The Pleistocene Glyptodontidae (Xenarthra:Cingulata) of Colombia and some considerations about the South American Glyptodontidae

ZURITA, A. E; MIÑO-BOILINI, A.R.; FRANCIA, A.; ARENAS MOSQUERAS, J.E.

Buenos Aires

Jornada; XXVI Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados; 2012

APA

Until recently, one well-characterized Pleistocene genus of the subfamily Glyptodontinae Gray (Glyptodon Owen ca. 1.08-0.0011 Ma) was recognized in South America. In recent times some authors have demonstrated, through the re-analysis of material originally classified as Glyptodon and Hoplophorus Lund, the presence of a second species belonging to the North American Glyptodontinae Glyptotherium Osborn (ca. 58-12 ka), present in Venezuela and Brazil. This particular situation requires a new study, with modern taxonomical criteria, of those materials belonging to Glyptodontinae, particularly in those territories where the knowledge of these taxa is scarce. Here we present a new analysis of the Glyptodontidae coming from Colombia, including some taxonomic and paleobiogeographic remarks. The results show that the only reported Glyptodontidae in Colombia belongs to Glyptodon sp. In turn, the evidence suggests that only one single species of Glyptotherium is present in South America, currently assigned to Glyptotherium cf. Gl. cylindricum Brown. However, a more accurate analysis is necessary to confirm or refute this taxonomic identification. Until now, Glyptotherium is present in a strip parallel to Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean (northern Venezuela and eastern area of Brazil), up to 20° S, and always linked to lowlands. This geographic distribution agrees with the eastern corridor proposed by Webb during the GABI. Below this latitude, the only recorded Glyptodontinae corresponds to Glyptodon, which is also registered in a strip parallel to the Cordillera de los Andes reaching Colombia and Venezuela. Taking account this distribution, it cannot be discarded the presence of this genus in Central America