INVESTIGADORES
FERNANDEZ Mariela Soledad
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
A new fossil site with eggshells belonging to the oofamily Faveoloolithidae from the Allen Formation (Río Negro province)
Autor/es:
FERNÁNDEZ, MARIELA S.; CABALLERO-CRUZADO, PENELOPE; GASCA JOSÉ M.; TALEVI MARIANELLA; SALGADO LEONARDO
Lugar:
Rincón e los Sauces
Reunión:
Jornada; Jornadas Cuenca Neuquina Rincon e los Sauces; 2017
Resumen:
Fossil sites are common in the Rio Negro Province. We present a new egg-bearing site called Gonzalito 1. This site was found near Puesto Hernández (Bajo Santa Rosa area). The new egg remains appeared in the Allen Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian in age), in the egg-level 6, which is located 5 meters above egg-level 5. Eggshells belonging to two incomplete eggs (MML-PV1303 and MML-PV 1304 samples) have been examined under binocular microscope, Polarized Light Microscope (PLM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Eggshell thickness is about 5 mm and the external surface shows compactituberculated ornamentation. The shell units show a fan-shape extinction pattern with dinosauroid-spherulitic basic type. Eggshells from Gonzalito 1 show a filisferulithid morphotype, with a strong development of a multicanaliculate pore system. These pore-canals are both vertically and anastomosed extended. The presence of small cavities and opaque minerals within the eggshell structure is here interpreted as relicts of the activity of micro-organisms These eggs are here assigned to the oofamily Faveoloolithidae based on these features. This oofamily have been related to titanosaur dinosaurs based on their egg shape and diameter, but no in ovo embryo bones have been found to confirm this hypothesis.