CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN

The marine outcrops of the Patagonian Miocene (Argentina) encompass one of the most important assemblages of fossil mysticetes recorded worldwide, including key records of extant lineages. The Patagonian Late Miocene records comprise balaenids (right whales) or cetotheriids neobalaenines (pygmy rig...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Azucena Solis-Añorve, Mónica R. Buono
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asociación Paleontológica Argentina 2025-03-01
Series:Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/515
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850271613011886080
author Azucena Solis-Añorve
Mónica R. Buono
author_facet Azucena Solis-Añorve
Mónica R. Buono
author_sort Azucena Solis-Añorve
collection DOAJ
description The marine outcrops of the Patagonian Miocene (Argentina) encompass one of the most important assemblages of fossil mysticetes recorded worldwide, including key records of extant lineages. The Patagonian Late Miocene records comprise balaenids (right whales) or cetotheriids neobalaenines (pygmy right whales). In the last years, the increase of fieldwork efforts in Miocene outcrops of Patagonia has led to the discovery of new specimens, thus expanding our knowledge of mysticetes diversity from regional and global perspectives. In this work, we describe isolated ear bones collected from the Late Miocene Puerto Madryn Formation 12–2.7 Ma (Serravalian to Piacenzian), Península Valdés (Chubut Province), preliminarily attributed to Cetotheriidae. Although the lack of diagnostic elements precludes a more precise identification (at genus or specific level) within this family, our studies reveal a previously unknown diversity of morphotypes, indicating significant taxonomic diversity among these Patagonian mysticetes. In addition, the South Atlantic cetotheriid assemblage appears to be represented exclusively by large taxa, probably of pelagic habits, which may have facilitated their dispersal into the southern basins. Finally, these records suggest a rapid dispersion of cetotheriids from the Paratethys into the Southern Hemisphere during the Late Miocene, with the Southwest Atlantic Ocean representing their southernmost limit of distribution.
format Article
id doaj-art-6c5bcc8a397e47f2ae681aae921e1807
institution OA Journals
issn 2469-0228
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
record_format Article
series Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
spelling doaj-art-6c5bcc8a397e47f2ae681aae921e18072025-08-20T01:52:11ZengAsociación Paleontológica ArgentinaPublicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina2469-02282025-03-0125110.5710/PEAPA.22.10.2024.515CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEANAzucena Solis-Añorve0Mónica R. Buono 1Universidad Autónoma de Baja California SurCONICET-CENPAT The marine outcrops of the Patagonian Miocene (Argentina) encompass one of the most important assemblages of fossil mysticetes recorded worldwide, including key records of extant lineages. The Patagonian Late Miocene records comprise balaenids (right whales) or cetotheriids neobalaenines (pygmy right whales). In the last years, the increase of fieldwork efforts in Miocene outcrops of Patagonia has led to the discovery of new specimens, thus expanding our knowledge of mysticetes diversity from regional and global perspectives. In this work, we describe isolated ear bones collected from the Late Miocene Puerto Madryn Formation 12–2.7 Ma (Serravalian to Piacenzian), Península Valdés (Chubut Province), preliminarily attributed to Cetotheriidae. Although the lack of diagnostic elements precludes a more precise identification (at genus or specific level) within this family, our studies reveal a previously unknown diversity of morphotypes, indicating significant taxonomic diversity among these Patagonian mysticetes. In addition, the South Atlantic cetotheriid assemblage appears to be represented exclusively by large taxa, probably of pelagic habits, which may have facilitated their dispersal into the southern basins. Finally, these records suggest a rapid dispersion of cetotheriids from the Paratethys into the Southern Hemisphere during the Late Miocene, with the Southwest Atlantic Ocean representing their southernmost limit of distribution. https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/515MiocenePuerto MadrynMysticetesEvolutionNeogene
spellingShingle Azucena Solis-Añorve
Mónica R. Buono
CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
Miocene
Puerto Madryn
Mysticetes
Evolution
Neogene
title CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
title_full CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
title_fullStr CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
title_full_unstemmed CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
title_short CETOTHERIIDAE RECORDS FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF PATAGONIA EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF BALEEN WHALES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
title_sort cetotheriidae records from the late miocene of patagonia expand the diversity of baleen whales from the southwestern atlantic ocean
topic Miocene
Puerto Madryn
Mysticetes
Evolution
Neogene
url https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/515
work_keys_str_mv AT azucenasolisanorve cetotheriidaerecordsfromthelatemioceneofpatagoniaexpandthediversityofbaleenwhalesfromthesouthwesternatlanticocean
AT monicarbuono cetotheriidaerecordsfromthelatemioceneofpatagoniaexpandthediversityofbaleenwhalesfromthesouthwesternatlanticocean