Caleufú: Messinian, Argentina

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Reptilia - Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Cenizo et al. 2012
GHUNLPam 19865/15, proximal epiphysis of right ulna
Reptilia - Tinamiformes - Tinamidae
cf. Eudromia sp. Geoffroy 1832
Cenizo et al. 2012
GHUNLPam 21566/22, proximal end of left carpometacarpus
Reptilia - Falconidae
Milvago sp. Spix 1824
Cenizo et al. 2012
GHUNLPam 19867/16, distal end of left humerus
Mammalia - Didelphimorphia
Mustelidae ? indet. Fischer 1817
See Prevosti&Pardiñas 2009 for a different interpretation
    = Didelphimorphia indet. Gill 1872
Prevosti and Pardinas 2009
Mammalia - Mylodontidae
Montalvo et al. 2020
GHUNLPam 21108
Mammalia - Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptodontidae indet. Burmeister 1879
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Toxodontidae
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Mesotheriidae
Mammalia - Notoungulata
Tremacyllus sp. Ameghino 1891
Cerdeño et al. 2017
Tremacyllus impressus (Ameghino 1888)
Sostillo et al. 2018
GHUNLPam multiple specimens
Paedotherium minor Cabrera 1937
see also ref 70179 where they talk about Paedotherium sp.
Mammalia - Panameriungulata - Proterotheriidae
Schmidt et al. 2018
GHUNLPam 21589, associated left maxillary fragment with P4-M2 and left mandibular fragment with incomplete p4-m1
Mammalia - Rodentia - Dinomyidae
Tetrastylus sp. Ameghino 1886
Sostillo et al. 2022
GHUNLPam 19830
Mammalia - Rodentia - Chinchillidae
Lagostomus sp. Brookes 1828
Mammalia - Rodentia - Caviidae
Mammalia - Rodentia - Ctenomyidae
GHUNLPam 19714
Mammalia - Rodentia - Octodontidae
Pithanotomys macer Ameghino 1888
Mammalia - Rodentia
Verzi et al. 2011
Holotype: GHUNLPam 19602
Mammalia - Rodentia - Echimyidae
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Romano et al. 2023
see common names

Geography
Country:Argentina State/province:La Pampa
Coordinates: 35.7° South, 64.7° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:35.4° South, 63.2° West (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Altitude:206 meters
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period: Neogene Epoch: Miocene
Stage: Messinian 10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 6
Key time interval: Messinian
Age range of interval: 7.246 - 5.333 m.y. ago
Age estimate: 5.773 Ma (Ar/Ar)6.214 to 5.115 Ma (Ar/Ar)
Stratigraphy
Formation:Cerro Azul
Stratigraphic resolution:formation
Stratigraphy comments: Verzi and Montalvo 2008: based on the “stage of evolution" of octodontids they concluded that this is of Huayquerian age.

Prevosti and Pardinas 2009: critique the above study. The lack of isotopic or paleomagnetic data coupled with the isolation of this locality and the absence of a local stratigraphic succession inhibit its correlation with other palaeontological comparable sites and a robust inference about its chronology. The “stage of evolution” of a taxon is not a biostratigraphic tool, thus we cannot rule out the possibility that the Caleufú assemblage has an Early Pliocene (Montehermosan) age.

Sostillo et al 2018: The Cerro Azul Formation deposits (Linares et al., 1980) are discontinuous along the whole occupied area in the provinces of La Pampa and Buenos Aires (Fig. 2). They are composed of silts, sandy silts and very thin silty sands, reddish and brown colored, with a homogeneous and com- pact general aspect, and frequent carbonate nodules and evidences of pedogenic processes (Folguera and Zárate, 2009). Visconti et al. (2010) interpreted them as eolian deposits characterized by loessic materials, with a high per- centage of lithic fragments and volcaniclastic sediments. Detailed geological and stratigraphic descriptions of the Cerro Azul Formation are provided by Linares et al. (1980), Goin et al. (2000), Visconti et al. (2010), and Folguera and Zárate (2009).

Prevosti et al. (2023): By combining our new radioisotopic dates with biochronology (Supplementary Table S6), a further refinement of the sigmodontine temporal record is now possible. Our results indicate a median age of 5.773 Ma (range 6.214 –5.115 Ma) for the Caleufú assemblage.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:paleosol/pedogenic,concretionary,brown,gray sandy siltstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: sandy siltstones diffusely stratified 0.8 to 1.0 m thick, cemented by carbonates, and with abundant scattered calcareous concretions and rounded manganese nodules Verzi et al. 2003: El afloramiento de la Formación Cerro Azul en Caleufú (figura 1.A) está constituido por limolitas loessoides cementadas por carbonatos, en las cuales se pueden diferenciar tres niveles (figura 1.B). El nivel inferior (portador de los fósiles) y el superior, tienen una potencia de 80 y 50 cm, respectivamente; son de color pardo anaranjado grisáceo, presentan abundantes concreciones calcáreas dispersas y generalmente amorfas. El nivel medio, de 50 cm de espesor, es más arcilloso y de color pardo anaranjado pálido; presenta cutanes de hábito cúbico y concreciones calcáreas cilíndricas, alargadas verticalmente. Estas últimas son interpretadas como rizolitos.
Environment:loess
Geology comments: Schmidt et al. 2018: Deposits at Telen, Bajo Giuliani, El Guanaco and Caleufú were interpreted as loess-like deposits with immature palaeosols and little diagenetic alteration (Montalvo et al., 2008, 2016; Verzi et al., 2008).

Sostillo et al 2018: eolian deposits with scarcely developed paleosols. This
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:field collection
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Metadata
Database number:141939
Authorizer:C. Jaramillo, J. Carrillo, P. Mannion Enterer:J. Carrillo, P. Mannion, G. Varnham, M. Kouvari, K. Pino
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:vertebrate
Created:2013-04-03 03:50:15 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2013-04-03 03:50:15
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
46108. D. H. Verzi and C. I. Montalvo. 2008. The oldest South American Cricetidae (Rodentia) and Mustelidae (Carnivora): Late Miocene faunal turnover in Central Argentina and the Great American Biotic Interchange. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267(3-4):284-291 [C. Jaramillo/J. Carrillo]

Secondary references:

72948 M. M. Cenizo, C. P. Tambussi, and C. I. Montalvo. 2012. Late Miocene continental birds from the Cerro Azul Formation in the Pampean region (central- southern Argentina). Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology 36(1):47-68 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
70179 E. Cerdeño, C. I. Montalvo, and R. Sostillo. 2017. Deciduous dentition and eruption pattern in late Miocene Pachyrukhinae (Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata) from La Pampa Province, Argentina. Historical Biology 29(3):359-375 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
73341 C. I. Montalvo, A. R. Miño-Boilini, R. Sostillo, E. Cerdeño, M. C. Cardonatto and R. A. Bonini. 2020. The Scelidotheriinae Proscelidodon gracillimus (Xenarthra: Mylodontidae) from the Cerro Azul Formation (late Miocene), Argentina: Ontogenetic variability and taxonomy. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 102754 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
70660 F. J. Prevosti and U. F. J. Pardinas. 2009. Comment on “The oldest South American Cricetidae (Rodentia) and Mustelidae (Carnivora): Late Miocene faunal turnover in central Argentina and the Great American Biotic Interchange” by D. H. Verzi and C. I. Montalvo [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267 (2008) 284–291]. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 280:543-547 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
85650 C. O. Romano, R. Bonini, S. Hemming, M. Cenizo, U. F. J. Pardiñas and F. J. Prevosti. 2023. Advances in the understanding of Neogene mammalian fauna in the Pampean region (central Argentina) through revising “biozone” hypotheses based on new dates and biochronological analyses. Ameghiniana 60(5):465-491 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino]
69166 G. I. Schmidt, C. I. Montalvo, R. Sostillo and E. Cerdeño. 2018. Proterotheriidae (Mammalia, Litopterna) from the Cerro Azul Formation (late Miocene), La Pampa Province, Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 83:165-177 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
86911 G. I. Schmidt, C. I. Montalvo, E. Cerdeño, R. Sostillo, R. L. Tomassini and R. A. Bonini. 2022. Updated data on Litopterna from the Huayquerian Stage/Age (Late Miocene-Early Pliocene) of central-east Argentina. Comptes Rendus Palevol 21(32):721-743 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham/P. Mannion]
85304 R. Sostillo, M. C. Cardonatto, L. Kerber and C. I. Moltalvo. 2022. Taxonomic and ontogenetic diversity of Dinomyidae (Rodentia) from the late Miocene-early Pliocene of La Pampa province (Argentina) based on cranio-dental remains. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 114:103704 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino/P. Mannion]
72326 R. Sostillo, E. Cerdeno, and C. I. Montalvo. 2018. Taxonomic implications of a large sample of Tremacyllus (Hegetotheriidae: Pachyrukhinae) from the late Miocene Cerro Azul formation of La Pampa, Argentina. Ameghiniana 55(4):407-422 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
65000 D. H. Verzi, E. C. Vieytes, and C. I. Montalvo. 2011. Dental evolution in Neophanomys (Rodentia, Octodontidae) from the late Miocene of central Argentina. Geobios 44(6):621-633 [C. Jaramillo/J. Carrillo]