Taphonomy of a skeleton of Arctocephalus australis (Carnivora: Pinnipeda: Otariidae) from the Holocene of Miramar locality (southern Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Abstract

The taphonomy of a partial skeleton of the fur seal Arctocephalus australis from the mid-Holocene of Miramar (southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina) comprising most of both hindlimbs and some vertebral elements is herein described and discussed. The main axis of the long bones is oriented perpendicular to the coastline, flexed and slightly disarticulated, while the vertebrae are somewhat arched, possibly suggesting rigor mortis. The specimen was probably transported from a nearby coastal area, and possibly died from starvation with subsequent stranding. Short weathering times, fragmentation and possible rotation of the pelvic region are the main factors affecting the remains. The material corresponds to a subadult individual, determined by the pattern of fusion of the epiphysis and size of long bones. This study adds important information on the taphonomy of Holocene marine mammals and paleoenvironmental conditions influencing the preservation of these pelagic pinnipeds along the Atlantic Ocean compared with the populations of the Pacific Ocean.