OSTRACODS AND PALEOAMBIENTAL INFERENCES IN THE PLOTTIER FORMATION (CONIANCIAN - UPPER CRETACEOUS) OF THE BARREALES LAKE, NEUQUÉN

KIHN, ROMINA G.; CALVO, JORGE O.

Munis entomology & zoology

Ed. De MUnis entomology and zoology

Año: 2022 vol. 17

1306-3022

Upper Cretaceous outcrops, at the northeast of Barreales lake, Neuquén,Argentina, has given in the last 20 years a rich vertebrate fauna including dinosaur, reptiles,fish and plants on different sites. In this contribution, rocks of the Plottier Formation atBabilonia Site at Proyecto Dino Geopaleontological Park have given, for the first time, aninteresting microfauna composed by ostracods. The ostracofauna recovered is representedby the family Ilyocyprididae with four taxa, Neuquenocypris calfucurensis Musacchio, 1973,Neocyprideis zampalensis (Angelozzi, 1980), Neuquenocypris tenuipunctata Musacchio &Simeoni, 1991 and Neuquenocypris nahuelniyuensis Musacchio, 1989 and the familylimnocytheridae, with one taxa Vecticypris sp. The ssociation of theses ostracod indicates apaleoenvironment characterized by a shallow meandering river with low energy, probablyan abandoned oxbow lake. Palaeoecological analyses indicate a fresh water with fluctuatingoligohaline salinities throughout deposition.