of the Lower Tertiary, the main and immediate reference to wich we have to access to, is the collection of fossils of Ameghino. Nowadays it is a part of the numerous vertebrate collections of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (MACN) "Bernardino Rivadavia". In the original publications of Ameghino, there is no reference to any collection number belonging to the described species and it was long after he described them, that the specimens were deposited in the MACN. When we started studying the type specimens we found that some of them were missing, including those mentioned by other authors. However, after checking out every single specimen of Dasypodidae of Ameghino Collection of MACN, we have identified some remains corresponding to the ones that Ameghino used to describe his species, hence, the types. In this work, we bring to light the specimen types of Dasypodidae that have been identified and until now, were not known as such, or were considered lost. The information about the geographical and stratigraphic origin of the remains was actualized.Las primeras colecciones de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno de Argentina fueron realizadas por Carlos Ameghino en Patagonia. Estos restos fueron luego estudiados por su hermano, Florentino, quién describió 45 especies de Dasipodinos distribuidas en las sucesivas asociaciones que conforman las primeras faunas mamalíferas conocidas: 19 para el Notostylopeén (Casamayorense), 9 para el Astraponoteén (Mustersense) y 17 para el Pyrothéréen (Deseadense). Con el objetivo de estudiar la diversidad de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno, la principal referencia inmediata a la que debemos acceder es a la colección de fósiles de Ameghino. Actualmente, esta colección forma parte de las numerosas colecciones de vertebrados fósiles del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”. En las publicaciones originales de Ameghino no hay referencia a algún número de colección de las especies descriptas, y fue mucho después de que él las describiera, que los ejemplares fueron depositados en el MACN. Al momento de estudiar los materiales tipo de estas especies, nos encontramos, en principio, con muchas ausencias, incluso aquellas que habían sido mencionadas por otros autores. Sin embargo, luego de revisar todos los ejemplares de Dasipodinos de la colecciónAmeghino del MACN, hemos podido identificar varios restos que se corresponden con aquellos sobre los cuales Ameghino describió sus especies, por ende, los tipos. En este trabajo damos a conocer los ejemplares tipo de Dasypodidae que se han identificado y que hasta el momento no se encontraban como tales, o se consideraban extraviados. También se actualizó la información sobre la procedencia geográfica y estratigráfica de estos restos.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Identification of type specimens of Dasypodidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra) of the paleogene of Argentina

The first collections of Dasipodids of the Paleogene of Argentina were made by Carlos Ameghino in Patagonia. These remains were studied later by his brother Florentino, who described 45 species of Dasipododids distributed in the successive associations that form the first known mammalian faunas: 19 for the Notostylopeén (Casamayoran), 9 for the Astraponoteén (Mustersan) and 17 for the Pyrothéréen (Deseadan). With the aim of studying the diversity of Dasipodids of the Lower Tertiary, the main and immediate reference to wich we have to access to, is the collection of fossils of Ameghino. Nowadays it is a part of the numerous vertebrate collections of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (MACN) "Bernardino Rivadavia". In the original publications of Ameghino, there is no reference to any collection number belonging to the described species and it was long after he described them, that the specimens were deposited in the MACN. When we started studying the type specimens we found that some of them were missing, including those mentioned by other authors. However, after checking out every single specimen of Dasypodidae of Ameghino Collection of MACN, we have identified some remains corresponding to the ones that Ameghino used to describe his species, hence, the types. In this work, we bring to light the specimen types of Dasypodidae that have been identified and until now, were not known as such, or were considered lost. The information about the geographical and stratigraphic origin of the remains was actualized.Las primeras colecciones de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno de Argentina fueron realizadas por Carlos Ameghino en Patagonia. Estos restos fueron luego estudiados por su hermano, Florentino, quién describió 45 especies de Dasipodinos distribuidas en las sucesivas asociaciones que conforman las primeras faunas mamalíferas conocidas: 19 para el Notostylopeén (Casamayorense), 9 para el Astraponoteén (Mustersense) y 17 para el Pyrothéréen (Deseadense). Con el objetivo de estudiar la diversidad de Dasipodinos del Paleógeno, la principal referencia inmediata a la que debemos acceder es a la colección de fósiles de Ameghino. Actualmente, esta colección forma parte de las numerosas colecciones de vertebrados fósiles del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”. En las publicaciones originales de Ameghino no hay referencia a algún número de colección de las especies descriptas, y fue mucho después de que él las describiera, que los ejemplares fueron depositados en el MACN. Al momento de estudiar los materiales tipo de estas especies, nos encontramos, en principio, con muchas ausencias, incluso aquellas que habían sido mencionadas por otros autores. Sin embargo, luego de revisar todos los ejemplares de Dasipodinos de la colecciónAmeghino del MACN, hemos podido identificar varios restos que se corresponden con aquellos sobre los cuales Ameghino describió sus especies, por ende, los tipos. En este trabajo damos a conocer los ejemplares tipo de Dasypodidae que se han identificado y que hasta el momento no se encontraban como tales, o se consideraban extraviados. También se actualizó la información sobre la procedencia geográfica y estratigráfica de estos restos.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse