Quebrada Honda: Laventan, Bolivia

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Mammalia - Panameriungulata - Proterotheriidae
Proterotheriidae indet. Ameghino 1887
size of Proterotherium australe
Olisanophus sp. McGrath et al. 2020
McGrath et al. 2020
UATF-V-001999 (Takai et al 1984 classified it as Diadiaphorus sp.)
Olisanophus riorosarioensis McGrath et al. 2020
McGrath et al. 2020
MNHN BLV 20 (not 100% sure it's from those beds)
Olisanophus cf. riorosarioensis McGrath et al. 2020
McGrath et al. 2020
RIEB-CM-423
Olisanophus akilachuta n. sp. McGrath et al. 2020
McGrath et al. 2020
Holotype: UATF-V-001780, but also normal specimen UTAF-V-001770
Mammalia - Panameriungulata - Macraucheniidae
Macraucheniidae indet. Ameghino 1889
Theosodon arozquetai n. sp. McGrath et al. 2018
McGrath et al. 2018
UATF-V-001940 (type)
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cephalomyidae
Cephalomyidae indet. Ameghino 1897
Busker et al. 2020
UF 26715 and 26716; reported as a new species of Cephalomys by Frailey (1980)
Mammalia - Rodentia - Capromyidae
Capromyidae indet. Smith 1842
MacFadden and Wolff 1981
Mammalia - Rodentia
Acarechimys sp. Patterson 1965
Croft et al. 2011
specimens UATF-V-000896, UATF-V-000897, UATF-V-000934, UATF-V-000935, UATF-V-000940, UATF-V-000950, UATF-V-000952, UATF-V-000958, UATF-V-000960, AMNH 107907 (= UF 26695), AMNH 107908 (= UF 26696), AMNH 107909 (= UF 26697), AMNH 107910 (= UF 26698 or 26699), AMNH 107912 (= UF 26698 or 26699), AMNH 107911 (= UF 26713)
Acarechimys cf. minutissimus Ameghino 1887
Arnal et al. 2017
UATF-V-000960
Acarechimys minutus Patterson and Pascual 1967
Arnal et al. 2017
UATF-V-000960, UATF-V-000950, UATF-V-001262
Mammalia - Rodentia - Echimyidae
Echimyidae indet. Gray 1825
reported by Villarroel
Quebradahondomys potosiensis Croft et al. 2011
Croft et al. 2011
holotype and specimen UF 26714
Mammalia - Rodentia - Octodontidae
Octodontidae indet. Waterhouse 1839
reported by Villarroel
Mammalia - Rodentia - Chinchillidae
Chinchillidae informal sp. 3
smallest form, Hoffstetter indicates it should be a new genus (only two lobes on M3, and discontinuous enamel)
Prolagostomus sp. Ameghino 1887
Croft et al. 2011
Lagostominae informal sp. 1
largest form
Lagostominae informal sp. 2
intermediate form
Miochinchilla plurinacionalis Croft et al. 2021
Croft et al. 2021
UATF-V-001700
Mammalia - Rodentia - Dasyproctidae
Mesoprocta hypsodus Croft et al. 2011
Croft et al. 2011
holotype
Mammalia - Rodentia - Caviidae
Caviidae indet. Gray 1821
MacFadden and Wolff 1981
Mammalia - Rodentia
Guiomys unica Pérez 2010
Croft et al. 2011
specimens UATF-V-000962 and UATF-V-001038
Mammalia - Cingulata - Dasypodidae
Euphractinae indet. Winge 1923
larger euphractine, along Paraeuphractus-Euphractus lineage
Mammalia - Cingulata - Chlamyphoridae
cf. Prozaedyus sp. (Ameghino 1891)
smaller euphractine
Mammalia - Cingulata - Propalaehoplophoridae
Glyptodontidae indet. Burmeister 1879
listed as "Scérocalyptiné"
    = Propalaehoplophorus andinus
Frailey 1988
new species
Mammalia - Nothrotheriidae
Lakukullus anatisrostratus n. gen., n. sp. Pujos et al. 2014
Pujos et al. 2014
MNHN-Bol-V 006601, referred material = FLMNH 26668, MNHN-Bol-V 003633
Mammalia - Megalonychidae
aff. Pelecyodon sp. Ameghino 1891
Hapalops-Pelecyodon group
    = Hapalops angustipalatus Ameghino 1891
Frailey 1988
Mammalia
Hiskatherium saintandrei n. gen., n. sp. Pujos et al. 2011
Pujos et al. 2011 1 specimen
Mammalia - Phyllophaga
Phyllophaga indet. (Owen 1842)
based on presence of larger metacarpal
Mammalia - Astrapotheria - Astrapotheriidae
Astrapotherium indet. Burmeister 1879
Uruguaytherium-Xenastrapotherium group
    = ? Xenastrapotherium indet. Kraglievich 1928
Frailey 1987
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Toxodontidae
cf. Paratrigodon sp. Cabrera and Kraglievich 1931
Croft 2007
MNHN 6542 specimen
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Mesotheriidae
Mesotheriinae indet. Alston 1876
based on partial humerus; size of Microtypotherium or smaller Plesiotypotherium
Plesiotypotherium minus Croft 2007
Townsend and Croft 2010
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Interatheriidae
Miocochilius federicoi Croft 2007
Croft 2007
holotype
Mammalia - Notoungulata
Hegetotheriidae indet. Ameghino 1894
size of Hemihegetotherium
    = Hemihegetotherium trilobus n. sp. Croft and Anaya 2006
Croft and Anaya 2006
holotype plus 30+ specimens
Mammalia - Sparassodonta
Sparassodonta indet. (Ameghino 1894)
Engelman and Croft 2014
UF 27881, partial cranium
Mammalia - Sparassodonta - Borhyaenidae
Borhyaenidae indet. Savage 1951
MacFadden and Wolff 1981
Mammalia - Sparassodonta
Acyon myctoderos n. sp. Forasiepi et al. 2006
Forasiepi et al. 2006 3 individuals
holotype; UF 26921, 26933, 26941 all belong to a single individual; UATF-V-000926 (11 measurements)
Australogale leptognathus n. gen., n. sp. Engelman et al. 2020
Engelman et al. 2020
from Rio Rosario area, loc. B-07-22
Mammalia - Paucituberculata - Caenolestidae
Caenolestidae indet. Trouessart 1898
MacFadden and Wolff 1981
Reptilia - Testudines - Chelidae
cf. Acanthochelys sp. Gray 1873
Cadena et al. 2015
UATF-V-001850 (left xiphiplastron)
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
cf. Chelonoidis sp. (Fitzinger 1835)
Cadena et al. 2015
Large size; UATF-V-001867 (scapula-acromion and left epiplastron), UATF-V-00964 (costal bone fragments) and UATF-V- 001778 (right xiphiplastron)
see common names

Geography
Country:Bolivia State/province:Tarija
Coordinates: 22.0° South, 65.4° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:21.4° South, 62.6° West (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Altitude:3500 meters
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period: Neogene Epoch: Miocene
10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 5-6
Key time interval: Laventan
Age range of interval: 13.7 - 10.9 m.y. ago
Age estimate: 13.2 to 12.9 Ma (paleomagnetic)
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Honda
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: The formation is apparently unnamed. MacFadden et al., indicate that the locality is constrained by 40K/40Ar ages of 12.83 ± 0.11 Ma and 11.96 ± 0.11 Ma, and that the local magnetostratigraphy is correlated to chrons C5AA through C5A on the MPTS. The extrapolated age for the fossil mammals (based on paleomag) is 13.0 to 12.7 Ma = Laventan SALMA. Although specific statigraphic data were taken for the specimens collected by MacFadden and Wolff, these data were not provided in the publication. MacFadden et al. (1990) indicate that most of the fossil mammals come from a zone "between about 25 to 82 m within our composite measured section."
(From Brandoni et al., 2018): MacFadden et al. (1990) correlated the two basalmost local paleomagnetic zones of the Quebrada Honda outcrops – from which most fossils derive – to C5AAn and C5Ar.3r of the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS), resulting in an extrapolated age of ca.13.0–12.7 Ma. This corresponds to a slightly older interval (13.2–12.9 Ma) within the Serravallian Age (13.8–11.6 Ma; Gradstein et al. 2012) based on the most recent iteration ofthe GPTS (Ogg 2012).
Townsend and Croft 2010: 11.96 ± 0.11 Ma to 12.83 ± 0.11 Ma (refs: Croft et al. 2004, 2007; MacFadden et al. 1990)
McGrath, et al. 2020: These strata lie below the tuff dated by MacFadden et al. (1990) at 12.83 ± 0.11 Ma.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: silty,calcareous claystone
Secondary lithology:red or brown silty,sandy "siliciclastic"
Includes fossils?Y
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: (From MacFadden and Wolff, 1981) "The section at Quebrada Honda is divisible into three major parts which appear to represent different environments of deposition. The first, or basal portion (lower quarter of section), consists primarily of extremely fossiliferous reddish-brown silty clays, silts, and sands. The majority of the fossils collected during 1978 cane from this part of the stratigraphic section. Near the edges of the Tertiary valley the silts and clays rest upon a basal breccia conglomerate formed by slope wash from the surrounding hills. This breccia conglomerate does not extend far toward the center of the basin;, where the silts and clays rest on the Paleozoic basement. The middle half of the section consists of slightly fossiliferous silty clays and numerous well-indurated calcareous zones that form prominent ledges and cliffs. The third portion (upper quarter) of the section consists of reddish-brown and yellowish-green clays and clay silts, zones of channel sands, gravels, and conglomerates. Quaternary deposits rest unconformably upon the Tertiary sediments at the top of the section. The uppermost Tertiary sediments yielded only rare bone fragments, and exposures are uncommon and difficult to work. Sixty-two paleomagnetic sites, each consisting of at least 3 separately-oriented hand samples, were collected from the finer-grained sediments in Sections 1 and 2 at Quebrada Honda (Fig. 2; stratigraphic separation between superposed sites averages 4-5 m. These samples are presently being analysed at the University of Florida Paleomagnetic Laboratory. The relatively thick stratigraphic section and closely spaced paleomagnetic sampling provides an excellent potential for establishing the age of the Quebrada Honda sequence by calibration to the Magnetic Polarity Time Scale. At least 8 ashes crop out in the Quebrada Honda sequence. Most of these appear to be sub-aerial deposits. Bulk ash samples (about 50 kg) were collected from Section 1, Unit 9 and Section 2, Unit 17. Preliminary laboratory examination of these samples demonstrates that (particularly Section 2, Unit 17), they have significant quantities of glass and zircons that would be datable by the fission-track method. In addition, hand samples of the other 6 ashes were collected in order to determine which of these are also potentially datable." From MacFadden et al., (1990): "These sections consist of about 300 m of principally fine-grained fluviatile sediments with predominant lithologies reddish brown and yellowish-green silty clays, silts, and fine sands. There are also coarser, lenticular challen sands and gravels, but these are localized."
Environment:fluvial indet. Tectonic setting:intermontane basin
Geology comments: Its paleoenvironment has been reconstructed as a flooded grassland or savanna with mean annual precipitation of ca. 900–1,000 mm (Catena et al. 2017; Catena and Croft 2020).
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,permineralized
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Articulated whole bodies:some
Associated major elements:many
Disassociated major elements:some
Disassociated minor elements:some
Temporal resolution:time-averaged
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:surface (float),surface (in situ),mechanical,field collection
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Museum repositories:MNHN,MNHN (La Paz)
Collection method comments: Specimens are also curated at Florida Museum of Natural History.

McGrath et al 2020: new proterotheriid remains from the Quebrada Honda region that have been collected in recent years through a research collaboration between Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) and the Universidad Autónoma ‘Tomás Frías’ (Potosí, Bolivia) as well as remains collected by earlier expeditions (Hoffstetter, 1977; Takai et al., 1984)
Metadata
Also known as:B-07-17
Database number:38071
Authorizer:D. Croft, P. Holroyd, C. Jaramillo, E. Vlachos, M. Uhen, P. Mannion Enterer:D. Croft, M. Kouvari, M. Uhen, P. Mannion, P. Holroyd, A. Cárdenas, G. Varnham, E. Vlachos
Modifier:O. Alfaro Research group:vertebrate
Created:2004-04-08 10:54:52 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2004-04-08 10:54:52
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
10202. R. Hoffstetter. 1977. Un gisement de mammifères miocènes à Quebrada Honda (sud Bolivien). Comptes Rendus de la Académie des Sciences, Paris, Sèrie D 284:1517-1520 [D. Croft/D. Croft/D. Croft]

Secondary references:

72683 M. Arnal, M. G. Vucetich, D. A. Croft, M. S. Bargo, J. C. Fernícola and S. F. Viscaino. 2017. Systematic revision and evolutionary history of Acarechimys Patterson in Kraglievich 1965 (Rodentia, Caviomorpha, Octodontoidea). Ameghiniana 54(3):307-330 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
67357 D. Brandoni, A. A. Carlini, F. Anaya, P. Gans, and D. A. Croft. 2018. New Remains of Megathericulus patagonicus Ameghino, 1904 (Xenarthra, Tardigrada) from the Serravallian (Middle Miocene) of Bolivia; Chronological and Biogeographical Implications. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 25:327-337 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
73550 F. Busker, M. T. Dozo, and I. M. Soto. 2020. New remains of Cephalomys arcidens (Rodentia, Caviomorpha) and a redefinition of the enigmatic Cephalomyidae. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 18(19):1589-1629 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
63999 E. Cadena, F. Anaya, and D. Croft. 2015. Giant fossil tortoise and freshwater chelid turtle remains from the middle Miocene, Quebrada Honda, Bolivia: Evidence for lower paleoelevations for the southern Altiplano. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 64:190-198 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]
43068 D. A. Croft. 2007. The middle Miocene (Laventan) Quebrada Honda fauna, southern Bolivia and description of its notoungulates. Palaeontology 50(1):277-303 [C. Jaramillo/A. Cárdenas]
18226 D. A. Croft and F. Anaya. 2006. A new middle Miocene hegetotheriid (Notoungulata: Typotheria) and a phylogeny of the Hegetotheriidae. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(2):387-399 [D. Croft/D. Croft]
43073 D. A. Croft, J. M. H. Chick, and F. Anaya. 2011. New middle Miocene Caviomorph rodents from Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 18(4):245-268 [C. Jaramillo/A. Cárdenas]
81729 D. A. Croft, J. J. Flynn, A. R. Wyss, R. Charrier, and F. Anaya. 2021. New Chinchillid Rodents (Hystricognathi: Caviomorpha) from Northern Chile and Bolivia Fill a 17‐Million‐Year Gap in the Pan‐Chinchilline Fossil Record. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 28:1205-1236 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
83101 R. K. Engelman, F. Anaya, and D. A. Croft. 2015. New Specimens of Acyon myctoderos (Metatheria, Sparassodonta) from Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Ameghiniana 52(2):204-225 [M. Uhen/O. Alfaro/O. Alfaro]
67360 R. K. Engelman, F. Anaya, and D. A. Croft. 2020. Australogale leptognathus, gen. et sp. nov., a second species of small sparassodont (Mammalia: Metatheria) from the middle Miocene locality of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 27:37-54 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd/P. Mannion]
73030 R. K. Engelman and D. A. Croft. 2014. A new species of small-bodied sparassodont (Mammalia, Metatheria) from the middle Miocene locality of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(3):672-688 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
43058 A. M. Forasiepi, M. R. Sanchez-Villagra, F. J. Goin, M. Takai, N. Shigehara and R. F. Kay. 2006. A new species of Hathliacynidae (Metatheria, Sparassodonta) from the middle Miocene of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(3):670-684 [C. Jaramillo/A. Cárdenas]
10233 B. J. MacFadden, F. Anaya, H. Perez, C. W. Naeser, P. K. Zeitler and K. E. Campbell, Jr. 1990. Late Cenozoic paleomagnetism and chronology of Andean basins of Bolivia: evidence for possible oroclinal bending. Journal of Geology 98:541-555 [D. Croft/D. Croft/D. Croft]
10205 B. J. MacFadden and R. G. Wolff. 1981. Geological investigations of Late Cenozoic vertebrate-bearing deposits in southern Bolivia. Anais II Congreso Latino-Americano de Paleontología, Porto Alegre 2:765-778 [D. Croft/D. Croft/D. Croft]
72462 A. McGrath, F. Anaya, and D. Croft. 2020. New Proterotheriids From the Middle Miocene of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia, and Body Size and Diversity Trends in Proterotheriid and Macraucheniid Litopterns (Mammalia). Ameghiniana 57(2):159-188 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
69518 A. J. McGrath, F. Anaya, and D. A. Croft. 2018. Two new macraucheniids (Mammalia: Litopterna) from the late middle Miocene (Laventan South American Land Mammal Age) of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 38(3):e1461632 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
38565 F. Pujos, G. De Iuliis, and B. M. Quispe. 2011. Hiskatherium saintandrei, gen. et sp. nov.: An Unusual Sloth from the Santacrucian of Quebrada Honda (Bolivia) and an Overview of Middle Miocene, Small Megatherioids. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(5):1131-1149 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/G. Varnham]
69042 F. Pujos, G. De Iuliis, B. M. Quispe and R. A. Flores. 2014. Lakukullus anatisrostratus, gen. et sp. nov., a new massive nothrotheriid sloth (Xenarthra, Pilosa) from the middle Miocene of Bolivia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(5):1243-1248 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
69987 B. Townsend and D. A. Croft. 2010. Middle Miocene Mesotheriine diversity at Cerdas, Bolivia and a reconstruction of Plesiotypotherium minus. Palaeontologia Electronica 13(1):1A [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]