Telen: Huayquerian, Argentina

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Mammalia - Rodentia - Chinchillidae
Lagostomus sp. Brookes 1828
14 specimens
Lagostomus pretrichodactyla (Rovereto 1914)
Montalvo et al. 2023
GHUNLPam 6270 left mandible with p4-m3, GHUNLPam 6323 right mandible with p4-m3, GHUNLPam 8097 left mandible with i and p4-m1, GHUNLPam 8243 left maxilla with M2-3, GHUNLPam 8502 palate with left P4-M1 and right P4 and broken M1, GHUNLPam 8504 left mandible with p4 and broken m1, GHUNLPam 9403. right maxilla with M2-3, GHUNLPam 9633 left maxilla with P4-M3, GHUNLPam 9897 left maxilla with M2-3, GHUNLPam 14353 right mandible with p4-m3, GHUNLPam 18938 left mandible with i and p4-m3, GHUNLPam 18940 left mandible with p4-m3, GHUNLPam 21658 right mandible with broken i and p4-m2, GHUNLPam 27118 palate with left P4 M2 and broken M3, and right P4 M3.
Lagostomus telenkechanum Rasia and Candela 2017
Montalvo et al. 2023
GHUNLPam 6272 right mandible with broken p4 and m1-2, GHUNLPam 6341 right mandible with i and p4-m3, GHUNLPam 6476/1 right maxilla with P4 (juvenile), GHUNLPam 8382 right maxilla with P4-M1 and broken M2, GHUNLPam 8383 left maxilla with P4-M1, GHUNLPam 8390 left maxilla with broken P4 and M1-M3, GHUNLPam 8501 left maxilla with P4-M1, GHUNLPam 9032 palate with both P4-M2, GHUNLPam 9369 palate with right P4-M3 and left M1-3, GHUNLPam 18937 right mandible with i, p4-m2, GHUNLPam 18939 right maxilla with P4-M2, GHUNLPam 27241 right mandible with i and p4-m3, GHUNLPam 27242 right mandible with i and p4-m2.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Dinomyidae
Tetrastylus sp. Ameghino 1886
1 specimen
    = Tetrastylus laevigatus Ameghino 1886
Sostillo et al. 2022
GHUNLPam 4637
Mammalia - Rodentia - Caviidae
Caviidae indet. Gray 1821
16 specimens
Palaeocavia sp. Ameghino 1889
18 specimens
Dolicavia sp. Ameghino 1916
4 specimens
Mammalia - Rodentia - Octodontidae
Octodontidae indet. Waterhouse 1839
3 specimens
Metacaremys calfucalel Piñero et al. 2021
Piñero et al. 2021
GHUNLPam 8494, 6314, 14178, 18889
Mammalia - Rodentia - Abrocomidae
Protabrocoma sp. Kraglievich 1927
13 specimens
Protabrocoma antiqua Rovereto 1914
Romano et al. 2023
Mammalia - Rodentia - Echimyidae
Echimyidae indet. Gray 1825
1 specimen
Theridomysops parvulus (Rovereto 1914)
1 specimen
Pampamys emmonsae Verzi et al. 1995
3 specimens
Reigechimys cf. plesiodon Verzi et al. 1994
7 specimens
    = Reigechimys plesiodon Verzi et al. 1994
Romano et al. 2023
Mammalia - Rodentia - Ctenomyidae
Ctenomyidae indet. Lesson 1842
4 specimens
Mammalia - Panameriungulata
Litopterna indet. Ameghino 1889
3 specimens
Mammalia - Panameriungulata - Proterotheriidae
Proterotheriidae indet. Ameghino 1887
Schmidt et al. 2018
cf. Brachytherium cuspidatum Ameghino 1883
Schmidt et al. 2018
Mammalia - Panameriungulata - Macraucheniidae
Macraucheniinae indet. (Gervais 1855)
Schmidt et al. 2022
Scalabrinitherium bravardi Ameghino 1883
Romano et al. 2023
GHUNLPam 8233, right M3
Mammalia - Carnivora - Procyonidae
Cyonasua sp. Ameghino 1885
2 specimens
GHUNLPam 9640, fragment of right hemimandible with p3 and roots of p2, p4, m1 and m2; GHUNLPam 6453, right p4
Mammalia - Cingulata - Panochthidae
Hoplophorus sp. Lund 1838
1 specimen
Mammalia - Cingulata
Coscinocercus sp. Cabrera 1939
1 specimen
Hoplophractus sp. Cabrera 1939
1 specimen
Aspidocalyptus sp. Cabrera 1939
1 specimen
Aspidocalyptus castroi Cabrera 1939
Romano et al. 2023
Mammalia - Cingulata - Dasypodidae
Euphractini indet. Winge 1923
1 specimen
Proeuphractus sp. Ameghino 1886
1 specimen
Proeuphractus limpidus Ameghino 1886
1 specimen
Chorobates villosissimus Reig 1958
1 specimen
Zaedyus pichiy Desmarest 1804
Romano et al. 2023
Macroeuphractus scalabrini
1 specimen
Macroeuphractus morenoi (Lydekker 1894)
original and current combination Dasypus moreni
1 specimen
Doellotatus inornatus (Rovereto 1914)
original and current combination Eutatus inornatus
1 specimen
Chasicotatus ameghinoi Scillato-Yané 1977
1 specimen
Macrochorobates scalabrinii (Moreno and Mercerat 1891)
Romano et al. 2023
Chorobates scalabrinii
Vetelia perforata Scillato-Yané 1977
1 specimen
Mammalia - Nothrotheriidae
Mcdonaldocnus sp. Gaudin et al. 2022
Miño-Boilini et al. 2023
GHUNLPam 6375, GHUNLPam 21661
Mammalia - Mylodontidae
Mylodontidae indet. Ameghino 1889
1 specimen
Proscelidodon gracillimus Rovereto 1914
Montalvo et al. 2020
GHUNLPam 9525, 4996 and 3927
Elassotherium sp. Cabrera 1939
synonym of Proscelidodon
1 specimen
Mammalia - Notoungulata - Mesotheriidae
Mesotheriinae indet. Alston 1876
6 specimens
Pseudotypotherium subinsigne Rovereto 1914
Sostillo et al. 2021
GHUNLPam 8230, 18752
Typotheriopsis chasicoensis Cabrera and Kraglievich 1931
Sostillo et al. 2021
GHUNLPam 18750
Typotheriopsis silveyrai Cabrera 1937
Sostillo et al. 2021
synonym of Typotheriopsis chasicoensis
GHUNLPam 9048
Mammalia - Notoungulata
Hemihegetotherium achataleptum Rovereto 1914
Sostillo et al. 2021
Tremacyllus impressus (Ameghino 1888)
Sostillo et al. 2018
GHUNLPam multiple specimens
Paedotherium minor Cabrera 1937
120 specimens
Mammalia - Didelphimorphia - Sparassocynidae
Sparassocynidae indet. Reig 1958
1 specimen
Mammalia - Didelphimorphia
Thylatheridium sp. Reig 1952
1 specimen
Thylatheridium hudsoni Goin and Montalvo 1988
1 specimen
Thylatheridium dolgopolae Reig 1952
1 specimen
Didelphinae indet. Gray 1827
2 specimens
Hyperdidelphys pattersoni Reig 1952
2 specimens
Hesperocynus dogolpolae
Romano et al. 2023
Mammalia - Sparassodonta - Borhyaenidae
Borhyaenidae indet. Savage 1951
1 specimen
Mammalia - Argyrolagidae
Argyrolagidae indet. Ameghino 1904
1 specimen
Reptilia - Testudines - Chelidae
Chelidae indet. Gray 1825
1 specimen
Reptilia
Tupinambis sp. Daudin 1802
1 specimen
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758
7 specimens
see common names

Geography
Country:Argentina State/province:La Pampa
Coordinates: 36.3° South, 65.5° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:36.5° South, 63.3° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Neogene Epoch:Miocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Huayquerian
Age range of interval:9.00000 - 6.80000 m.y. ago
Age estimate:7.09 Ma (Ar/Ar)7.427 to 6.689 Ma (Ar/Ar)
Stratigraphy
Formation:Cerro Azul
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: The Cerro Azul Formation crops out in most of La Pampa Province, except in the southern region (Linares et al., 1980). It is a continental, nearly flat-lying unit composed of massive, pale red to pinkish siltstones and fine-grained sandstones with interbedded, poorly developed palaeosols (e.g., Linares et al., 1980; Goin et al., 2000). This lithostratigraphic unit is considered the distal portion of a clastic wedge related to the late Cenozoic Andean fold and thrust belt that is well developed in the neighbouring Mendoza Province. The maximum outcropping thickness is about 40 m, although the exposures are generally less than 5 m thick. The Cerro Azul Formation has yielded numerous vertebrate remains, specially mammals, which are referred to the Huayquerian land mammal age, which is of late Miocene age (Pascual and Bondesio, 1982; Montalvo and Casadío, 1988; Goin et al., 2000; Verzi et al., 1991, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004; Montalvo et al., 1995, 1996, 1998; Esteban et al., 2001; Cerdeño and Montalvo, 2001, 2002). The base of the Cerro Azul Formation is covered and its top is overlain by Pliocene and younger (mostly aeolian) sediments or is composed of a discontinuous calcrete crust that forms a resistant layer responsible for the preservation from erosion of the unit. In the subsurface, the unit reaches ~370 m thick overlying older Cenozoic sediments or basement rocks (De Elorriaga and Tullio, 1998).
Schmidt et al. 2018: Figure 2 illustrates the stratigraphic distribution of the locality giving a general age estimate of 7.2-7.5Ma

Romano et al. 2023: The presented 40Ar/39Ar “escoria” age estimate for Telén (average of 7.09 Ma) is contained in the older range of our previous inference.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:paleosol/pedogenic,brown,gray lithified calcareous siltstone
Secondary lithology:fine lithified sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: The lithology of the section is monotonous, and mostly composed of carbonate-cemented greyish orange pink (5 YR 7/2) siltstones and fine-grained sandstones. The distinction of horizons in the soil profiles is poor and the stacked palaeosols are 1.7 m (lower) and 1.9 m (upper) thick. Both palaeosols are separated by a 2 to 7 cm thick, discontinuous bed of laminated, greyish-pink mudstone with mudcracks. Beneath the lower palaeosol lies a 0.5 m thick interval with poor pedogenic modification, which is a siltstone with abundant glass shards and no carbonate cementation. Each palaeosol exhibits a 1.2 to 1.4 m thick interval with greater carbonate cementation that is considered as a calcic horizon. The upper soil profile shows a second uppermost horizon, 0.30 m thick, more clayey than the rest of de soil, with fine prismatic peds and Celliforma isp. (fossil bee cell). Most conspicuous features of both palaeosols include pervasive (although not uniform) carbonate (micritic calcite) cementation, pedogenic slickensides and clastic dykes. Carbonate cementation is not homogeneous in the section. Calcium carbonate content is minimum (~1%) in the lower part of each palaeosol, increasing upward (~10%). At the field, carbonate cement appears as calcareous concretions with dominantly sub-vertical arrangement (up to 15 cm long and 5 cm diameter) and scarce nodules (1 to 2 cm in diameter). Pedogenic slickensides constitute curved, striated, clayey surfaces with a circular roughly concentric arrangement in plan view and a conical 3D pattern. These structures are 0.2 to 0.7 m in diameter and 1 m deep. Clastic dykes are 1 to 7 cm thick, sub-vertical, and filled by two to four pairs of symmetrical muddy laminae showing subtle lithology and colour contrasts. The classic dykes show no preferred orientation.
Environment:"floodplain"
Geology comments: The recovered fauna, notoungulates and rodents specially, is indicative of steppes or herbaceous plains. Particularly, the hegetotheriid Paedotherium minor (Notoungulata) was a typical dweller of these environments in dry to humid warm climates (Bond et al., 1995), very abundant in this region during the late Miocene (Zetti, 1972; Cerdeño and Bond, 1998; Montalvo, 2004).
Schmidt et al. 2018: Deposits at Telen, Bajo Giuliani, El Guanaco and Caleufú were interpreted as loess-like deposits with immature palaeosols and little diagenetic alteration
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,original phosphate
Degree of concentration:-multiple events
Size of fossils:mesofossils,microfossils
Spatial orientation:random
Temporal resolution:condensed
Spatial resolution:autochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:bulk,sieve,field collection
Collection size:11647 specimens
Reason for describing collection:taphonomic analysis
Collection method comments: The collection includes all materials from surface prospecting. The low gradient of the modern margin of the depression favoured the erosive action by physical processes that loosened the fossils from the host material. For this reason, bone remains are frequently found in small concentrations produced by running water during rains. During a single visit to the site, 1955 specimens were recovered, 94.53% of them loose, and just 5.47% within the host material. Both the loose and in situ remains appeared throughout the exposed surface of the two palaeosol levels, randomly distributed, disarticulated and dispersed. The in situ material was found scattered in the host siltstone as well as in calcite concretions.
Taxonomic list comments:No complete skulls or skeletons were found in the studied assemblage. The whole recovered sample comprises 11,647 pieces, including 5598 anatomically and taxonomically iden- tified remains, and 6049 undetermined fragments, mostly splinters. Taxonomically determined remains include 1277 isolated postcranial elements attributed to undeterminable Mammalia, 23 to undeterminable Aves, 2894 scutes of xenarthran carapaces, and five tortoise scutes. Besides, there are 1396 cranial elements (including isolated teeth) assigned to different mammal taxa and three to Teiidae reptiles.
Metadata
Also known as:Telén
Database number:152061
Authorizer:C. Jaramillo, J. Carrillo, P. Mannion Enterer:A. Cárdenas, K. Pino, P. Mannion, G. Varnham, M. Kouvari
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:vertebrate
Created:2013-11-05 06:16:09 Last modified:2023-12-21 10:56:30
Access level:the public Released:2013-11-05 06:16:09
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

48756. C. I. Montalvo, R. N. Melchor, G. Visconti and E. Cerdeño. 2008. Vertebrate taphonomy in loess-palaeosol deposits: A case study from the late Miocene of Central Argentina. Geobios 41:133-143 [C. Jaramillo/A. Cárdenas]

Secondary references:

86907 D. Hontecillas, L. H. Soibelzon, C. I. Montalvo and R. A. Bonini. 2023. Cyonasua zettii sp. nov. (Procyonidae, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Central Argentina and a review of the fossil record of Cerro Azul Formation. Historical Biology [E. Vlachos/F. Aspromonte/P. Mannion]
85272 A. R. Miño-Boilini, D. Brandoni, C. I. Montalvo, R. L. Tomassini, D. Barasoain and A. E. Zurita. 2023. New cranio-dental remains of Nothrotheriinae (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Folivora) from the Late Miocene of Central Argentina. Historical Biology 35(8):1435-1443 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino]
73341 C. I. Montalvo, A. R. Miño-Boilini, R. Sostillo, E. Cerdeño, M. C. Cardonatto and R. A. Bonini. 2020. The Scelidotheriinae Proscelidodon gracillimus (Xenarthra: Mylodontidae) from the Cerro Azul Formation (late Miocene), Argentina: Ontogenetic variability and taxonomy. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 102754 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
85601 C. I. Montalvo, R. Sostillo, and L. L. Rasia. 2023. New light on the late Middle Miocene–Early Pliocene representatives of Lagostomus (Chinchillidae, Rodentia) from Cerro Azul Formation, Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 128(104481) [J. Carrillo/K. Pino]
85280 P. Piñero, D. H. Verzi, A. I. Olivares, C. I. Montalvo, R. L. Tomassini and A. Fernández Villoldo. 2021. Evolutionary pattern of Metacaremys gen. nov. (Rodentia, Octodontidae) and its biochronological implications for the late Miocene and early Pliocene of southern South America. Papers in Palaeontology 7(4):1859-1917 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino/P. Mannion]
85650 C. O. Romano, R. Bonini, S. Hemming, M. Cenizo, U. F. J. Pardiñas and F. J. Prevosti. 2023. Advances in the understanding of Neogene mammalian fauna in the Pampean region (central Argentina) through revising “biozone” hypotheses based on new dates and biochronological analyses. Ameghiniana 60(5):465-491 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino]
69166 G. I. Schmidt, C. I. Montalvo, R. Sostillo and E. Cerdeño. 2018. Proterotheriidae (Mammalia, Litopterna) from the Cerro Azul Formation (late Miocene), La Pampa Province, Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 83:165-177 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
86911 G. I. Schmidt, C. I. Montalvo, E. Cerdeño, R. Sostillo, R. L. Tomassini and R. A. Bonini. 2022. Updated data on Litopterna from the Huayquerian Stage/Age (Late Miocene-Early Pliocene) of central-east Argentina. Comptes Rendus Palevol 21(32):721-743 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham/P. Mannion]
85304 R. Sostillo, M. C. Cardonatto, L. Kerber and C. I. Moltalvo. 2022. Taxonomic and ontogenetic diversity of Dinomyidae (Rodentia) from the late Miocene-early Pliocene of La Pampa province (Argentina) based on cranio-dental remains. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 114:103704 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino/P. Mannion]
72326 R. Sostillo, E. Cerdeno, and C. I. Montalvo. 2018. Taxonomic implications of a large sample of Tremacyllus (Hegetotheriidae: Pachyrukhinae) from the late Miocene Cerro Azul formation of La Pampa, Argentina. Ameghiniana 55(4):407-422 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]
84590 R. Sostillo, C. I. Montalvo, E. Cerdeño, G. I. Schmidt, A. Folguera and M. C. Cardonatto. 2021. Updated knowledge on the Notoungulata (Mammalia) from the late Miocene Cerro Azul Formation, La Pampa Province, Argentina. Historical Biology An International Journal of Paleobiology 33(8):1247-1265 [J. Carrillo/K. Pino]
70799 J. J. Urrutia, C. I. Montalvo, and G. J. Scillato-Yane. 2008. Dasypodidae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) de la Formación Cerro Azul (Mioceno tardío) de la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina. Ameghiniana 45(2):289-302 [P. Mannion/M. Kouvari]