New early Miocene Primate fossils from Northern Patagonia, Argentina

KRAMARZ, A.; TEJEDOR, M.; FORASIEPI, A.M.; GARRIDO, A.

JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2012 vol. 62 p. 186 - 189

0047-2484

In this work, we report the discovery and discuss the implications of two isolated primate teeth from early Miocene beds of Northern Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina). In general morphology of the specimens, MOZ-PV-927 and MOZ-PV-1062 closely approximate the pitheciid pattern. The overall morphology of both teeth is more similar to those of basal forms of homunculines (e.g. Homunculus, Carlocebus) than to strict pitheciines, including the non-typical Patagonian forms, such as Soriacebus and Mazzonicebus. Due to the fact that platyrrhines are one of the rarest groups among South American Cenozoic mammals, even fragmentary new discoveries are relevant. Particularly, these new findings represent the first reports of early Miocene primates in Northern Patagonia —and possibly the oldest in Patagonia— and thus extend the oldest primate records in southern latitudes.