NEW FINDINGS OF NEOGENE XENARTHRA (MAMMALIA) FROM ECUADOR: DIVERSITY AND PERSPECTIVE

ZURITA, A.E; MIÑO BOILINI, A. ; ROMÁN-CARRIÓN, J.L.; CARLINI A. A.

Córdoba

Jornada; XXXIII JORNADAS ARGENTINAS DE PALEONTOLOGÍA DE VERTEBRADOS; 2019

APA

The knowledge of Neogene xenarthrans in Ecuador is still poor compared to otherregions of South America. Until now, the only recognized species is the CingulataDasypodini Anadasypus aequatorianus Carlini, Castro, Madden, and Scillato-Yané(2013) coming from the Letrero Formation (Upper Miocene, Nabon Basin, southernEcuador). However, some recent findings allow us to improve our knowledge about theXenarthra diversity in the current territory of this country. The new remains are alsocoming from southern Ecuador, and they were exhumed from the Letrero Formation(upper Miocene) and Gonzanamá Formation (Catamayo Basin, middle-upper Miocene).The recognized taxa include the Tardigrada Mylodontidae Mylodontinae, cf.Simomylodon sp., and the Cingulata Glyptodontidae indet. and Pampatheriidae. Themorphology of the osteoderms and molariforms of the glyptodonts suggests that it couldbelong to new taxa, but further studies are necessary to confirm this taxonomichypothesis. In turn, if confirmed, this represents the first report of the genusSimomylodon in Ecuador. A preliminary comparison with the Laventan fauna ofColombia reveals taxonomic differences. To summarize, this new findings shed light toour knowledge of the Neogene diversity of Xenarthra at low latitudes and underline therelevance of the Mio-Pliocene units. Certainly, new field works will produce morefindings that help us to interpret more properly the diversity achieved by this clade, andits phylogenentic and paleobiogeographic relationship with faunas from coetaneousdeposits of southern South America.