Cascada de la Ruta Level #2 (Pliocene of Argentina)

Also known as 0.27 km upstream from RN3

Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina (38.6° S, 60.6° W: paleocoordinates 38.6° S, 59.8° W)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Irene Formation, Late/Upper Pliocene (3.6 - 2.6 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; nodular, brown siltstone

• From bottom to top, the succession starts with two levels (#1 and #2) composed of massive hard dark brown silts containing scarce carbonate nodules; these beds are only exposed for a short distance on the right margin of the river downstream of the cascade and are partially covered by a tufa crust. The succession continues with a conglomeratic lens composed of sabulitic gravels of carbonate and coarse sands (level #3) that cuts into the roof of level #2 and is covered by a discontinuous calcrete layer (level #4). Overlying, and sometimes in contact with the conglomerate lens or with the calcrete layer, is a widespread reddish-brown silt with paleosol evidence and carbonate veins (level #5). The “Irenean” succession ends with a mostly carbonatic level #6 characterized by a “honeycomb” weathering profile, deposits of diamicton toward the upper section and large (>1m in diameter) crotovines filled with fine sediments. Upstream of the cascade, on the right margin and lateral to level #3, in scattered patch outcrops, there are reddish-brown silts with desiccation cracks and crotovines completely filled by carbonate

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the MLP

Primary reference: U. F. J. Pardinas, F. J. Prevosti, D. Voglino and M. Cenizo. 2017. A controversial unit within the argentine neogene: the “Irenean” fauna. Ameghiniana 54(6):655-680 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 191759: authorized by Evangelos Vlachos, entered by Evangelos Vlachos on 14.02.2018

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817 mouse
 Cingulata - Glyptodontidae
Glyptodontidae indet. Burmeister 1879 glyptodon