A New Eocene Dasypodid with Caniniforms (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Northwest Argentina

The aim of this work is to present a new genus and species of Dasypodidae from the Lumbrera Formation (“lower Lumbrera”), early-middle Eocene of Salta Province, northwest Argentina. The new taxon, documented by one specimen, consists of an incomplete skull and jaw with teeth housed in their alveoli, postcranial remains, and isolated osteoderms. Lumbreratherium oblitum, gen. et sp. nov., is characterized by heterodont dentition, with a caniniform as the first tooth, diastema between caniniform and first molariform, teeth with closed roots, and a peculiar morphology of the osteoderms. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that Lumbreratherium oblitum, gen. et sp. nov., and Pucatherium parvum belong to a monophyletic clade in a basal position within the Cingulata. The singularity of the morphological characteristics of these Paleogene armadillos of northwest Argentina reinforces the hypothesis of an intertropical origin of mammal clades different from those of the Paleogene in more austral regions of Argentina.Fil: Herrera, Claudia Marcela Reina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Departamento de Geología. Cátedra Geología Estructural. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica; ArgentinaFil: Powell, Jaime Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Esteban, Graciela Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Departamento de Geología. Cátedra Geología Estructural. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica; ArgentinaFil: del Papa, Cecilia Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentin

A Peculiar New Pampatheriidae (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Cingulata) from the Pleistocene of Argentina and Comments on Pampatheriidae Diversity.

Pampatheriidae are a group of cingulates native to South American that are known from the middle Miocene to the lower Holocene. Two genera have been recognized between the lower Pleistocene and the lower Holocene: Pampatherium Gervais and Ameghino (Ensenadan, Bonaerian and Lujanian, lower Pleistocene-lower Holocene) and Holmesina Simpson (Blancan, Irvingtonian, upper Pliocene-lower Holocene). They have been mainly differentiated by their osteoderm morphology and cranio-dental characters. These taxa had a wide latitudinal distribution, extending from the southern part of South America (Península Valdés, Argentina) to North America (Florida, USA). In this contribution, we describe a new genus and species of Pampatheriidae for the lower and middle Pleistocene of Buenos Aires Province and for the upper Pleistocene of Santa Fe Province (Argentina).The new taxon is represented by disarticulated osteoderms, one skull element, two thoracic vertebrae and a right femur and patella. It has extremely complex osteoderm ornamentations and particular morphological characters of the cranial element and femur that are not found in any other species of the family. This new taxon, recorded in the lower-middle Pleistocene (Ensenadan Stage/Age) and in the upper Pleistocene-early Holocene (Lujanian Stage/Age), is incorporated to the Pleistocene mammal assemblage of South America. Finally, the Pampatheriidae diversity is greater during the Lujanian Stage/Age than the Ensenadan Stage/Age