New Records of Squamates from the Upper Miocene of South America
The Cerro Azul Formation of Argentina has yielded one of the highest diversities of squamate reptiles for the upper Miocene of South America including tupinambine teiids (Tupinambis sp.), “colubrids,” and viperids. Here, we describe new remains of Tupinambis sp. and “Colubridae” from this Formation as well as the first records of teiine teiids and boid snakes. The teiine represents the oldest record of this subfamily in South America. The squamate assemblage of the Cerro Azul Formation is consistent with the mammalian fauna in supporting the interpretation of a Chacoan-type palaeoenvironment for the upper Miocene of Central Argentina.Abstract
(A) Localities of the Cerro Azul Formation of Argentina cited in the text. (B) Stratigraphic profiles of these localities. Profiles from Cerro La Bota, Bajo Giuliani, and Caleufú modified from Verzi et al. (2008). (©2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.) Used with permission.
Tupinambis sp., (A) right dentary in oclusal view (GHUNLPam 22677); (B) right maxilla in lingual view (GHUNLPam 4256); (C–G) caudal vertebra (GHUNLPam 2313) in dorsal (C), anterior (D), lateral (E), posterior (F), and ventral (G) views. Letters (a) to (d) indicate relative tooth positions. Abbreviations: rz, resorption zone; sbs, subdental shelf; sd, sulcus dentalis; sps, supradental shelf. Scale = 5 mm.
“Cnemidophorinae,” right dentary (GHUNLPam 21745), in labial (A,B), lingual (C,D), and occlusal (E,F) views. Numbers indicate absolute tooth positions. Abbreviations: Mc, Meckel's groove; mf, mental foramen; rz, resorption zone; spf, splenial articulation facet; sy, symphysis. Scale = 1 mm.
Boidae, vertebra (GHUNLPam 8888/1) in anterior (A), posterior (B), lateral (C), dorsal (D), and ventral (E) views. Scale = 1 mm.
“Colubridae,” vertebra (GHUNLPam 6732–2) in anterior (A), posterior (B), lateral (C), dorsal (D), and ventral (E) views. Scale = 1 mm.
Contributor Notes
