MULTIVARIATE ANALISIS OF SKULL, MANDIBLE AND TEETH OF ARGENTINEAN PROCYONIDS (CARNIVORA, MAMMALIA)

LAVIÉ, F. J.; SOIBELZON, L. H.; GASPARINI, G.

Congreso; The 10 th International Mammalogical Congress; 2009

Five extant genera of Procyonidae are recognized in South America: Bassaricyon, Nasuella, Potos, Procyon and Nasua. Only Procyon and Nasua have been recorded at various localities from outcrops in Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia (late Pleistocene-Holocene). Taxonomic and philogenetyc relationships of South American Procyonidae are controversial due to the following problems: 1- many taxa were described and based on fragmentary remains; 2- different diagnostic characters were used by various authors; and 3- there is not a recent revision of fossil taxa. There are five extinct genera formally nominated in South America: Cyonasua, Oligobunis, Pachynasua, Brachynasua and Chapalmalania; from them only Cyonasua and Chapalmalania have broad consensus. The fossil taxa are recorded only in Argentina and mainly in late Miocene and Pliocene beds. Only one taxa (Cyonasua meranii) was reported for the Pleistocene. In front of that situation, we are studying the skull, mandibles and tooth rows of living (mainly Procyon and Nasua) and fossil taxa with the following objectives: 1- to make a data base considering morphometric characters for Procyon and Nasua and fossil taxa; 2- to determinate the diagnostic value of such characters in order to clarify the taxonomic problems, 3- to evaluate if the specimens? geographic procedure could be predicted by morphometric characters; and 4- to create a comparative morphometric model. The specimens we are studying are deposited in Museo de La Plata, Museo Municipal de Mar del Plata and 344 The 10 th International Mammalogical Congress Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ?Bernardino Rivadavia?. A total of 43 cranial, mandibular and dental morphometric characters were measured on 93 specimens. A multivariate and a systematic analysis are currently developed.