A NEW EARLY DANIAN GASTROPOD ASSEMBLAGE FROM NORTHERN PATAGONIA (RÍO NEGRO PROVINCE, ARGENTINA)

DEL RIO, CLAUDIA JULIA

JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY

PALEONTOLOGICAL SOC INC

Año: 2012 vol. 86 p. 1002 - 1016

0022-3360

A new early Danian gastropod assemblage contained in the Roca Formation of R´ıo Negro Province was analyzed. Eleven species are described and illustrated, the new genus Rocalaria is created, and six new species are recognized: Gyroscala daniana, Heteroterma carmeloi, Microfulgur concheyroae, Sulcobuccinum prominentum, Cidarina lenzaniyeuensis, and Rocalaria alani. The present research includes the first mention of Sulcobuccinum d?Orbigny, 1850,Priscoficus Conrad, 1866, Cavoscala Whitfield, 1892, Microfulgur Finlay and Marwick, 1937, and Cidarina Dall, 1909, for the Danian of Southern South America; the new record of Austrophaera Furque and Camacho, 1949, Fusinus Rafinesque, 1815 and Heteroterma Gabb, 1869 in northern Patagonia; and the oldest Paleogene record for the genus Gyroscala de Boury, 1887. The presence of the study assemblage in northern Patagonia indicates a more complexpaleobiogeographic pattern for the area than previously thought, as shown by the record of endemic genera, cosmopolitan taxa, elements with Tethyan/ Indo-Pacific affinities, and genera related with ??Wangaloan?? faunas of the Paleocene of New Zealand.