Paleobiogeography of the late Pleistocene pampatheres of South America

SCILLATO-YANÉ, G.J., CARLINI A.A., TONNI, E.P. Y NORIEGA J.I.

JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2005 vol. 20 p. 131 - 138

0895-9811

Paleobiogeography of the late Pleistocene pampatheres of South America G.J. Scillato-Yane´a,b, A.A. Carlinia,b,*, E.P. Tonnia,c, J.I. Noriegab,d aDepartment Cientifico Paleontologı´a de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Fac. de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina bCONICET, Consejo nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Te´cnicas, Argentina cCIC, Comisio´n de Investigaciones Cientificas de la Provincia de Buenon Aires, Argentina dLaboratorio de Paleontologı´a de Vertebrados, CICyTTP, Centro de Investigaciones de Diamante, Materi y Espan˜a, 3105 Diamante, Entre Rı´os, Argentina Received 1 April 2003; accepted 30 June 2005 Abstract This paper deals mainly with the paleobiogeography of the South American Pampatheriidae of the late Pleistocene. Through analysis, we conclude that (1) the species of Quaternary pampatheres may be distinguished clearly by their carapace scutes and craniodental characters; (2) there are two pampathere genera in the South American Quaternary, Pampatherium and Holmesina; (3) no more than one species of each genus occurs in association at a single locality or site; (4) Holmesina differentiated in North America, entered South America during the Late Pleistocene, and later experienced speciation probably related to Late Pleistocene and Holocene climate changes; (5) Pampatherium differentiated in South America, and its speciation process produced a second immigration of pampatheres to North America; and (6) the use of contrasting environments may be observed among the Quaternary pampatheres.