Río Gallegos (Miocene of Argentina)

Also known as Killik Aike, Río Gallegos

Where: Santa Cruz, Argentina (51.6° S, 69.4° W: paleocoordinates 52.2° S, 63.7° 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

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: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 176590: authorized by Jelle Zijlstra, entered by Jelle Zijlstra on 17.02.2016, edited by Grace Varnham and Miranta Kouvari

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Aves
 Anseriformes -
Brontornis burmeisteri2
Brontornis burmeisteri2 Moreno and Mercerat 1891 waterfowl
Mammalia
 Sparassodonta -
Cladosictis patagonica8, Sipalocyon gracilis11
Cladosictis patagonica8 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
MACN 705, left maxillary P3-M2, isolated ?P2, C fragments ("Río Gallegos")
Sipalocyon gracilis11 Ameghino 1887 metatherian
YPM-VPPU 153737 ("Killik Aike")
 Microbiotheria - Microbiotheriidae
Microbiotherium tehuelchum1
Microbiotherium tehuelchum1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
coll. H. Felton ("Killik-Aike")
 Paucituberculata - Palaeothentidae
Acdestis oweni5, Palaeothentes aratae1, Palaeothentes intermedius5, Palaeothentes minutus1
Acdestis oweni5 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
Palaeothentes aratae1 Moreno 1882 marsupial
coll. B. Brown
Palaeothentes intermedius5 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
Palaeothentes minutus1 Ameghino 1887 marsupial
coll. B. Brown ("Río Gallegos"), H. Felton ("Killik-Aike"): MACn-A 5619-5639a-I, dentaries and postcrania
 Astrapotheria - Astrapotheriidae
Astrapotherium magnum6
Astrapotherium magnum6 Owen 1853 placental
AMNH 9278, cranium and mandible
 Notoungulata - Toxodontidae
Nesodon sp.6, Adinotherium ovinum6
Nesodon sp.6 Owen 1846 notoungulate
AMNH 9168, cranium, mandible; 9553, ulna, tibia ("Río Gallegos")
Adinotherium ovinum6 Owen 1846 notoungulate
AMNH 9571, cranium
 Notoungulata - Interatheriidae
"Interatherium robustum" = Interatherium extensus6, Protypotherium cavum12, Protypotherium australe6, "Protypotherium attenuatum" = Protypotherium praerutilum6
"Interatherium robustum" = Interatherium extensus6 Fernández et al. 2023 notoungulate
AMNH 9483, mandible
Protypotherium cavum12 notoungulate
AMNH 9245. endocraneum studied also by Simpson 1933 and Radinsky 1981
Protypotherium australe6 Moreno 1882 notoungulate
AMNH 9565, cranium and mandible ("Río Gallegos"); YPM-VPPU 15340, femur, tibia; 15659, femur, tibia; 15828, cranium, mandible, humerus, ulna; 15892, humerus ("Killik Aike, Río Gallegos")
"Protypotherium attenuatum" = Protypotherium praerutilum6 Ameghino 1887 notoungulate
YPM-VPPU 15341, postcrania; 15665, cranium ("Killik Aike, Río Gallegos")
 Notoungulata - Hegetotheriidae
Hegetotherium mirabile6, Pachyrukhos moyani6
Hegetotherium mirabile6 Ameghino 1887 notoungulate
YPM-VPPU 15431, femur, tibia; 15542, cranium, mandible, humerus, ulna ("Killik AIke, Río Gallegos")
Pachyrukhos moyani6 Ameghino 1885 notoungulate
YPM-VPPU 15743, cranium; 15744, cranium, mandible ("Killik Aike, Río Galllegos")
 Primates - Homunculidae
Homunculus patagonicus10
Homunculus patagonicus10 Ameghino 1891 monkey
The holotype of H. patagonicus (MACN-A 634) was collected by Carlos Ameghino from the north shore of the estuary of the Rio Gallegos but got lost.
 Rodentia - Acaremyidae
Acaremys major n. sp.3, Pseudoacaremys kramarzi3
Acaremys major n. sp.3 Scott 1905 caviomorph
YPM PU15366, skull ("Killik-Aike")
Pseudoacaremys kramarzi3 Arnal and Vucetich 2015 caviomorph
YPM PU 15872, maxillaries ("Killik-Aike")
 Panameriungulata - Proterotheriidae
Tetramerorhinus sp.7, Tetramerorhinus cingulatum6, Tetramerorhinus lucarius6, "Anisolophus australis" = Proterotherium australe6, Thoatherium minusculum7
Tetramerorhinus sp.7 Ameghino 1894 placental
YPM PU 15368
Tetramerorhinus cingulatum6 Ameghino 1891 placental
YPM-VPPU 15436, mandible ("Killik Aike, Río Gallegos"); 15732, mandible ("Río Gallegos")
Tetramerorhinus lucarius6 Ameghino 1894 placental
YPM-VPPU 15722, mandible ("Killik Aike, Río Gallegos")
"Anisolophus australis" = Proterotherium australe6 Burmeister 1879 placental
YPM-VPPU 15368, cranium ("Killik Aike, Río Gallegos")
Thoatherium minusculum7 Ameghino 1887 placental
YPM PU 15721
 Megatherioidea -
"Hapalops rectangularis n. sp." = Schismotherium rectangularis4
"Hapalops rectangularis n. sp." = Schismotherium rectangularis4 Ameghino 1887 edentate
AMNH 9222, mandible and postcrania, holotype
 Megatherioidea - Megatheriidae
Prepotherium potens4
Prepotherium potens4 Ameghino 1891 edentate
YPM-VPPU 15345, postcrania ("Killik Aike")
 Megatherioidea - Megalonychidae
Megalonychidae indet.4, Hapalops sp.4, Hapalops elongatus4
Megalonychidae indet.4 Gervais 1855 edentate
AMNH 94754, postcrania ("Río Gallegos")
Hapalops sp.4 Ameghino 1887 edentate
YPM-VPPU 15618, postcrania ("Killik Aike")
Hapalops elongatus4 Ameghino 1891 edentate
YPM-VPPU 15597, skull and mandible ("Killik Aike")
 Xenarthra -
Adiastaltus habilis9
Adiastaltus habilis9 Ameghino 1893 edentate
MACN A-5801, distal humerus
 Cingulata - Chlamyphoridae
Prozaedyus exilis13
Prozaedyus exilis13 Ameghino 1887 edentate
YPM-VPPU 15579, skull and postskeleton
 Xenarthra -
Stegotherium tauberi13
Stegotherium tauberi13 Gonzalez and Scilalto-Yané 2008 edentate
YPM-VPPU 15565, skull, vertebrae, pes, carapace
1Abello et al. 2012; 2Alvarenga and Holfing 2003; 3Arnal and Vucetich 2015; 4Bargo et al. 2012; 5Bown and Fleagle 1993; 6Cassini et al. 2012; 7MacPhee et al. 2021; 8Marshall 1981; 9McDonald et al. 2008; 10Perry et al. 2014; 11Prevosti et al. 2012; 12Quiroga 1988; 13Vizcaíno et al. 2012