A baseline paleoecological study for the Santa Cruz Formation (late–early Miocene) at the Atlantic coast of Patagonia, Argentina

Vizcaı́no, Sergio F.; Bargo, M. Susana; Kay, Richard F.; Fariña, Richard A.; Giacomo, Mariana Di; Perry, Jonathan M. G.; Prevosti, Francisco Juan; Toledo, Néstor; Cassini, Guillermo Hernán; Fernícola, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.04.022

Cited by 81 publications

(70 citation statements)

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“…Croft (2001Croft ( , 2006 considered that the number of sparassodont species is smaller in comparison with the number of potential prey. This author based his conclusions on a predator/prey ratio lower than the expected found in placental assemblages (see also Vizcaíno et al 2010). Alternatively, recent reviews Prevosti et al 2012) suggested that the sparassodont diversity was higher than previously thought, and that the predator/prey rate of the SCF was similar to that observed in living associations.…”

Section: Potential Predator-prey Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…We included a time averaging of several million years, with the assumption of coexistence. Alternatively, it would be ideal to use single assemblages from individual localities and fossil levels (e.g., Vizcaíno et al 2010;Kay et al 2012b), but this generally offers an insufficient sample size for meaningful results, with loss of diversity and insufficient representation of predators ; see also Croft 2013). Furthermore, the presence of time averaging could be excluded in a mass-death assemblage (quickly covered by sediments and without reworking), but not in most deposits, even if they are restricted to one fossil level of one locality as is the case of SCF assemblages (Flessa 2001).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The predator mammals of the SCF were represented by 11 species of Sparassodonta with body masses from 1 kg to greater than 50 kg (Argot 2003a(Argot , b, 2004aWroe et al 2004;Vizcaíno et al 2010;Ercoli and Prevosti 2011;Prevosti et al 2012;Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Structure of the Mammalian Predator Guild in the Santa Cruz Formation (Late Early Miocene)

2013

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The Santa Cruz Formation (late early Miocene, Santacrucian age) registers 11 species of mammalian predators (Metatheria, Sparassodonta). Together with large carnivorous flightless birds, they comprised the terrestrial predator guild. The Santacrucian sparassodonts were diverse in body size, had different locomotory habits, and were primarily hypercarnivores. The objective of this work is to analyze the guild structure of the sparassodonts of the Santa Cruz Formation, using the variables of body mass, diet, and locomotion as proxies. Furthermore, we analyze the interaction with other predators and potential prey. The univariated test V of Poole and Rathcke and the multivariated test of Clark-Evans were used to construct the models. In the multivariate test, we made a Principal Component Analysis to resume and standardize the variables. With body mass and locomotion we obtained an evenly spaced pattern of segregation for the sparassodont species, being non-significant and significant, respectively. The pattern was aggregated and significant only with diet. The analysis of all variables together resulted in an evenly spaced and significant pattern, which is consistent with character displacements (segregation of species throughout the morphospace) that would help to diminish interspecific competition during the Santacrucian age and would allow selection of prey species of different sizes and substrate specializations. When the body size pattern of predator birds and sparassodonts were plotted together, the pattern is evenly spaced and nonsignificant. Other factors, including locomotion, would differentiate these species and their ecological niches.

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Section: Potential Predator-prey Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Structure of the Mammalian Predator Guild in the Santa Cruz Formation (Late Early Miocene)

2013

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“…The fluvial deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation along the southernmost Atlantic shore of Patagonia (around 18-16 Ma, Perkins et al, 2012) contain a very well-preserved vertebrate fauna of Santacrucian Age that facilitates detailed paleobiological and paleoecological studies (Vizcaíno et al, 2010Kay et al, 2012). The fauna includes a diversity of sloths in addition to anteaters, armadillos, glyptodonts, notoungulates, litopterns, astrapotheres, marsupials, primates, rodents, frogs, lizards, and birds.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Several authors suggest characterizing each taxon in a community by mean of three ecological parameters: body mass, diet, and substrate preference-including locomotion- (Andrews et al, 1979;Van Couvering, 1980; Kay and Madden, 1997;Reed, 1998;Vizcaíno et al, 2006Vizcaíno et al, , 2008Vizcaíno et al, , 2010Kay et al, 2012).…”

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Muscular Reconstruction and Functional Morphology of the Forelimb of Early Miocene Sloths (Xenarthra, Folivora) of Patagonia

Toledo

Bargo

Vizcaı́no

2012

The Anatomical Record

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Early Miocene sloths are represented by a diversity of forms ranging from 38 to 95 kg, being registered mainly from Santacrucian Age deposits in southern-most shores of Patagonia, Argentina. Their postcranial skeleton differs markedly in shape from those of their closest living relatives (arboreal forms of less than 10 kg), Bradypus and Choloepus. In order to gain insight on functional properties of the Santacrucian sloths forelimb, musculature was reconstructed and a comparative, qualitative morphofunctional analysis was performed, allowing proposing hypotheses about biological role of the limb in substrate preferences, and locomotor strategies. The anatomy of the forelimb of Santacrucian sloths resembles more closely extant anteaters such as Tamandua and Myrmecophaga, due to the robustness of the elements, development of features related to attachment of ligaments and muscles, and conservative, pentadactylous, and strong-clawed manus. The reconstructed forelimb musculature was very well developed and resembles that of extant Pilosa (especially anteaters), although retaining the basic muscular configuration of generalized mammals. This musculature allowed application of powerful forces, especially in adduction of the forelimb, flexion and extension of the antebrachium, and manual prehension. These functional properties are congruent with both climbing and digging activities, and provide support for proposed Santacrucian sloths as good climbing mammals, possibly arboreal or semiarboreal, being also capable diggers. Their climbing strategies were limited, thus these forms relied mainly on great muscular strength and curved claws of the manus to move cautiously on branches. Anat Rec, 296:305-325,

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Muscular reconstruction and functional morphology of the hind limb of santacrucian (Early Miocene) sloths (Xenarthra, Folivora) of Patagonia

Toledo

Bargo

Vizcaı́no

2015

The Anatomical Record

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This article presents a morphofunctional analysis of the hind limb of Santacrucian (Early Miocene) sloths from southernmost Patagonia (Argentina). These fossil sloths were mid sized to large animals, ranging from 40 to 120 kg, and their postcranial skeleton was markedly different in shape compared with that of extant tree sloths, which vary from 2 to 10 kg. The functional anatomy of the hind limb of Santacrucian sloths was compared with that of living xenarthrans (tree sloths, anteaters, and armadillos), which involved reconstruction of the hind limb musculature and comparative and qualitative morphofunctional analyses, and hypotheses on the biological role of the hind limb in terms of preferences in substrate, posture, and strategies of locomotion were formulated. The hind limb of Santacrucian sloths bears strong resemblances to that of living South American anteaters in stoutness of skeletal elements, form of the characteristics related to muscular and ligamentous attachments, and conservative, pentadactylous strong-clawed pes. The musculature was very well developed, allowing powerful forces, principally in entire limb adduction, crus flexion and extension, pes extension, and toe prehension. These functional features, together with those of the forelimb, are congruent with climbing behavior, and support the hypothesis that Santacrucian sloths were good but slow climbing mammals. However, their climbing strategies were limited, owing principally to their comparatively large body size, and they relied to a large extent on their powerful musculature and curved manual and pedal unguals for both moving and standing on the arboreal supports. Anat Rec, 298:842-864, 2015. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Key words: paleoecology; Santa Cruz Formation; climbing; substrate use; substrate preferences

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A baseline paleoecological study for the Santa Cruz Formation (late–early Miocene) at the Atlantic coast of Patagonia, Argentina

Cited by 81 publications

References 25 publications

The Structure of the Mammalian Predator Guild in the Santa Cruz Formation (Late Early Miocene)

The Structure of the Mammalian Predator Guild in the Santa Cruz Formation (Late Early Miocene)

Muscular Reconstruction and Functional Morphology of the Forelimb of Early Miocene Sloths (Xenarthra, Folivora) of Patagonia

Muscular reconstruction and functional morphology of the hind limb of santacrucian (Early Miocene) sloths (Xenarthra, Folivora) of Patagonia

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