ON THE PRESENCE OF PUMA CONCOLOR (MAMMALIA, FELIDAE) FROM LATE PLEISTOCENE FLUVIAL SEQUENCES OF AUSTRAL CHACO (ARGENTINA)

VEZZOSI, R.I.; GAUDIOSO, P.J.; CHIMENTO, N.R.

La Rioja

Jornada; 36° Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados; 2023

Gobierno de la Provincia de La Rioja, CRILAR-CONICET, APA

Carnivorous Felidae isrepresented in South America by approximately ten species, belonging to threemain phylogenetic lineages: the Ocelot lineage, the Puma lineage, and thePanthera lineage. Pumas (Puma concolor)and jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi),together with the african cheetahs (Acinonyxjubatus), compose the puma lineage.  Paleontologicalknowledge about P. concolor in North America is restricted to the latePleistocene and Holocene. However, in South America is recorded since to middlePleistocene (Calabrian/Chibanian Stage/Age) to present day. In thiscontribution the record of a Felidae is reported from the Late Pleistocene ofthe austral Chaco of Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero Provinces, Argentina. Stratigraphicunits where the fossils were collected correspond to fluvial-palustrinesediments of both Late Pleistocene sequences, outcropping exposed along of bothValleys of the Dulce River and North’s Salado River. Both specimens (MACN–Pv8668, PJGC 4), compared with a large number of recent and fossils individuals,are assigned to P. concolor and are represented by anisolate right P4 and right dentary with serie p4-m1. The anatomical analysisand linear dimensions demonstrate that both fossils perfectly matche with themorphology of living puma specimens. Previously reported about Pleistocenepumas lack features diagnostic of P. concolor. Thus, here we report theunequivocal Late Pleistocene record of P. concolor in austral Chaco. Previoushypotheses of the South American origin of P.concolor are in congruence with thefossil record of North, Central, and South America