Abstract
In this contribution we present new specimens of Litopterna recovered during the last decade in Quebrada Fiera (Mendoza Province, Argentina), whose fossiliferous sediments, currently recognized as the base of Agua de la Piedra Formation, are assignable to Late Oligocene (Deseadan South American Land Mammal Age). Two remains mentioned in the first publication on this locality were neither detailed nor described, and they have not been located in the corresponding repository. The new material consists of postcranial fragmentary remains (astragali, calcaneum, and metapodials) of Macraucheniidae (Cramaucheniinae) and an incomplete upper molar (M3) of Proterotheriidae (Proterotheriinae). These few remains of litopterns contrast with the abundance of notoungulates at Quebrada Fiera. A comparative study was carried out with material from Patagonia (Argentina) and taxa recorded in Bolivia and Peru for the same temporal interval. The specimens of Cramaucheniinae are assigned to Coniopternium andinum and the molar of Proterotheriinae to cf. Lambdaconus suinus. This contribution allows us to extend the geographical range of Coniopternium, filling the gap between the Patagonian and lower latitude localities (Bolivia and Peru) in which this genus was found. The record of L. suinus in Quebrada Fiera expands the geographical range of this species outside from Patagonia.
Highlights
The order Litopterna comprises several families of South American Native Ungulates (SANU)
In this contribution we present new specimens of Litopterna recovered during the last decade in Quebrada Fiera (Mendoza Province, Argentina), whose fossiliferous sediments, currently recognized as the base of Agua de la Piedra Formation, are assignable to Late Oligocene (Deseadan South American Land Mammal Age)
A new study using mitochondrial genome (Westbury et al, 2017) places Macrauchenia patachonica as the sister taxon of living Perissodactyla, in agreement with prior works based on collagen sequences obtained from proteomic analyses
Summary
The order Litopterna comprises several families of South American Native Ungulates (SANU). Fauna that encompasses typical Patagonian taxa, exclusive elements and a species shared with Salla, Bolivia (Cerdeño, 2011, 2014a, b; Cerdeño and Reguero, 2015; Cerdeño and Vera, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017; Cerdeño et al, 2010; Forasiepi et al, 2014; Hernández del Pino et al, 2017; Miquel and Cerdeño, 2016; Seoane and Cerdeño, 2014; Vera et al, 2017) In this opportunity, this contribution focuses on the Litopterna from Quebrada Fiera, a group whose presence at this locality was only referred to as Macraucheniidae indet. We include a full description of the new remains, their comparison with other Deseadan taxa and some biogeographical remarks
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