Also known as Couches à Astrapothericulus

Where: Santa Cruz, Argentina (47.1° S, 70.7° W: paleocoordinates 47.7° S, 65.3° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Pinturas Formation, Santacrucian (17.5 - 16.3 Ma)

• continental deposits of the Early Miocene exposed in the Pinturas river valley, Santa Cruz province (Argentina; Figure 1), currently identified as Pinturas Formation ( Bown et al., 1988). Ameghino (1900-1902) called these deposits “Couches à Astrapothericulus” because this is the most abundant and easily identifiable taxon, and concluded that they were carriers of an intermediate fauna association between their “Couches à Colpodon” (Mamhueo Colhuehuapense Age, Early Miocene), and its “Couches à Notohippus” and its “Santacruceña Formation” (Santacrucense Mammal Age, Early Miocene terminal). Recent radiometric dating indicates an age of approximately 16.5-17.5 Ma for the “Astrapothericulense fauna” carrying deposits of the Pinturas Formation (Fleagle et al., 1995), confirming the relative age proposed by Ameghino. Subsequently, Ameghino reported the presence of other species of the genus Astrapothericulus

•in his "Couches à Colpodon" (Ameghino, 1902) and in his "Couches à Notohippus" (Ameghino, 1904a). However, until now the biochronological significance of this genre had not been reassessed.

•Etage Astrapothericuléen y Etage Notohippidéen.

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: A. G. Kramarz. 2009. Adiciones al conocimiento de Astrapothericulus (Mammalia, Astrapotheria): anatomia craneo-dentaria, diversidad y distribucion. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 12(1):55-66 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 207680: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Miranta Kouvari on 27.01.2020

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)