A Peculiar New Pampatheriidae (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Cingulata) from the Pleistocene of Argentina and Comments on Pampatheriidae Diversity

GÓIS, F.L.; GONZALEZ RUIZ, L.R.; SCILLATO-YANÉ, G. J.; SOIBELZON, E.

PLOS ONE

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2015 vol. 10 p. 1 - 25

1932-6203

Pampatheriidae are a group of cingulates native to South American that are known from themiddle Miocene to the lower Holocene. Two genera have been recognized between thelower Pleistocene and the lower Holocene: Pampatherium Gervais and Ameghino (Ensenadan,Bonaerian and Lujanian, lower Pleistocene?lower Holocene) and Holmesina Simpson(Blancan, Irvingtonian, upper Pliocene?lower Holocene). They have been mainly differentiatedby their osteoderm morphology and cranio-dental characters. These taxa had a widelatitudinal distribution, extending from the southern part of South America (Península Valdés,Argentina) to North America (Florida, USA). In this contribution, we describe a newgenus and species of Pampatheriidae for the lower and middle Pleistocene of Buenos AiresProvince and for the upper Pleistocene of Santa Fe Province (Argentina).The new taxon isrepresented by disarticulated osteoderms, one skull element, two thoracic vertebrae and aright femur and patella. It has extremely complex osteoderm ornamentations and particularmorphological characters of the cranial element and femur that are not found in any otherspecies of the family. This new taxon, recorded in the lower?middle Pleistocene (EnsenadanStage/Age) and in the upper Pleistocene?early Holocene (Lujanian Stage/Age), is incorporatedto the Pleistocene mammal assemblage of South America. Finally, thePampatheriidae diversity is greater during the Lujanian Stage/Age than the EnsenadanStage/Age.