New Pleistocene remains of Megatherium filholi Moreno, 1888 (Mammalia, Xenarthra) from the Pampean Region: Implications for the diversity of Megatheriinae of the Quaternary of South America

AGNOLIN, FEDERICO L.; BOH, DANIEL; DE CIANNI, FRANCISCO; CHIMENTO, NICOLÁS R.; CAMPO, DENISE H.; BRANDONI, DIEGO; MAGNUSSEN, MARIANO

NEUES JAHRBUCH FUR GEOLOGIE UND PALAONTOLOGIE-ABHANDLUNGEN

E SCHWEIZERBARTSCHE VERLAGS

Lugar: Stuttgart; Año: 2018 vol. 289 p. 339 - 348

0077-7749

Recent analyses resulted in the recognition of a single species of the genus Megatherium in the pampas of Argentina. The finding of a specimen consisting on a dentary and femur from the late Pleistocene of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, indicates that a very small-sized species of the genus was present in the Pampean Region. This allows revalidating the taxon Megatherium filholi, previously considered as a junior synonym of another taxon. Megatherium filholi appears to be allied to Megatherium species of the ?Andean clade?.  This, together with finding of additional small-sized megatheriines in the Argentine pampas, suggests a complex palaeobiogeographical scenario and indicates that the diversity of megatheriines at the pampas may be underrepresented.