Gruta del Indio (Layer 2) (Holocene of Argentina)

Where: Mendoza, Argentina (34.6° S, 68.4° W: paleocoordinates 34.6° S, 68.4° W)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Holocene (0.0 - 0.0 Ma)

• Fernández and Pardiñas 2018: Layer 2=ca. 3.8–2.3 ky BP

Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported

• Fernández and Pardiñas 2018: GI is a large rockshelter (50 m wide at the mouth and 12 m long) that was eroded out of a basaltic outcrop, 20 m above the alluvial plain of the Atuel River. The sedimentary filling of GI is composed by about 1.1 m of gravel, sand, slime and archaeological materials (Semper and Lagiglia, 1962–1968).

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: quarrying

• Fernández and Pardiñas 2018: A total of 599 remains of small mammal were recovered from GI. Most of postcranial elements obtained from the sequence were discarded in the field by the collectors, following a widespread methodology mostly focused to the collection of remains that could be taxonomically identified.

Primary reference: F. J. Fernández and U. F. J. Pardiñas. 2018. Small mammals taphonomy and environmental evolution during Late Pleistocene-Holocene in Monte Desert: The evidence of Gruta del Indio (central west Argentina) . Journal of South American Earth Sciences 84:266-275 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 212466: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Grace Varnham on 14.08.2020

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Didelphimorphia - Didelphidae
Thylamys pallidior
Thylamys pallidior Thomas 1902 fat-tailed mouse opossum
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetidae indet., Graomys griseoflavus, Calomys musculinus, Eligmodontia sp., Phyllotis xanthopygus, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Reithrodon auritus, Akodon dolores
Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817 rodent
Graomys griseoflavus Waterhouse 1837 rodent
Calomys musculinus Thomas 1913 vesper mouse
Eligmodontia sp. Cuvier 1837 rodent
Phyllotis xanthopygus Waterhouse 1837 rodent
Oligoryzomys flavescens Waterhouse 1837 pygmy rice rat
Reithrodon auritus Fischer 1814 bunny rat
 Rodentia - Octodontidae
Tympanoctomys barrerae
Tympanoctomys barrerae plains viscacha rat
 Rodentia - Ctenomyidae
Ctenomys sp.
Ctenomys sp. de Blainville 1826 caviomorph
 Rodentia - Caviidae
Caviidae indet., Microcavia australis, Galea leucoblephara
Caviidae indet. Gray 1821 caviomorph
Microcavia australis Geoffroy and Dorbigny 1833 caviomorph
Galea leucoblephara Burmeister 1861 caviomorph