New fossil bird remains from the Chichinales Formation (EarlyMiocene) of northern Patagonia, Argentina

AGNOLIN, FEDERICO L.; CHAFRAT, PABLO

ANNALES DE PALEONTOLOGIE

MASSON EDITEUR

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2015

0753-3969

Here we describe isolated avian remains coming from the Chichinales Formation, at the Paso Córdobalocality, Río Negro province, Patagonia, Argentina. Present report constitutes the first analysis of an EarlyMiocene bird association in South America outside the Santa Cruz and Chubut provinces, and one of thescarce reports of avian remains for the Colhuehuapian SALMA. The remains represent a new genus andspecies of phorusrhacid (Patagorhacos terrificus gen. et sp. nov.), a new species of rheid (Opisthodactylushoracioperezi sp. nov.), and an indeterminate charadriiform. Although different in composition, the pres-ence and relative abundance of rheids and phorusrhacids is a pattern that is also present in other EarlyMiocene Patagonian assemblages, especially those from the Santacrucian SALMA. In spite of such simi-larities, the description of new taxa indicates that the Chichinales faunas were different to some degreefrom other Early Miocene bird assemblages.