El género Gomphocarpus R. Br. (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) en la Argentina

Se reporta la presencia de dos especies del género Gomphocarpus (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) que crecen espontáneamente en la Argentina: G. fruticosus (escapada de cultivo) y G. physocarpus (naturalizada). Las mismas se describen, se indica su distribución geográfica, usos, polinización y dispersión. Además, se analiza el estatus de naturalización de estas especies en el país.

New record of a Mesozoic gondwanatherian mammaliaform from Southern Patagonia

Gondwanatheria is an enigmatic mammaliaform clade distributed in the Cretaceous and Paleogene of South America, Africa, Madagascar, India and Antarctica. The Mesozoic record in South America is restricted to the Latest Cretaceous of Río Negro and Chubut provinces, Argentina and Magallanes Region of southern Chile. The aim of the present contribution is to describe a new specimen of gondwanatherian mammaliaforms from beds belonging to the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation, cropping out 30 km SW of El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is represented by a single molariform referable to the species Magallanodon baikashkenke with which it shares a unique combination of characters. Analysis of the unique combination of characters exhibited by Magallanodon shed doubts on the monophyly of Ferugliotheriidae and suggest that South American taxa may be closely related to each other. The wide geographical distribution and occurrence of gondwanatherians on geological units of diverse origins suggest that they were capable of facing disparate environmental conditions.

Phylogenetic tree of Litopterna and Perissodactyla indicates a complex early history of hoofed mammals

The Litopterna is an extinct clade of endemic South American ungulates that range from Paleocene up to late Pleistocene times. Because of their unique anatomy, litopterns are of uncertain phylogenetic affinities. However, some nineteenth century authors, considered litopterns as related to perissodactyl ungulates, a hypothesis recently sustained by molecular data. The aim of the present contribution is to include litopterns and other South American related taxa in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis together with several extant and extinct basal perissodactyl ungulates. The analysis resulted in the nesting of litopterns and kin as successive stem-clades of crown Perissodactyla. Further, litopterns are not phylogenetically grouped with any North American basal ungulate, in agreement with some previous proposals. Presence of pan-perissodactyls in South America and India indicates that southern continents probably played an important role in the early evolution of hoofed mammals.

A Pleistocene freshwater ichthyofaunal assemblage from central Argentina: What kind of fishes lived in the Pampean lagoons before the extinction of the megafauna?

This study contributes to the knowledge of continental fishes recovered from sedimentary successions corresponding to the Bonaerean Stage/Age (late mid-Pleistocene) in the locality of Centinela del Mar, General Alvarado County, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. At this site we describe fossil fishes from a palaeolagoon, including Corydoras sp., Pimelodella sp., Rhamdia sp., Oligosarcus sp., small undetermined characids, Jenynsia sp. and Odontesthes sp. The recovered ichthyofaunal assemblage comprises at least seven taxa of Paranaean lineage. The taxonomic composition of the palaeoichthyofauna is quite comparable to that presently found in Bonaerean Watercourses of the Atlantic Drainage ecoregion. This suggests that local ichthyofaunal communities have remained relatively stable since the late mid-Pleistocene.

Historical record of Holochilus vulpinus (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from northern Patagonia, Argentina

Marsh rats of the species Holochilus vulpinus inhabit mesic and humid environments. For this reason, it is frequently used in paleoenviromental studies to infer past humid conditions. Holocene archeological record indicates that H. vulpinus had a wider geographical distribution than today. Its regional extinction in north Patagonia at the XIX century was attributed to the dry and cold Little Ice Age (LIA). Here we present the finding of a specimen of H. vulpinus from northeastern Patagonia (Valcheta stream, Río Negro province, Argentina), just at the end of LIA. Implications of this novel historical record are discussed.

Stranded humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae) in Paraná River Delta, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Comments on the occurrence of marine mammals in the La Plata River Basin

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is distributed among most oceans and seas of the globe (except Mediterranean Sea). These whales migrate from feeding regions in the Antarctic waters to breeding areas in tropical and subtropical seas. Here we report the stranding of a female young humpback whale, which was founded dead in the vicinity of the Talavera Island, in the Paraná River Delta, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. From the analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences, two novel haplotypes were found, totalizing four haplotypes described for the species. In the La Plata River Basin this species was found only twice at the end of the XIX century. Thus, the new finding constitutes an important addition to the list of cetaceans that occurs in Uruguay, Paraná and La Plata Rivers.

Unenlagiid theropods: are they members of the Dromaeosauridae (Theropoda, Maniraptora)?

In the present paper we analyze the phylogenetic position of the derived Gondwanan theropod clade Unenlagiidae. Although this group has been frequently considered as deeply nested within Deinonychosauria and Dromaeosauridae, most of the features supporting this interpretation are conflictive, at least. Modification of integrative databases, such as that recently published by Hu et al. (2009), produces significant changes in the topological distribution of taxa within Deinonychosauria, depicting unenlagiids outside this clade. Our analysis retrieves, in contrast, a monophyletic Avialae formed by Unenlagiidae plus Aves.

Mamíferos del pleistoceno superior de santiago del estero (Argentina) y sus afinidades paleobiogeográficas

En la presente contribución se describe una nueva asociación mamaliana para el Pleistoceno Superior de la de la localidad denominada como Dique "Los Quiroga" (provincia de Santiago del Estero, Argentina), la cual se emplaza en el territorio denominado como Región Chaqueña. Los materiales aquí descriptos proceden de depósitos de arenas finas y limos de una unidad estratigráfica aún innominada. Son mencionados por primera vez para el país Panochthus greslebini y Mixotoxodon larensis, y para la región geográfica los taxones Holmesina paulacoutoi y Toxodon gracilis. Un análisis de los registros aquí reportados y de estudios previos en la zona sugiere condiciones climáticas más favorables que las propuestas por autores previos, así como una mayor vinculación biogeográfica con la Región Mesopotámica.

Descripción de una nueva especie de bagre marino fósil (Teleostei, Siluriformes, Ariidae) del Mioceno de la provincia de Río Negro, Argentina

En este trabajo se describen dos cráneos de la familia Ariidae procedentes del miembro Saladar de la Formación Gran Bajo del Gualicho, ubicados en las Salinas del Gualicho, provincia de Río Negro, Argentina. La edad de los depósitos del Miembro Saladar se remonta al Mioceno Temprano alto/Mioceno Medio bajo. Los materiales son asignados a una nueva especie extinta del género viviente Genidens. Este nuevo taxón se distingue de todas las especies actuales por presentar un proceso supraoccipital muy corto, ancho y redondeado, extraescapular subcircular y mesetmoides amplios con una conspicua escotadura mesial, frontales prácticamente planos en vista lateral y margen lateral de los huesos esfenóticos rectilíneo. Genidens sp. nov., representa el registro más antiguo para el género y constituiría una especie de aspecto similar a las formas actuales del género. sp. nov., representa el registro más antiguo para el género y constituiría una especie de aspecto similar a las formas actuales del género.

Primera ictiofauna marina del Cretácico Superior (Formación Jaguel, Maastrichtiano) de la provincia de Río Negro, Argentina

Se describe un conjunto de dientes fósiles que proceden de sedimentos marinos de la Formación Jagüel (Maastrichtiano), de la localidad de Bajo Trapalcó, provincia de Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina. La ictiofauna aquí descripta es la primera para la Formación y se compone de unos seis taxones diferentes de Chondrichthyes (Serratolamna serrata, Squalicorax pristodontus, Cretalamna appendiculata, Carcharias sp., Odontaspis sp. y cf. Pseudohypolophus mcnultyi) y dos Teleostei del género Enchodus (aff. E. ferox y aff. E. gladiolus). Serratolamna serrata es el taxón mejor representado del conjunto, y constituye la cita más austral conocida en la distribución de esta especie y el primer registro fósil para Argentina. Los registros de Enchodus, Squalicorax pristodontus y cf. Pseudohypolophus mcnultyi, representan las primeras descripciones de estos taxones para Argentina. Todos los taxones descriptos constituyen un ensamblaje de especies que caracterizan las paleoictiofaunas de los mares del Cretácico Superior de distintas partes del globo, aportando novedosa información para la comprensión de las ictiofaunas Mesozoicas del cono sur sudamericano.

A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous

The fossil record of Australian dinosaurs in general, and theropods in particular, is extremely sparse. Here we describe an ulna from the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Australia that shares unique autapomorphies with the South American theropod Megaraptor. We also present evidence for the spinosauroid affinities of Megaraptor. This ulna represents the first Australian non-avian theropod with unquestionable affinities to taxa from other Gondwanan landmasses, suggesting faunal interchange between eastern and western Gondwana during the Mid-Cretaceous. This evidence counters claims of Laurasian affinities for Early Cretaceous Australian dinosaur faunas, and for the existence of a geographical or climatic barrier isolating Australia from the other Gondwanan continents during this time. The temporal and geographical distribution of Megaraptor and the Eumeralla ulna is also inconsistent with traditional palaeogeographic models for the fragmentation of Gondwana, but compatible with several alternative models positing connections between South America and Antarctica in the Mid-Cretaceous.