IANIGLA   20881
INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE NIVOLOGIA, GLACIOLOGIA Y CIENCIAS AMBIENTALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Why this structure is a carnivore coprolite?
Autor/es:
PREVITERA, ELENA; BENAVENTE, CECILIA ANDREA; IRMIS, RANDALL B.; MANCUSO, ADRIANA CECILIA; ARCUCCI, ANDREA BEATRIZ
Lugar:
San Luis
Reunión:
Otro; Reunión de Comunicaciones de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina; 2017
Resumen:
A group of cylindrical structures containing tiny bone remains found in the Chañares Formation promoted several questions. How can we know if they are really coprolites? What preservation potential coprolites have? Which are the differences between carnivore and herbivore coprolite preservation?, among others. We proposed to answer these questions analyzing in detail these Chañares coprolite-like structures, using analytical methods (SEM-EDX, XRD, petrographic analysis). After this extensive study, we propose a protocol to identify coprolite fossils encompassing wide range of previously defined criteria, such as interruption of the fabric or sedimentary structure, size and shape must be regular, extrusive external morphology, internal structure differs from the host matrix, chemical composition, presence of inclusions, among others. If all the criteria included in the protocol met together, then this provides strong evidence that the structures in question are most likely coprolites. We have successfully applied this protocol to identify cylindrical sausage-shaped structures from the Chañares Formation, and we were able to identify them as carnivore coprolites based on the chemical composition and the bone inclusion.