Revisión del género Panochthus (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae)

Abstract

All the species of the genus Panochthus are reviewed. This taxon is one of the most important glyptodontid genus of the Pleistocene of Argentina because of its high frequency in the Ensenadan, Bonaerian and Lujanian units, as well as because of its wide geographical distribution that spans from the Santa Cruz province to the northern Argentina. Its record also extends to the Pleistocene of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Up to now, a total of ten species of Panochthus remained in force. In this contribution only six species are considered to be valid, and they are: (1) Panochthus tuberculatus (Owen), (2) P. frenzelianus Ameghino, (3) P. intermedius Lydekker, (4) P. subintermedius Castellanos, (5) P. greslebini Castellanos and (6) P. jaguaribensis Moreira. Conversely, four species are invalidated, and they are: (1) P. lundii Burmeister, because it is based on different species of already known glyptodontid material; (2) P. (?) nodotianus Ameghino, a nomen dubium; (3) P. voghti Ameghino, and (4) P. rusconii Castellanos, both synonyms of P. tuberculatus. Other 15 species that in some instance were attributed to Panochthus are discussed, but whose location had been rectified prior to this review. Finally, we consider the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the species of Panochthus and its relation to the Pleistocene climate changes in South America.