Article
Paleontology
Alberto Boscaini, Nestor Toledo, Leandro M. Perez, Matias L. Taglioretti, Robert K. McFee
Summary: This study presents previously unpublished cranial and postcranial materials of a mysterious species of mylodontine sloths from Argentina. The research describes and compares these remains, shedding light on the taxonomic uncertainties surrounding the species. Additionally, the study reveals that the size of the mylodontine sloths increased over time.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Alberto Boscaini, Nestor Toledo, Bernardino Mamani Quispe, Ruben Andrade Flores, Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Laurent Marivaux, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Philippe Munch, Timothy J. Gaudin, Francois Pujos
Summary: This paper provides comparative descriptions of an extinct terrestrial sloth from South America, aiming to elucidate taxonomy, phylogeny, and locomotion based on observed morphology. The species lived in high altitudes of the Andean Cordillera and had moderate climbing and digging capabilities.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Sofia Quinones, Alfredo E. Zurita, Angel R. Mino-Boilini, Adriana M. Candela, Carlos A. Luna
Summary: Xenarthra is likely the most primitive clade among Placentalia and its formation is the result of the Splendid Isolation in South America. Despite being the only endemic clade with living representatives, the current diversity of Xenarthra is significantly less rich compared to the majority of the Cenozoic era. Thalassocnus, a particular clade within Folivora (sloths), is an enigmatic animal with previous records limited to coastal areas of Miocene and Pliocene in Peru and Chile. This study presents the first record of Thalassocnus in Argentina, indicating a more complex evolutionary and paleobiogeographic history than previously interpreted.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bastien Mennecart, Gregoire Metais, Loic Costeur, Leonard Ginsburg, Gertrud E. Roessner
Summary: Amphimoschus is an extinct Eurasian ruminant genus, primarily found in Europe, with an unknown systematic position due to lack of detailed taxonomic work in recent years. Despite abundant material, the family affiliation of this genus remains uncertain. The study on ontogenetic variation reveals certain morphological changes with age, but the primary focus is on proposing the validity of the species A. ponteleviensis.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mercedes B. Pramparo, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Laurent Marivaux, Ruben Andrade Flores, Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Alberto Boscaini, Bernardino Mamani Quispe, Severine Fauquette, Colline Bonnet, Philippe Munch, Francois Pujos
Summary: This study analyzes a palynological fossil assemblage from the Achiri locality in the Bolivian Altiplano, and identifies the presence of extinct Araucarian dispersed pollen. The findings provide evidence for the timing and distribution of conifers and support the paleoelevation of the northern area of the Altiplano.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Daniela C. Kalthoff, Oldrich Fejfar, Yuri Kimura, Bruce E. Bailey, Thomas Mors
Summary: The lower incisor enamel microstructure of the fossil rodent family Eomyidae was previously thought to be uniform, but a new four-layered enamel microstructure has been discovered in this family. This new structure type developed early in the evolution of Eomyidae and is present in both North American and European species. Additionally, there are three taxa within Eomyidae that have enamel microstructures different from all other eomyids. These findings challenge previous phylogenetic relationships and suggest that Eomyidae should be placed outside Geomorpha.
Article
Biology
Timothy Gaudin, Thomas Scaife, Nestor Toledo, Gerardo De Iuliis
Summary: This study provides a comparative description of the skull anatomy of the basal megatherioid sloth Schismotherium fractum. It highlights the distinct features that distinguish Schismotherium and Pelecyodon, even though there is variation in various skull characteristics within S. fractum. The study supports the current taxonomic status of these sloths but emphasizes the need for further anatomical and phylogenetic investigations.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Timothy J. Gaudin, Thomas Scaife
Summary: The present study provides a detailed description of the skull and jaw anatomy of a juvenile Antillean sloth, Acratocnus ye, from Haiti. The study compares the ontogenetic changes in the skull between juvenile and adult A. ye, revealing significant new observations that impact the relationships within Xenarthra and between Xenarthrans and other placental mammals. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for further anatomical and phylogenetic investigations of Antillean sloths, particularly juvenile sloths.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Mariana Cirino, Francisco Ricardo Negri, Castor Cartelle, Jorge Ferigolo, Ana Maria Ribeiro
Summary: Diagnoses of Mylodontidae species are typically based on skull, mandibular, and tooth characteristics. However, this study collected a significant set of postcranial specimens from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, allowing for the observation of key diagnostic characters. Morphological and morphometric analysis indicated significant differences in postcranial morphology, and the remains were assigned to Glossotherium robustum, Lestodon armatus, and a new Scelidotheriinae species.
REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PALEONTOLOGIA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pushpalata Kayastha, Daniel Stec, Lukasz Slugocki, Magdalena Gawlak, Monika Mioduchowska, Lukasz Kaczmarek
Summary: A new species, Paramacrobiotus gadabouti sp. nov., was discovered and described using morphological, morphometric, and genetic data. The species belongs to the Parmacrobiotus richtersi group and exhibits richtersi-type eggs with cap-like structures at the ends. It is most similar to Pam. alekseevi, Pam. filipi, and Pam. garynahi, but differs in egg morphology and morphometrics. Unlike other species in the group, Paramacrobiotus gadabouti sp. nov. is a parthenogenetic species with a wider distribution, supporting the hypothesis of 'everything is everywhere' for tardigrades.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milton Groppo, Luisa Jorio Cavalcante de Lemos, Paola de Lima Ferreira, Carolina Ferreira, Carla Poleselli Bruniera, Neuza Maria de Castro, Jose Rubens Pirani, Juliana Hanna Leite El Ottra, Jacquelyn Ann Kallunki
Summary: Subtribe Galipeinae within the Rutaceae family in the Neotropics is highly diverse, with Conchocarpus being the largest genus. However, recent research showed that Conchocarpus is not monophyletic, and a new genus, Dryades, was proposed for a group of species previously assigned to Conchocarpus. Phylogenetic analysis, based on morphological and molecular data, supported this taxonomic change.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Leonardo S. Avilla, Flavio Gois, Esteban Soibelzon, Gabriel Muniz de Abreu, Alline Rotti
Summary: In this study, an unprecedented and very complete juvenile pampathere fossil was described, which provides valuable information on the early stages of anatomy and paleobiology of the extinct South American megafauna. The fossil was found in the Gruta do Urso cave in the Brazilian Amazon region and represents a lactating individual of the Holmesina species.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Dilson Vargas-Peixoto, Cicero Schneider Colusso, Atila Augusto Stock Da-Rosa, Leonardo Kerber
Summary: The article reports a new specimen of a ground sloth species found in Quaternary deposits in southern Brazil, contributing to the understanding of the skeletal anatomy of Lestodon armatus and the diversity of extinct mammalian fauna in southern Brazil.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Angel R. Mino-Boilini, Diego Brandoni, Claudia Montalvo, Rodrigo L. Tomassini, Daniel Barasoain, Alfredo E. Zurita
Summary: Among extinct sloths, the subfamily Nothrotheriinae is known for their distinctive dental features, including caniniforms separated from the molariform tooth row and molariforms with longitudinal grooves on the lingual and labial surfaces. The subfamily has been found in various regions of South America, Central America, and North America, ranging from the Middle Miocene to the Pleistocene. Several well-known representatives include Pronothrotherium, Huilabradys, Mionothropus, and Mcdonaldocnus. New cranio-dental remains of Mcdonaldocnus have been discovered in Argentina and Bolivia, as well as in the Cerro Azul Formation in Buenos Aires Province and the provinces of La Pampa.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
James L. Seago, Edita Tylova, Ales Soukup, Cleusa Bona, Olga Vortubova
Summary: The study confirmed the presence of endodermis with Casparian bands in stems and petioles of Gunnera species, as well as the varying vascular tissue arrangement. The vascular tissue similarity to seedless vascular plants was an interesting trait, with only a few species showing vascular patterns common for eudicots.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Alberto Boscaini, Dawid A. Iurino, Raffaele Sardella, German Tirao, Timothy J. Gaudin, Francois Pujos
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Biology
Laurent Marivaux, Jorge Velez-Juarbe, Gilles Merzeraud, Francois Pujos, Lazaro W. Vinola Lopez, Myriam Boivin, Hernan Santos-Mercado, Eduardo J. Cruz, Alexandra Grajales, James Padilla, Kevin Velez-Rosado, Melody Philippon, Jean-Len Leticee, Philippe Munch, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Alberto Boscaini, Dawid A. Iurino, Bernardino Mamani Quispe, Ruben Andrade Flores, Raffaee Sardella, Francois Pujos, Timothy J. Gaudin
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Biology
Francois Pujos, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi
Article
Paleontology
Alberto Boscaini, Nestor Toledo, Bernardino Mamani Quispe, Ruben Andrade Flores, Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Laurent Marivaux, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Philippe Munch, Timothy J. Gaudin, Francois Pujos
Summary: This paper provides comparative descriptions of an extinct terrestrial sloth from South America, aiming to elucidate taxonomy, phylogeny, and locomotion based on observed morphology. The species lived in high altitudes of the Andean Cordillera and had moderate climbing and digging capabilities.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Francois Pujos, Martin R. Ciancio, Analia M. Forasiepi, Michel Pujos, Adriana M. Candela, Barbara Vera, Marcelo A. Reguero, Ana Maria Combina, Esperanza Cerdeno
Summary: The late Oligocene mammalian fauna of Quebrada Fiera is diverse, featuring 13 endemic xenarthran species including sloths and armoured cingulates. The vertebrate fauna suggests a mix of endemic and high latitude species, indicating a varied ecosystem under a temperate or hot climate in late Oligocene South America.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Myriam Boivin, Laurent Marivaux, Walter Aguirre-Diaz, Michele Andriolli Custodio, Aldo Benites-Palomino, Francois Pujos, Martin Roddaz, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Narla Stutz, Julia V. Tejada-Lara, Johan Yans, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
Summary: The Paleogene record of caviomorph rodents has expanded in recent decades, shedding light on their evolutionary history. New caviomorph fossils from the Balsayacu area in Peru reveal the presence of four taxa, supporting an Eocene age for the section. The discoveries suggest a time interval slightly younger than CTA-27 and older than Santa Rosa and Tarapoto-Shapaja, likely representing latest middle or early late Eocene times.
Article
Paleontology
Laurent Marivaux, Jorge Velez-Juarbe, Lazaro W. Vinola Lopez, Pierre-Henri Fabre, Francois Pujos, Hernan Santos-Mercado, Eduardo J. Cruz, Alexandra M. Grajales Perez, James Padilla, Kevin I. Velez-Rosado, Jean-Jacques Cornee, Melody Philippon, Philippe Munch, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
Summary: The West Indies serve as a natural laboratory for studying biogeography and evolution, particularly for mammals. Recent discoveries in Puerto Rico revealed the oldest island rodent fossils, leading to the proposal of a new taxon. The findings challenge the idea that all Antillean rodents originated from South America and suggest a possible overwater dispersal of rodents to the West Indies during the mid-Paleogene period.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Myriam Boivin, Laurent Marivaux, Walter Aguirre-Diaz, Aldo Benites-Palomino, Guillaume Billet, Francois Pujos, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Narla S. Stutz, Julia Tejada-Lara, Rafael M. Varas-Malca, Anne H. Walton, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
Summary: This paper describes a new caviomorph assemblage discovered in Peruvian Amazonia, considered to fall within the late middle Miocene Laventan South American Land Mammal Age. The site yielded a diverse caviomorph fauna, including a new species of erethizontoid.
Article
Biology
Timothy J. Gaudin, Alberto Boscaini, Bernardino Mamani Quispe, Ruben Andrade Flores, Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Laurent Marivaux, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Philippe Munch, Francois Pujos
Summary: New remains of a relatively primitive sloth have been discovered in Bolivia, which share similarities with other fossils from Argentina and Bolivia. These specimens provide enough distinctive characters to place them into a new genus called "Xyophorus".
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Darin A. Croft, Francois Pujos, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
Summary: This study presents systematic conclusions on the taxonomic history and ontogenetic variation of the Mesotherium cristatum, a key taxon in the Early-Middle Pleistocene period. Through critical analyses, it is found that the variation among different purported mesotheriine taxa is actually consistent with intraspecific and ontogenetic variation within a single species, M. cristatum. This research puts an end to the misidentification and complex taxonomic history of this species, providing a better understanding of the taxonomic group.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Francois Pujos, Gerardo De Iuliis, Luciano Vilaboim Santos, Castor Cartelle
Summary: A well-preserved fetus of the extinct nothrotheriid sloth Nothrotherium maquinense, recovered in situ within the skeletal remains of its mother from a cave in Brazil, is described and compared. The fetus exhibits permanent teeth and evidence of intrauterine mastication, suggesting a relatively short lactation period. Its bones and claws indicate adaptions for clinging to its mother's back after birth. This extinct species gave birth to a single offspring at a time, similar to living sloths. The taphonomic conditions in the cave do not support habitual cave use by this species.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Adriana M. Candela, Maria A. Abello, Marcelo A. Reguero, Cesar M. Garcia Esponda, Ulyses F. J. Pardinas, Alfredo A. Zurita, Francois Pujos, Angel Mino-Boilini, Sofia Quinones, Claudia I. Galli, Carlos Luna, Damian Voglino, Martin de los Reyes, Pedro Cuaranta
Summary: This study describes new Late Miocene mammalian specimens found in the Humahuaca Basin in northwestern Argentina, and analyzes their taxonomy and significance in understanding the initial stages of the Great American Biotic Interchange. The stratigraphy and age of the specimens provide crucial data for establishing the oldest records of Holarctic immigrants in GABI. The study also reports the first record of cricetid rodents and procyonids in South America, and describes the first records of several autochthonous mammals from the Maimara Formation.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Marcos Fernandez-Monescillo, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Darin A. Croft, Francois Pujos
Summary: Taxonomy of mesotheriids in Monte Hermoso, Buenos Aires province, Argentina is complicated, especially regarding the Late Miocene-Pliocene species Pseudotypotherium pulchrum and P. exiguum. There has been confusion due to intraspecific variation of P. exiguum and the inclusion of Pleistocene taxon Mesotherium cristatum. In this study, we conducted a thorough analysis of type materials and compared molar size and i1 ontogenetic variation to determine that Pseudotypotherium exiguum is the valid senior synonym for Monte Hermoso mesotheriids. We provide a detailed diagnosis and description of P. exiguum, including the first ontogenetic series for any species of Pseudotypotherium.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Alexandre Assemat, Myriam Boivin, Laurent Marivaux, Francois Pujos, Aldo Benites-Palomino, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Julia Tejada-Lara, Rafael M. Varas-Malca, Francisco Ricardo Negri, Ma Maria Ribeiro, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
