The Pampas Fox Lycalopex gymnocercus (Carnivora, Canidae) in the Late Pleistocene of Northern Uruguay

Abstract

Canids are a very diverse and widely distributed group of carnivorous mammals. These animals entered South America in the early stages of faunistic interchange and later during the Pleistocene. However, the fossil record of these organisms is quite scarce on the continent, particularly in Uruguay. In the present contribution, two skulls associated with mandibles are described. Both materials were referred to as individuals of the Pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus, which was supported by morphological and morphometric analysis. These materials were found in late Pleistocene sediments (Sopas Formation) from different localities of northern Uruguay. Some aspects of their systematic and trophic dynamics are discussed. The remains of these animals have previously been listed but never described; thus, this material is the first fossil record reliably determined for this species in Uruguay.