Record of the genus Aeolosaurus (Sauropoda, Titanosauria) in the Late Cretaceous of South America: paleogeographic implications

C R.A Candeiro

doi:10.3989/egeol.40338.081

Abstract

The Upper Cretaceous of South America has yielded fossils of the Aeolosaurini titanosaurian Aeolosaurus from Argentina (from the Allen, Los Alamitos, Angostura Colorada, and Bajo Barreal formations) and Brazil (Adamantina and Marilia formations). To date, four Aeolosaurus species have been recognized: Aeolosaurus colhuehuapensis, Aeolosaurus rionegrinus, A. rionegrinus? and Aeolosaurus sp. Gondwanatitan faustoi, recently considered a junior synonym of Aeolosaurus, is here demonstrated to be a valid taxon. The occurrence of Aeolosaurus in Turonian-Santonian rocks of central Brazil and in Campanian-Maastrichtian deposits of Argentina suggests that the temporal and geographic distribution of aeolosaurines was greater than previously recognized. The Aeolosaurus records from the Maastrichtian Marilia Formation of Brazil demonstrate that this genus persisted after the marine incursion that occurred in northern Patagonia during the Campanian-Maastrichtian. The Late Cretaceous tetrapod assemblages of central Brazil and Patagonia are comparable in age and fossil content.

Highlights

Aeolosaurus is a well-known aeolosaurine titanosaurian genus from the Late Cretaceous of South America
Aeolosaurus colhuehuapensis, Aeolosaurus rionegrinus, Aeolosaurus rionegrinus?, Aeolosaurus sp., and Aeolosaurus-related taxa have all been discovered in Argentina; Aeolosaurus sp. and Aeolosaurus-related taxa are known to occur in Brazil
Geological and stratigraphic evidence suggests that central Brazil and Patagonia maintained contact through the early Late Cretaceous but became separated by a marine incursion during the Late Cretaceous (Campanian), as pointed out by Pascual et al (1996)

Summary

Introduction

Aeolosaurus is a well-known aeolosaurine titanosaurian genus from the Late Cretaceous of South America. It has been reported from various Upper Cretaceous localities of this western Gondwanan landmass. Recent studies (González Riga, 1999; Bertini et al, 2000; Santucci, 2002; Candeiro & Martinelli, 2003; Almeida et al, 2004; Candeiro et al, 2004, 2006a,b, 2008; Casal et al, 2007; Santucci & Arruda-Campos, 2009) have extended the distribution of Aeolosaurus to include other areas of Patagonia (Chubut Province, Argentina) as well as Brazil.

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