Reptiles from the Late Cretaceous coastal environments of northern Patagonia

GASPARINI,Z.;DE LA FUENTE, M.; FERNÁNDEZ, M.; BONA, P.

Asociacion Paleont.Arg.Publ.Esp.

Año: 2001 p. 101 - 105

Towards the end of the Cretaceous the Atlantic Ocean covered parts of central-western Patagonia forming a wide archipelago. Remains of terrestrial and marine reptiles have been recorded in the Campanian and Maastrichtian of this area in rocks that represent coastal and marginal marine environments. These taphocenoses are specially interesting because they include taxa not only of different environmental requirements, but also of different biogeographical backgrounds. The presence of a wide archipelago is a plausible explanation of the association recoded, such as plesiosaurs with continental chelids boids and dinosaurs (e.g.  La Colinia, Chubut; Ranquil-co, Mendoza), or plesiosaurs and mosasaurs with chelids (Liul-Malal, Mendoza).