Where: Chubut, Argentina (43.3° S, 65.3° W: paleocoordinates 44.0° S, 59.2° W)
• coordinate estimated from map
When: Gaiman Formation, Aquitanian to Aquitanian (23.0 - 16.0 Ma)
• formacion patagonica marina; early Miocene date form Fordyce (2002); In the area of the type locality of M. parvus, the lower part of Gaiman Formation overlies the continental Sarmiento Formation, which contains a mammal fauna correlating with the Colhuehuapian South American Land Mammal Age [51,52]. The latter was dated to 19.8-20.9 Ma, based on 40Ar/39Ar dating [53], thus providing a maximum age of ca. 20 Ma (earliest Burdigalian) for the lower part of the Gaiman Formation in this area. Since virtually all vertebrate material recovered so far originated from the lowermost levels of the Gaiman Formation, close to its contact with the Sarmiento Formation (Cozzuol 2010, pers. comm.), the age of Morenocetus is here assumed to be early Burdigalian. (Fordyce & Marx, 2013)
•
•Both MLP 5-11 and 5-11 were originally reported to have come from the Patagonian Marine Formation [40]. The latter corresponds to the partially correlated Monte León and Gaiman formations, exposed in Santa Cruz (e.g. Garn Bajo de San Juan) and the lower Chubut river valley near Trelew (e.g. at Bryn Gwyn/ Loma Blanca), respectively [42]. In the area around Trelew, the lower part of Gaiman Formation overlies the continental Sarmiento Formation, which contains a mammal fauna correlating with the Colhuehuapian South American Land Mammal Age [43, 45]. The latter has been 40Ar/39Ar dated to 20.9– 19.8 Ma [46], thus providing a maximum age of 19.8 Ma (earliest Burdigalian) for the lower part of the Gaiman Formation in this area. Since virtually all vertebrate material recovered so far originated from the lowermost levels of the Gaiman Formation, close to its contact with the Sarmiento Formation [Cozzuol 2010, pers. comm.], an early Burdigalian age (19.8–18.2 Ma) is here assumed for M. parvus. (Marx & Fordyce, 2015)
• formation-level stratigraphic resolution
Environment/lithology: shallow subtidal; argillaceous sandstone
•
•The Patagonian Marine Formation corresponds to the partially correlated Monte León and Gaiman formations, exposed in Santa Cruz (e.g. Garn Bajo de San Juan) and the lower Chubut river valley near Trelew (e.g. at Bryn Gwyn/ Loma Blanca), respectively [42]. The Gaiman Formation consists of layers of marine sandstones and mudstones, as well as tuffs and tuffaceous sandstones. In addition, the lower part also contains occasional thin layers of Ostrea and bones of marine vertebrates [43]. Thus, the portion of the Gaiman Formation exposed near Trelew provides a likely match for the unit that yielded A. moreni [39, 40, 44].
•11
•In the area around Trelew, the lower part of Gaiman Formation overlies the continental Sarmiento Formation, which contains a mammal fauna correlating with the Colhuehuapian South American Land Mammal Age [43, 45]. The latter has been 40Ar/39Ar dated to 20.9– 19.8 Ma [46], thus providing a maximum age of 19.8 Ma (earliest Burdigalian) for the lower part of the Gaiman Formation in this area. Since virtually all vertebrate material recovered so far originated from the lowermost levels of the Gaiman Formation, close to its contact with the Sarmiento Formation [Cozzuol 2010, pers. comm.], an early Burdigalian age (19.8–18.2 Ma) is here assumed for A. moreni. (Marx & Fordyce, 2015)
•
•Shows a shallow, storm-dominated marine environment with significant sea level oscillations.
Size class: macrofossils
Preservation: original phosphate
Primary reference: A. Cabrera. 1926. Cetaceos fossiles del Museo de La Plata. Revista del Museo de La Plata 29:363-411 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details
Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis
PaleoDB collection 47303: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 22.02.2005
Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)
Taxonomic list
Aves | |
"Palaeospheniscus patagonicus n. sp." = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus3, "Palaeospheniscus interruptus" = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus4, "Palaeospheniscus affinis" = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus4, "Palaeospheniscus menzbieri n. sp." = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus3, Chubutodyptes biloculata n. gen. n. sp.5, "Palaeospheniscus bergi n. sp." = Palaeospheniscus bergi3, "Palaeospheniscus gracilis" = Palaeospheniscus bergi4, "Palaeospheniscus medianus" = Palaeospheniscus bergi4, "Neculus rothi" = Palaeospheniscus bergi4, "Palaeospheniscus rothi" = Palaeospheniscus bergi4
"Palaeospheniscus patagonicus n. sp." = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus3 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 penguin
"Palaeospheniscus menzbieri n. sp." = Palaeospheniscus patagonicus3 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 penguin | |
"Palaeospheniscus robustus" = Paraptenodytes robustus4, "Treleudytes crassus" = Paraptenodytes robustus4, "Palaeospheniscus antarcticus n. gen. n. sp." = Paraptenodytes antarcticus4
"Palaeospheniscus antarcticus n. gen. n. sp." = Paraptenodytes antarcticus4 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 penguin | |
Mammalia | |
Prosqualodon australis n. gen. n. sp.1, Phoberodon arctirostris n. gen. n. sp., "Cetotherium moreni n. sp." = Aglaocetus moreni2
Phoberodon arctirostris n. gen. n. sp. Cabrera 1926 toothed whale | |
Morenocetus parvus n. gen. n. sp.
Morenocetus parvus n. gen. n. sp. Cabrera 1926 right whale | |
"Plesiocetus dyticus n. sp." = Protororqualus dyticus
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