Mamíferos del Pleistoceno Terminal de la localidad de El Hatillo, Panamá

Abstract

Late Pleistocene mammals from the El Hatillo locality on the Azuero Peninsula in Panama, originally reported by C. L. Gazin in 1957, are documented here for the first time. The following taxa are present: Hoplophorinae?, Glyptotherium floridanum, Eremotherium laurillardi, Paramylodon harlani, Equus conversidens, Platygonus sp., Odocoileus sp., Mixotoxodon larensis and Cuvieronius hyodon. This is a characteristic assemblage of late Pleistocene mammals from Central America that is dominated by fossils of Eremotherium in association with fossils of Mixotoxodon and Equus. I refer to such associations as EME assemblages and posit that most of these assemblages from Central America are of Late Pleistocene age. EME assemblages represent a mixed fauna of grazers and browsers that was common across Central America during one or more of the Late Pleistocene interstadials. Keywords: Fossil mammals, Eremotherium, Mixotoxodon, Equus, Panamá, Pleistocene. RESUMEN: Documentamos aquí por primera vez los mamíferos del Pleistoceno tardío de la localidad de El Hatillo en la península de Azuero en Panamá, originalmente reportado por C. L. Gazin en 1957. Los siguientes taxa están presente: Hoplophorinae?, Glyptotherium floridanum, Eremotherium laurillardi, Paramylodon harlani, Equus conversidens, Platygonus sp., Odocoileus sp., Mixotoxodon larensis y Cuvieronius hyodon. Este es un conjunto característico de mamíferos del Pleistoceno Tardío de Centroamérica destacado por fósiles de Eremotherium en asociación con fósiles de Mixotoxodon y Equus. Me refiero a este tipo de asociación como montaje EME y postulo que la mayoría de estos montajes de Centroamérica son de edad del Pleistoceno Tardío. Los montajes EME representan una fauna mixta de pasteadores y ramoneadores que eran muy común en toda Centroamérica durante uno o más de los fines interestadiales del Pleistoceno.

A Tale of Two Continents (and a Few Islands): Ecology and Distribution of Late Pleistocene Sloths

“…A mylodontid mandible from El Hatillo, Panama was initially identified as cf. Glossotherium tropicum [143] but has since been referred to Paramylodon harlani [144].…”

Late Pleistocene Paramylodon harlani (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) from Térapa, Sonora, Mexico

“…There are only a few records of mylodontinae sloths in Central America, including in Guatemala [44,45], Costa Rica [46], and Panama [47]. Generally, most records are reported simply as a mylodontid, but some specimens have been identified specifically as Paramylodon.…”

Integrated Chronology, Flora and Faunas, and Paleoecology of the Alajuela Formation, Late Miocene of Panama

“…Despite this importance, until recently our knowledge of late Miocene biotas has been restricted to marine faunas such as the hyperdiverse, Gatun Formation, which preserves an excellent record of both invertebrates [1] and chondrichthyans [2]. In contrast to the marine record, up to now no terrestrial macrofossils have been reported in Panama from the time interval between the early Miocene of the Panama Canal localities [3] and the late Pleistocene of the Azuero Peninsula [4]. The apparent lack of terrestrial sedimentation, as evidenced by the paucity of outcrops during the late Miocene portion of this interval, likely resulted from the rapid uplift and consequent erosion during the formation of the isthmus [5].…”