Tupinambine teiids from the middle Miocene of north-western Patagonia (Argentina)

BRIZUELA, S.; ALBINO, A. M.

AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA

BRILL ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS

Año: 2008 vol. 29 p. 425 - 431

0173-5373

Remains of teiids assignable to the Tupinambinae (Tupinambis sp. or Crocodilurus sp.) are here described from the middle Miocene Collón Curá Formation at Cañadón del Tordillo, in Neuquén province, Argentina. No tupinambine species presently inhabits in the region where the fossil locality is placed. The fossils represent the westernmost distribution of fossil tupinambine teiids in Patagonia, enlarging the known geographical distribution of the teiids through the Miocene in a longitudinal range. Also, they constitute the first record of lizards from the Colloncuran SALMA, partially filling the record of tupinambine teiids for the South American Miocene.