Elasmobranch fishes from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Patagonia, Argentina display an impressive palaeodiversity in high latitude deposits
- Author(s)
- Arnaud Begat, Jürgen Kriwet, Javie N. Gelfo, Francisco J. Goin, Soledad Gouiric-Cavalli, Schultz Julia A., Thomas Martin
- Abstract
The Cretaceous was an important period in the evolution of vertebrates, both on land and in the oceans. Reconfiguration of landscapes by the Pangaean break-up and subsequent oceanic phase that opened new seaways enabled the establishment of new migration routes and also created wide, shallow epicontinental seas that are considered to boost diversity patterns of marine organisms. Here, we present an impressive Cenomanian elasmobranch fauna from the Mata Amarilla Formation in the Austral Basin of Patagonia, Argentina (Santa Cruz province) collected during an Argentine-German field project funded by the National Geographic Society and German Research Foundation (DFG). The Mata Amarilla Formation is characterized by an alternating sequence of continental and marine strata that yielded different vertebrate assemblages. So far, at least ten different elasmobranch taxa including hitherto unknown species based on isolated teeth from shallow marine sediments have been identified. Additionally, isolated vertebral centra and dermal denticles of less taxonomic value were recovered. This unique assemblage is the most diversified elasmobranch association described from Cretaceous deposits of South America up to now. Moreover, it significantly improves our hitherto poor knowledge on elasmobranchs during the early Late Cretaceous in high latitudes. The strong taxonomic similarities between Patagonia, North America and Europe indicate a migration pattern between the two hemispheres that is enhanced by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
- Pages
- 16-16
- No. of pages
- 1
- Publication date
- 03-2022
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/c86fbc5d-3399-4c39-bb12-17bc5f5707ab