La Cueva (Miocene of Argentina)

Where: Santa Cruz, Argentina (50.3° S, 69.0° W: paleocoordinates 51.0° S, 63.3° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Santa Cruz Formation, Santacrucian (17.5 - 16.3 Ma)

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

Size class: mesofossils

Collected by C. Ameghino

Primary reference: S. F. Vizcaíno, R. F. Kay, and M. S. Bargo. 2012. Background for a paleoecological study of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene) on the Atlantic Coast of Patagonia. In S. F. Vizcaí­no, R. F. Kay, M. S. Bargo (eds.), Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia: High-Latitude Paleocommunities of the Santa Cruz Formation 1-22 [J. Zijlstra/J. Zijlstra/J. Zijlstra]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 176565: authorized by Jelle Zijlstra, entered by Jelle Zijlstra on 17.02.2016, edited by Miranta Kouvari and Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Megatherioidea -
Schismotherium fractum13
Schismotherium fractum13 Ameghino 1887 edentate
Neotype: MACN-A 6445–6470, collected between 1892–93
  - Mylodontidae
Mylodon sp.11
Mylodon sp.11 Owen 1859 edentate
 Cingulata - Chlamyphoridae
Stenotatus patagonicus14
Stenotatus patagonicus14 Ameghino 1887 edentate
MACN-A 7800, osteoderms; MACN-A 8235, carapace and postcrania
 Cingulata - Peltephilidae
Peltephilus nanus14
Peltephilus nanus14 Ameghino 1898 edentate
MACN-A 7958–7959, femur, osteoderms
 Cingulata - Dasypodidae
Paraeutatus distans14
Paraeutatus distans14 armadillo
MACN-A 7272–7274, skull, mandible, ostederms
 Cingulata - Propalaehoplophoridae
"Propalaehoplophorinae indet." = Propalaehoplophoridae14
"Propalaehoplophorinae indet." = Propalaehoplophoridae14 Ameghino 1891 edentate
MACN-A 7693, humerus
 Rodentia - Acaremyidae
Pseudoacaremys kramarzi n. gen. n. sp.3
Pseudoacaremys kramarzi n. gen. n. sp.3 Arnal and Vucetich 2015 caviomorph
MACN A 10095, skull
 Panameriungulata - Proterotheriidae
Tetramerorhinus cingulatum8
Tetramerorhinus cingulatum8 Ameghino 1891 placental
MACN P5971
 Sparassodonta -
Cladosictis patagonica9, "Abderites altiramis n. sp." = Perathereutes pungens9, "Sipalocyon gracilis" = Sipalocyon gracilis9, "Sipalocyon altiramis n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9, "Sipalocyon mixtus n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9, "Sipalocyon longus n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9
Cladosictis patagonica9 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 9359, dentary p1-2; MACN 9360, mandible m1-4; MACN 9361, maxilla M2-3; MACN 9387, dentary m3-4; MACN 9388, dentary m3
"Abderites altiramis n. sp." = Perathereutes pungens9 Ameghino 1891 metatherian
MACN-A 8250, dentary m3, holotype
"Sipalocyon gracilis" = Sipalocyon gracilis9 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 9357, C; MACN 9354, dentary p1, p3-m1; MACN 9353, dentary p3-m1; MACN 9358, distal humerus; MACN 9355, maxilla with molar; MACN 9356, maxilla with molar; MACN 5959, partial skull; MACN 5938–5949, upper and lower jaws and postcrania
"Sipalocyon altiramis n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 5964, dentary p1-m1, holotype
"Sipalocyon mixtus n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 5963, dentary p2, m1, m3, holotype
"Sipalocyon longus n. sp." = Sipalocyon gracilis9 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 5965, dentary p2-m3, holotype
 Sparassodonta - Borhyaenidae
Borhyaena tuberata12
Borhyaena tuberata12 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN-A 6203–6365
 Microbiotheria - Microbiotheriidae
Microbiotherium tehuelchum10, Microbiotherium patagonicum10
Microbiotherium tehuelchum10 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
MACN 10248, edentulous dentary; MACN 8478, dentary m2; MACN 8481, dentary p1-3, m2-4; MACN 8483, dentary p2-m4; MACN 8493, calcaneum
Microbiotherium patagonicum10 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
MACN 8471, right maxilla M1-4
 Paucituberculata - Abderitidae
Abderites meridionalis1
Abderites meridionalis1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
MACN-A 8248, dentary p3-m3
 Paucituberculata - Pichipilidae
Phonocdromus gracilis n. gen. n. sp.10
Phonocdromus gracilis n. gen. n. sp.10 Ameghino 1894 marsupial
MACN 8457, lectotype, dentary p3-m3; 8458, dentary m2-3; 8461, dentary p3-m4; 8462, dentary m2-4
 Paucituberculata - Palaeothentidae
Acdestis oweni4, Palaeothentes lemoinei1, Palaeothentes intermedius1, Palaeothentes minutus1
Acdestis oweni4 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
Palaeothentes lemoinei1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
Palaeothentes intermedius1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
Palaeothentes minutus1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
 Paucituberculata - Caenolestidae
Stilotherium dissimile n. gen. n. sp.10
Stilotherium dissimile n. gen. n. sp.10 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
MACN 8426, maxilla M2-3; 8427, rostrum with left C-P2 and right P1-2; 8428, dentary m3; 8429, dentary incisor, m2-4; 8431, M1; 8447, dentary m3; 8464, dentary with teeth, neotype; 8465, dentary p3-m4; 8466-8467 [or 8566-8567], left dentary with teeth
Reptilia
 Squamata -
Erichosaurus bombimaxila n. sp.7, Erichosaurus debilis n. sp.7, Erichosaurus diminutus n. gen. n. sp.7
Erichosaurus bombimaxila n. sp.7 Ameghino 1899 squamates
MACN-A 2283a-c
Erichosaurus debilis n. sp.7 Ameghino 1899 squamates
MACN-A 5807
Erichosaurus diminutus n. gen. n. sp.7 Ameghino 1899 squamates
MACN-A 2272
Aves
 Anseriformes -
Brontornis burmeisteri2
Brontornis burmeisteri2 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 waterfowl
 Gruiformes - Phorusrhacidae
"Brontornithidae indet." = Brontornithinae5, Phorusrhacos longissimus5, Psilopterus lemoinei2, Patagornis marshi2, "Psilopterus bachmanni" = Patagornis bachmanni2
"Brontornithidae indet." = Brontornithinae5 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 terror bird
NHMUK PV A9057, tibiotarsus, originally classified as Callornis giganteus
Phorusrhacos longissimus5 Ameghino 1887 terror bird
NHMUK PV A581, tarsometatarsus, originally classified as Callornis giganteus
Psilopterus lemoinei2 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 terror bird
Patagornis marshi2 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 terror bird
"Psilopterus bachmanni" = Patagornis bachmanni2 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 terror bird
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Badiostes patagonicus6
Badiostes patagonicus6 Ameghino 1894 raptor
BMNH-A 602, ulna, femur, tarsometatarsus
1Abello et al. 2012; 2Alvarenga and Holfing 2003; 3Arnal and Vucetich 2015; 4Bown and Fleagle 1993; 5Buffetaut 2016; 6Degrange et al. 2012; 7Fernicola and Albino 2012; 8MacPhee et al. 2021; 9Marshall 1981; 10Marshall 1982; 11Pascual et al. 2002; 12Prevosti et al. 2012; 13Racco et al. 2018; 14Vizcaíno et al. 2012