30 research outputs found
Predation of the giant Miocene caiman Purussaurus on a mylodontid ground sloth in the wetlands of proto-Amazonia
Thirteen million years ago in South America, the Pebas Mega-Wetland System sheltered multi-taxon crocodylian assemblages, with the giant caiman Purussaurus as the top predator. In these Miocene swamps where reptiles and mammals coexisted, evidence of their agonistic interactions is extremely rare. Here, we report a tibia of the mylodontid sloth Pseudoprepotherium bearing 46 predation tooth marks. The combination of round and bisected, shallow pits and large punctures that collapsed extensive portions of cortical bone points to a young or sub-adult Purussaurus (approx. 4 m in total length) as the perpetrator. Other known crocodylians of the Pebas Systemwere either too small at adulthood or had discordant feeding anatomy to be considered. The pattern of tooth marks suggests that the perpetrator attacked and captured the ground sloth from the lower hind limb, yet an attempt of dismembering cannot be ruled out. This discovery from the Peruvian Amazonia provides an unusual snapshot of the dietary preferences of Purussaurus andreveals that prior to reaching its giant size, young individuals might have fed upon terrestrial mammals of about the size of a capybara.Fil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Salas Gismondi, Rodolfo. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Per
OsteologĂa craneana y taxonomĂa de Pronothrotherium (xenarthra, folivora, nothrotheriidae) del mioceno tardĂo–plioceno temprano de la provincia de Catamarca (Argentina)
Pronothrotherium typicum es un perezoso notrotĂ©rido del Mioceno tardĂo–Plioceno temprano (Edades MamĂfero Huayqueriense–Chapadmalense) de la provincia de Catamarca, noroeste de Argentina. Pronothrotherium es uno de los cuatro gĂ©neros de notroterinos cuyos esqueletos son relativamente completos, pero a diferencia de los otros tres, su anatomĂa no ha sido formalmente descripta. El presente estudio proporciona las primeras descripciones e ilustraciones de la anatomĂa craneana de Pronothrotherium, basadas principalmente en un cráneo casi completo de un subadulto y un fragmento de cráneo de un adulto de P. typicum, depositados en las colecciones del Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA). Se provee tambiĂ©n una revisiĂłn de la diagnosis de P. typicum basada en caracteres craneanos. El cráneo de esta especie muestra una serie de caracterĂsticas especĂficas, como una marcada quilla del vĂłmer en la regiĂłn nasofarĂngea que termina en una protuberancia globosa, que representarĂa una caracterĂstica Ăşnica dentro de los mamĂferos. Sobre la base del presente estudio se reconocen dos especies contemporáneas del gĂ©nero Pronothrotherium, P. typicum y P. mirabilis, aunque la segunda es más dudosa. No se acepta la validez de una tercera especie anteriormente descripta, P. figueirasi, que es considerada como sinĂłnimo de P. mirabilis. Este estudio no se propone resolver las relaciones filogenĂ©ticas inciertas entre los notroterinos más conocidos Pronothrotherium, Mionothropus (Mioceno tardĂo) y los dos gĂ©neros de Nothrotheriini pleistocenos, Nothrotherium y Nothrotheriops. Sin embargo, esperamos que los datos proporcionados faciliten futuros estudios que abarquen estas cuestiones.Pronothrotherium typicum is a late Miocene–early Pliocene (Huayquerian–Chapadmalalan SALMA) nothrotheriid sloth known from the Catamarca Province of northwestern Argentina. Pronothrotherium is one of four nothrotheriid genera known from relatively complete skeletal material, but unlike the other three, the osteology of Pronothrotherium has not been formally described. The present study provides the first detailed description and illustration of the cranial anatomy of Pronothrotherium, based largely on a nearly complete, subadult skull of P. typicum from the collections of The Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA), as well as a less well-preserved adult skull and isolated mandible from the same collections. A revised cranial diagnosis of P. typicum is provided in the text. The skull of this species shows a number of distinctive features, most notably a peculiar vomerine keel in the nasopharynx, terminating in a swollen knob, that is, as far we know, a unique morphology among mammals. Based on the results of the present study, there appears to be reason to recognize two contemporaneous species of Pronothrotherium, P. typicum and P. mirabilis, although the latter is less well supported. We do not accept the validity of a third described species, P. figueirasi, considering it instead to be synonymous with P. mirabilis. The present study does not resolve the uncertain phylogenetic relationships among the well-preserved nothrotheriine taxa Pronothrotherium, Mionothropus (late Miocene), and the two Pleistocene genera in Nothrotheriini, Nothrotherium and Nothrotheriops. However, we hope that the data provided will facilitate subsequent phylogenetic studies that may resolve these issues.Fil: Gaudin, Timothy J.. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Tuckniss, Susan. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Boscaini, Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. DivisiĂłn PaleontologĂa Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: De Iuliis, Gerardo. University of Toronto; Canad
Cranial Anatomy and Paleoneurology of the Extinct Sloth Catonyx tarijensis (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) From the Late Pleistocene of Oruro, Southwestern Bolivia
Extinct scelidotheriine sloths are among the most peculiar fossil mammals from South America. In recent decades, the external cranial anatomy of Pleistocene scelidotheres such as Scelidotherium, Catonyx, and Valgipes has been the subject of numerous studies, but their endocranial anatomy remains almost completely unknown. Today, computed tomographic (CT) scanning methodologies permit the exploration of previously inaccessible anatomical areas through a completely non-destructive process. For this reason, we undertook an analysis of the external and internal cranial anatomy of Catonyx tarijensis from the late Pleistocene of the Department of Oruro, in southwestern Bolivia. One particularly well-preserved specimen allowed detailed observation of all the main cranial osteological features, including the ear region and an almost complete hyoid apparatus, previously unknown for this taxon. Moreover, CT-scanning and subsequent elaboration of digital models of this specimen allowed observation of the brain cavity and cranial sinuses, and reconstruction of the trajectory of the main cranial nerves for the first time in an extinct scelidotheriine sloth. Additionally, we recovered the first three-dimensional reconstructions of the nasal cavity and the turbinates of an extinct sloth. In contrast to the usual depiction, the combined information from the external and internal anatomy suggests reduced lingual protrusion in Catonyx tarijensis, or at least a consistently more limited protrusion of the tongue in comparison with other mylodontid sloths such as Glossotherium robustum. The new morphological information recovered from this extinct sloth is compared with the available information for both extant and extinct forms, providing insights in the paleobiology of the extinct species. The present study reveals the importance of applying these novel non-destructive techniques to elucidate the evolutionary history of sloths.Fil: Boscaini, Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Iurino, Dawid A.. UniversitĂ degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Mamani Quispe, Bernardino. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de la Paz; BoliviaFil: Andrade Flores, RubĂ©n. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de la Paz; BoliviaFil: Sardella, Raffaele. UniversitĂ degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Gaudin, Timothy. University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga; Estados Unido
The Scelidotheriine Proscelidodon (Xenarthra: Mylodontidae) from the Late Miocene of Maimará (Northwestern Argentina)
Xenarthra constitutes one of the most peculiar clades of the South American mammalian fauna and includes sloths (Tardigrada), anteaters (Vermilingua), and armored xenarthrans (Cingulata). Its phylogenetic affinities among placental mammals and their origins remain doubtful (Asher and Helgen, 2010). Xenarthrans first appear in the Itaboraian age (late Paleocene?early Eocene; Oliveira and Goin, 2011) represented by the Dasypodidae in the locality of ItaboraĂ, Brazil. Sloths are first recorded from the early Oligocene (Tinguirirican age) of Chile and became abundant during the late Oligocene (Deseadan age), mainly in Argentina and Bolivia with representation of Mylodontidae and Megalonychidae (Pujos et al., 2012).Fil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Candela, Adriana Magdalena. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. DivisiĂłn PaleontologĂa Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Galli, Claudia InĂ©s. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta; ArgentinaFil: Coira, Beatriz Lidia Luisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; ArgentinaFil: Reguero, Marcelo Alfredo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. DivisiĂłn PaleontologĂa Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: De los Reyes, MartĂn. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Abello, MarĂa Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Sistemática y BiologĂa Evolutiva; Argentin
New radiometric 40Ar–39Ar dates and faunistic analyses refine evolutionary dynamics of Neogene vertebrate assemblages in southern South America
The vertebrate fossil record of the Pampean Region of Argentina occupies an important place in South American vertebrate paleontology. An abundance of localities has long been the main basis for constructing the chronostratigraphical/geochronological scale for the late Neogene–Quaternary of South America, as well as for understanding major patterns of vertebrate evolution, including the Great American Biotic Interchange. However, few independently-derived dates are available for constraining this record. In this contribution, we present new 40Ar/39Ar dates on escorias (likely the product of meteoric impacts) from the Argentinean Atlantic coast and statistically-based biochronological analyses that help to calibrate Late Miocene–Pliocene Pampean faunal successions. For the type areas of the Montehermosan and Chapadmalalan Ages/Stages, our results delimit their age ranges to 4.7–3.7 Ma and ca. 3.74–3.04 Ma, respectively. Additionally, from Buenos Aires Province, dates of 5.17 Ma and 4.33 Ma were recovered for “Huayquerian” and Montehermosan faunas. This information helps to better calibrate important first appearances of allochthonous taxa in South America, including one of the oldest records for procyonids (7.24–5.95 Ma), cricetids (6.95–5.46 Ma), and tayassuids (> 3.74 Ma, oldest high-confidence record). These results also constrain to ca. 3 Ma the last appearances of the autochthonous sparassodonts, as well as terror birds of large/middle body size in South America. South American faunal turnover during the late Neogene, including Late Pliocene extinctions, is interpreted as a consequence of knock-on effects from global climatic changes and initiation of the icehouse climate regime.Fil: Prevosti, Francisco Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Rioja. Secretaria de Ciencia y TecnologĂa; ArgentinaFil: Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Forasiepi, Analia Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Hemming, Sidney. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Bonini, Ricardo Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Tandil. Investigaciones ArqueolĂłgicas y PaleontolĂłgicas del Cuaternario Pampeano. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Investigaciones ArqueolĂłgicas y PaleontolĂłgicas del Cuaternario Pampeano; ArgentinaFil: Candela, Adriana Magdalena. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. DivisiĂłn PaleontologĂa Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cerdeño Serrano, Maria Esperanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Madozzo JaĂ©n, MarĂa Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de CorrelaciĂłn GeolĂłgica. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Departamento de GeologĂa. Cátedra GeologĂa Estructural. Instituto Superior de CorrelaciĂłn GeolĂłgica; Argentina. Museo PaleontolĂłgico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Ortiz, Pablo Edmundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de CorrelaciĂłn GeolĂłgica. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Departamento de GeologĂa. Cátedra GeologĂa Estructural. Instituto Superior de CorrelaciĂłn GeolĂłgica; ArgentinaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Rasia, Luciano Luis. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. DivisiĂłn PaleontologĂa Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Schmidt, Gabriela Ines. Provincia de Entre RĂos. Centro de Investigaciones CientĂficas y Transferencia de TecnologĂa a la ProducciĂłn. Universidad AutĂłnoma de Entre RĂos. Centro de Investigaciones CientĂficas y Transferencia de TecnologĂa a la ProducciĂłn. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones CientĂficas y Transferencia de TecnologĂa a la ProducciĂłn; ArgentinaFil: Taglioretti, Matias Luciano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de GeologĂa de Costas y del Cuaternario. Provincia de Buenos Aires. GobernaciĂłn. ComisiĂłn de Investigaciones CientĂficas. Instituto de GeologĂa de Costas y del Cuaternario; Argentina. Litoral Atlántico Norte. Observatorio Patrimonio ArqueolĂłgico y PaleontolĂłgico; ArgentinaFil: Macphee, Ross Douglas Earle. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Pardiñas, Ulises Francisco J.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Centro Nacional PatagĂłnico. Instituto de Diversidad y EvoluciĂłn Austral; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad; Ecuado
Form and Function in the Xenarthra-an Introduction to the Symposium Proceedings Volume
This special issue of the Journal of Mammalian Evolution represents the proceedings from a symposium held in conjunction with the 9th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology (ICVM IX, Punta del Este, Uruguay, July 29, 2010), and entitled "Form and Function in the Xenarthra." This symposium was the third on xenarthran biology to be presented in association with the ICVM meetings. In this brief introduction to the symposium proceedings, we plan to discuss the justification for the symposium, to provide a brief history of previous symposia and their results, and to introduce the contents of the present volume. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.Fil: Gaudin, Timothy. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Estados UnidosFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentina. Institut Français d’Etudes Andines; Per
Cenozoic Evolution of TRopical-Equatorial MAmmals (TREMA)–an Introduction to the Symposium Proceedings Volume
This special issue of the Journal of Mammalian Evolution coincides with the proceedings from a symposium held in conjunction with the 4th International Palaeontological Congress (IPC4, Mendoza, Argentina; September 28, 2014), entitled “Cenozoic evolution of TRopical-Equatorial MAmmals,” and abbreviated as TREMA. In this short introduction to the symposium proceedings, in which we present the contents of the current issue, we discuss the pivotal role of the mammalian fossil record at low latitudes for understanding the origin, structural organization, and dynamics of present mammalian biodiversity.Fil: Antoine, Pierre Olivier. UniversitĂ© Montpellier II; FranciaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentin
New Pleistocene remains of megalonychid ground sloths (Xenarthra: Pilosa) from the intertropical Brazilian region
The Pleistocene fossil sloth Australonyx aquae De Iuliis, Cartelle, and Pujos, 2009 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Megalonychidae) was described from the intertropical region of Brazil. However, its mandible was not known and only cursory descriptions of the ear ossicles were included. The mandible was subsequently recognized among the remains originally collected from the type locality, and belongs to the holotype individual. As a particularly important skeletal element for specific recognition, it requires description to complement our understanding of this species. The ossicles, usually poorly represented in the fossil record, require further description to allow differentiation from those of other sloths. Comparisons of the mandible and ossicles are conducted with homologous elements of the contemporaneous and sympatric Ahytherium aureum Cartelle, De Iuliis, and Pujos, 2008, the only other megalonychid sloth known from intertropical Brazil, and reinforce the distinction between these two species detailed in their initial descriptions. Comparisons with other sloths (e.g., Acratocnus, Megalonyx, Neocnus) also reveal differences with Au. aquae in such features as form and size of the caniniform tooth, angular process, and mandibular condyle. Differences among the malleus and incus of Au. aquae and several species of other sloth clades reveal clade level distinctions among Megatheriidae, Nothrotheriidae, and Megalonychidae. A well-preserved skull from the Brazilian state of RondĂ´nia is noted as probably belonging to Au. aquae. This skull cannot be assigned formally to this species because it is not deposited in a recognized institution, but it does extend considerably the known range of the species.Fil: De Iuliis, Gerardo. University of Toronto; CanadáFil: Cartelle, Cástor. PontifĂca Universidade CatĂłlica de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentin
La mégafaune: splendeur et décadence
Le gigantisme est l'un des traits les plus inattendus de la faune disparue des nĂ©otropiques. Tortues et chinchillas semblent tout autant pris de dĂ©mesure que le cĂ©lèbre paresseux gĂ©ant. Éteints il ny a que quelques milliers d'nnĂ©es, ces gĂ©ants ont cĂ´toyĂ© lhommeFil: Boivin, Myriam. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Antoine, Pierre Olivier. No especifĂca
Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842) (Xenarthra, Megatheriinae) est la seule espèce de paresseux mégathère dans le Pléistocène intertropical du Brésil : réponse à Faure et al., 2014
Recent reports (Faure et al., 2014; GuĂ©rin and Faure, 2000, 2008) describe the existence, in intertropical Brazil, of a small (“dwarf”) megatheriine sloth, Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842), and a giant-sized megatheriine, Eremotherium rusconii (Schaub, 1935). This view is in marked contrast to that advanced by Cartelle and De Iuliis (1995, 2006), who demonstrated the presence of a single Late Pleistocene giant Eremotherium species, for which the valid name is Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842), in intertropical Brazil and elsewhere in America. These authors dubbed this species the Panamerican giant ground sloth. The present contribution reviews the material discussed by Faure et al. (2014) and demonstrates that it belongs to a juvenile (as did the material from GuĂ©rin and Faure, 2000) of the Panamerican giant ground sloth (i.e., E. laurillardi sensu Cartelle and De Iuliis, 1995, 2006) and that there is no evidence of a dwarf megatheriine in the Late Pleistocene of intertropical Brazil.Plusieurs Ă©tudes rĂ©centes (Faure et al., 2014 ; GuĂ©rin et Faure, 2000, 2008) signalent l’existence, dans la rĂ©gion intertropicale du BrĂ©sil, d’un paresseux mĂ©gathère « nain », Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842), ainsi que d’un mĂ©gathère gĂ©ant, Eremotherium rusconii (Schaub, 1935). Ce point de vue diffère de celui avancĂ© par Cartelle et De Iuliis (1995, 2006), qui dĂ©montrent l’existence d’une seule espèce, Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842) durant la fin du PlĂ©istocène, rencontrĂ©e dans la rĂ©gion intertropicale du BrĂ©sil et plus gĂ©nĂ©ralement en AmĂ©rique. Ces derniers auteurs surnomment cette espèce le paresseux gĂ©ant panamĂ©ricain. La prĂ©sente contribution correspond Ă une rĂ©vision du matĂ©riel examinĂ© par Faure et al. (2014) tendant Ă montrer que ce fossile appartient Ă un spĂ©cimen juvĂ©nile (tout comme le matĂ©riel prĂ©sentĂ© par GuĂ©rin et Faure, 2000) du paresseux gĂ©ant panamĂ©ricain (i.e. E. laurillardi sensu Cartelle et De Iuliis, 1995, 2006) et qu’aucun indice de l’existence d’un mĂ©gathère nain n’est Ă ce jour disponible durant la fin du PlĂ©istocène dans la rĂ©gion intertropicale brĂ©silienne.Fil: Cartelle, Cástor. Pontificia Universidad Catolica Do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: De Iuliis, Gerardo. University of Toronto; Canadá. Royal Ontario Museum; CanadáFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de NivologĂa, GlaciologĂa y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentina. Instituto FrancĂ©s de Estudios Andinos; Per