IBBEA   24401
INSTITUTO DE BIODIVERSIDAD Y BIOLOGIA EXPERIMENTAL Y APLICADA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
First fossil darkling beetles assemblage (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the late Pleistocene of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mendoza, Argentina
Autor/es:
LEONARDO C. RAMÍREZ; RODOLFO CARRARA; VIOLETA A. SILVESTRO; GUSTAVO E. FLORES
Lugar:
Ciudad de Mendoza
Reunión:
Simposio; Fourth International Tenebrionoidea Symposium; 2015
Institución organizadora:
CONICET
Resumen:
Late Pleistocene outcrops exposed in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, represent one of the most informative sources for paleoecological studies on South American fauna and flora. Several proxies were utilized for the study of pleistocene environmental conditions in the Pampas, but only a few were based on paleoentomological data. The aim of this study is to present the first record of three species of darkling beetles from the Late Pleistocene of Buenos Aires province, and to provide new paleoenvironmental. The sediments containing fossil insects correspond to the Guerrero Member of the Luján Formation and where dated between 12,100 ± 100 14C BP and 13,400 ± 200 14C BP. During the extraction and concentration of fossil insects we avoid the kerosene flotation and the sieving in order to maintain the material suitable for radiocarbon dating and prevent breakage. We identified specimens of Nyctelia picipes (Billberg), Epipedonota cristallisata (Lacordaire) (Pimeliinae: Nycteliini) and Scotobius pilularius Germar (Tenebrioninae: Scotobiini). By analyzing the particular environmental requirements of these species and the use of the MCR method, we could infer values of temperature and other relevant climatic aspects. This association could show us the first pulses of post-glacial climate recovery and the replacement by the insect fauna that currently inhabit the area. This study is one of the first approaches to the quaternary paleoentomology of Argentina, and highlights the potential of paleoentomological information, when evaluated in combination with previous knowledge on global climate conditions after the last glacial maximum.