New Late Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage with well-supported chronology from the Pampas of southern South America

Scanferla, Agustín; Bonini, Ricardo Adolfo; Pomi, Lucas H.; Fucks, Enrique; Molinari, Alejandro

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.08.005

Cited by 26 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Specimens for aDNA analysis were obtained from remains found during a paleontological rescue operation of a rich locality located along the Salado River, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (Scanferla et al . ). The fossil‐bearing level consists of sandy‐clayed sediments with abundant organic matter, gypsum and carbonate concretions that were deposited in a small pond environment, partially filled by aeolian sediments.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Ancient DNA from the extinct South American giant glyptodont Doedicurus sp. (Xenarthra: Glyptodontidae) reveals that glyptodonts evolved from Eocene armadillos

et al. 2016

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Glyptodonts were giant (some of them up to ~2400 kg), heavily armoured relatives of living armadillos, which became extinct during the Late Pleistocene/early Holocene alongside much of the South American megafauna. Although glyptodonts were an important component of Cenozoic South American faunas, their early evolution and phylogenetic affinities within the order Cingulata (armoured New World placental mammals) remain controversial. In this study, we used hybridization enrichment and high-throughput sequencing to obtain a partial mitochondrial genome from Doedicurus sp., the largest (1.5 m tall, and 4 m long) and one of the last surviving glyptodonts. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that glyptodonts fall within the diversity of living armadillos. Reanalysis of morphological data using a molecular 'backbone constraint' revealed several morphological characters that supported a close relationship between glyptodonts and the tiny extant fairy armadillos (Chlamyphorinae). This is surprising as these taxa are among the most derived cingulates: glyptodonts were generally large-bodied and heavily armoured, while the fairy armadillos are tiny (~9-17 cm) and adapted for burrowing. Calibration of our phylogeny with the first appearance of glyptodonts in the Eocene resulted in a more precise timeline for xenarthran evolution. The osteological novelties of glyptodonts and their specialization for grazing appear to have evolved rapidly during the Late Eocene to Early Miocene, coincident with global temperature decreases and a shift from wet closed forest towards drier open woodland and grassland across much of South America. This environmental change may have driven the evolution of glyptodonts, culminating in the bizarre giant forms of the Pleistocene.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Ancient DNA from the extinct South American giant glyptodont Doedicurus sp. (Xenarthra: Glyptodontidae) reveals that glyptodonts evolved from Eocene armadillos

et al. 2016

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“…Pasture grasses that support the white grubs are compatible with the development of the megafauna studied and discussed by many authors (e.g. Scanferla et al, 2013 and references therein), and does not reflect an arid climate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…The fossiliferous strata consist of greenish brown sandy clays deposited in a small paleopond environment that was filled by fluvial sediments, exhibiting abundant organic matter, gypsum and carbonate concretions (Scanferla et al, 2013). The age of the sediments containing fossil insects could be constrained between 12,100 ± 100 14 C BP and 13,400 ± 200 14 C BP and was obtained by radiocarbon analysis of bone collagen (Scanferla et al, 2013) and molluscan (Fucks et al, 2012). These deposits correspond to the time span represented by the Guerrero Member of the Luján Formation (Fidalgo et al, 1973).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Two late Pleistocene members of the white-grub complex, one of the most destructive insect pests of turfgrasses

Ramírez¹,

Alonso²

2017

Rev. bras. paleontol.

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-We report the record of two members of one of the most destructive insect pests of turfgrasses from the Late Pleistocene of the Pampean region. The presence of Cyclocephala signaticollis and Diloboderus abderus 12,000 years BP enables us to consider them as paleobio-indicators besides studying them as agricultural pests. This work constitutes the very first record of the genus and species, and the first Quaternary record of Dynastinae in South America. Moreover, this is one of the first paleoentomological studies that take in consideration beetles as bioproxies for the Quaternary of Argentina, and allows us to adjust the paleoclimatic inferences made for the region. This finding argues against the classic interpretations that indicate arid environmental conditions in the Pampean region during the first pulses of post-glacial climate recovery.

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“…This is surprising, as the basin has historically been the focus of many geological, geochronological and paleontological studies (e.g. Fidalgo et al, 1973Fidalgo et al, , 1981Figini et al, 1995;Fucks et al, 2007Fucks et al, , 2012Fucks et al, , 2015Pomi, 2009;Mari et al, 2013;Prado et al, 2013;Scanferla et al, 2013). Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the mollusk assemblages preserved in the Salado River basin in order to (1) evaluate the spatial and temporal variations and (2) reconstruct past environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary mollusc assemblages from the lower basin of Salado River, Buenos Aires Province: Their use as paleoenvironmental indicators

Pisano

Fucks²

2016

Quaternary International

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New Late Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage with well-supported chronology from the Pampas of southern South America

Cited by 26 publications

References 28 publications

Ancient DNA from the extinct South American giant glyptodont Doedicurus sp. (Xenarthra: Glyptodontidae) reveals that glyptodonts evolved from Eocene armadillos

Ancient DNA from the extinct South American giant glyptodont Doedicurus sp. (Xenarthra: Glyptodontidae) reveals that glyptodonts evolved from Eocene armadillos

Two late Pleistocene members of the white-grub complex, one of the most destructive insect pests of turfgrasses

Quaternary mollusc assemblages from the lower basin of Salado River, Buenos Aires Province: Their use as paleoenvironmental indicators

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