New mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Allen Formation (Patagonia, Argentina) and reassessment of meridiolestidan diversity

Abstract

Dryolestoid mammals are classical members of the Jurassic faunas of Laurasia but mostly absent during the Cretaceous. The reverse is true in Gondwana in general and South America in particular, where meridiolestid dryolestoids are dominant in the Late Cretaceous. We describe here 21 new mammalian specimens from the Upper Cretaceous locality Cerro Tortuga (Allen Formation, Patagonia, Argentina) collected via screenwashing, which we identify as meridiolestid dryolestoids. We recognize a new species of meridiolestid and reassign a previously described specimen to the new taxon. The morphology of these new remains represents a new morphotype in the spectrum of meridiolestid diversity, recording a broadening of trophic adaptations from the ancestral insectivory to the more derived herbivory observed among the later and more derived members of the group. The novel dental morphology helps bridge the anatomy of the plesiomorphic sharp-toothed meridiolestidans with that of the more derived and bunodont mesungulatoids. The new taxon suggests that development of both broad cingulids and complex crown morphology precede the development of the wide compressed roots, bunodonty, and thickened enamel characteristic of derived mesungulatids. Other specimens from the collection are referable to taxa previously known from the same locality. These provide new information about tooth positioning, dental formula, and overall dental morphology. The new material suggests that Groebertherium, previously regarded as a dryolestid taxon, is in fact a likely member of Meridiolestida.