Abstract
Proboscideans arrived in South America from North America during the Great American Biotic Interchange, becoming one of the most representative animals of the megafauna that inhabited this continent throughout the Quaternary. In Colombia, the abundance of their remains contrasts with scarce scientific descriptions and publications. This paper identifies dental and postcranial proboscidean fossils from the Center and Northeast of Colombia. The fossil remains were identified as molars (six), a tusk, cervical vertebrae, and a distal part of the right humerus. The tusk was assigned to Notiomastodon platensis, while the other remains were assigned to Gomphotheriidae, with at least six individuals: two immatures, two subadults, and two older adults – mature and senile. Keywords: South America, megamammals, taxonomy, Gomphotheriidae, Notiomastodon platensis.
Highlights
The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) was an important biogeographic event characterized by a series of land mammal migration episodes from North to South America and vice-versa
New taxonomic/systematic studies of the South American proboscideans restricted them to only two species from distinct genera: Cuvieronius hyodon Fischer, 1814 and Notiomastodon platensis Ameghino, 1888 (Mothé et al, Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia, 24(1), 2021
Another extensive revision of South American proboscideans was made by Mothé & Avilla (2015), which argued that a great part of the proboscidean fossil remains in South America is not diagnostic at the specific level
Summary
The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) was an important biogeographic event characterized by a series of land mammal migration episodes from North to South America and vice-versa. This revision was based on detailed comparative studies of cranium, teeth and postcranial fossil remains from South America, and allowed the taxonomic re-assignation of Stegomastodon Pohlig, 1912 and Haplomastodon Hoffstetter, 1950 to Notiomastodon (Mothé et al, 2012). Another extensive revision of South American proboscideans was made by Mothé & Avilla (2015), which argued that a great part of the proboscidean fossil remains in South America is not diagnostic at the specific level. The study of Mothé & Avilla (2015) stated that the Peruvian proboscidean Amahuacatherium peruvium Romero-Pittman, 1996 is not a valid taxon and might be a synonym of Notiomastodon platensis
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