scholarly journals Tetraodontiformes (Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii) from the Miocene of Argentina: with the southernmost record of fossil Tetraodontidae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soledad GOUIRIC-CAVALLI ◽  
Maria de las Mercedes AZPELICUETA ◽  
Alberto L. CIONE
Keyword(s):  
Late Miocene ◽  
Bone Structure ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Enormous Variation ◽  
Fossil Records ◽  
Entre Rios ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Early Late ◽  
Massive Bone

Teleostean evolution produced enormous variation in tooth morphology. This variation is related to the exploration and exploitation of very diverse dietary niches. Among extant fishes, several taxa of the order Tetraodontiformes (e.g. pufferfishes, porcupinefishes and ocean sunfishes) have evolved highly specialized beak-like tooth structures. Here we provide the first description of tetraodontiform crushing beaks from Argentina. A single complete premaxillary beak recovered from the early Miocene Gaiman Formation in Chubut Province is assigned to Molidae based on its premaxillaries being completely fused to one another along the midline, general morphology, and size. Moreover, due to the putative presence of rows of teeth fused to the thick and massive bone structure, the specimen might belong to the genus Ranzania Nardo, 1840. Several premaxillary beaks recovered in the late Miocene Paraná Formation of Entre Ríos Province are assigned to Tetraodontidae Bonaparte, 1832 based on the presence of long, slender, rod-like, and parallel dental units; premaxillae not fused in the midline but articulated by interlocking emarginations, and a few small and one large trituration dental units. Argentinian tetraodontiform fishes inhabited the warm-temperate Paranense and Patagoniense Seas (marine transgressions developed in southeastern South America) during the early-late Miocene; these specimens are the southernmost fossil record of the group worldwide. Tetraodontiforms are extremely rare in recent Argentinian marine waters. The new fossil records agree with the higher sea water surface temperatures suggested both locally and worldwide for the Miocene.

scholarly journals Palaeoenvironmental significance of a late Miocene benthic foraminifera fauna from Apostoli Formation, Central West Crete, Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 627
Author(s):  
H. DRINIA
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Great Role ◽  
Benthic Foraminifers ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Palaeoecological Reconstruction ◽  
Early Late

The palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological reconstruction of the Apostoli Basin (Crete, Rethymnon Region) during early Late Miocene by means of benthic foraminifers is given. Biologically important factors, such as oxygen and nutrient content of sea-water, played a great role in the evolution of the palaeoecosystem. A gradual deepening took place during the deposition of the Apostoli Formation. The sediments of the lower part of the formation document a shallow-marine environment with vegetation in the neighborhood. In the middle part of the formation sediments are characterized by intermediate oxygenated conditions, whereas the upper part of it is characterized by the establishment of a restricted envrironment, where organic matter accumulates and infaunal opportunistic species capable of surviving in stressed conditions dominate, being favoured by abundant nutrients.

scholarly journals A NEW LATE MIOCENE PLANT ASSEMBLAGE FROM MESSARA BASIN (CRETE, GREECE)

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Zidianakis G. Zidianakis G. ◽  
G. Iliopoulos ◽  
C. Fassoulas
Keyword(s):  
Late Miocene ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Pine Needles ◽  
Plant Assemblage ◽  
Mesophytic Forest ◽  
Leaf Remains ◽  
Trees And Shrubs ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Early Late ◽  
Forest Habitats

A rich terrigenous plant assemblage was recently excavated from early Tortonian deposits at Messara basin, southern Crete. The macro-remains are perfectly preserved as impressions or carbonized compressions in poorly lithified and locally laminated, blue-green clays with an age of at least 10.5 Ma and thus can be considered as the oldest plant assemblage found in Crete todate. Gymnosperms are represented by the families of Pinaceae (pine needles and winged seeds), Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae (leafy twings of Taxodium). Besides, 19 different angiosperm taxa of trees and shrubs have been also determined. Fagaceae is the most diversified with foliage of beech and several deciduous and evergreen oaks, while Myricaceae contribute mainly as abundant leaf remains of Myrica lignitum. Accessory elements of evergreen Lauraceae (Daphnogene polymorpha), sclerophyllus shrubs of Buxaceae (Buxus pliocenica) and various deciduous dicotyledonous such as Populus crenata, Liquidambar europaea, Carya minor and Acer pseudomonspessulanum are well documented. Leguminosae is recorded by a significant number of various small leaflet imprints. Therefore, the recovered remains indicate swampy forest habitats dominated by hygrophilic woody plants of Taxodium and Myrica, while in the surrounding plains and slopes a mixed mesophytic forest with a relatively low proportion of evergreen plants occurred in early-Late Miocene times in Crete depicting a moderately humid, warm-temperate nature for the climate.

New early late Miocene species of Vishnuonyx (Carnivora, Lutrinae) from the hominid locality of Hammerschmiede, Bavaria, Germany

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Kargopoulos ◽  
Alberto Valenciano ◽  
Panagiotis Kampouridis ◽  
Thomas Lechner ◽  
Madelaine Böhme
Keyword(s):  
Late Miocene ◽  
Early Late

Neogastropod molluscs from the Miocene of western Amazonia, with comments on marine to freshwater transitions in molluscs

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geerat J. Vermeij ◽  
Frank P. Wesselingh
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
South American ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Early Late ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Freshwater Environments

Two neogastropod species occur in brackish intervals in the Pebas Formation (late Middle to early Late Miocene) of Peru and Colombia in western Amazonia. Purpura woodwardi Roxo, 1924, is assigned to Melongena Schumacher, 1817 (Melongenidae), and ?Nassarius reductus (Nassariidae) is recognized as a new species. These gastropods are among the very few marine invaders in the otherwise freshwater Pebas fauna. The small number of marine to freshwater transitions among South American molluscs contrasts with the situation among South American fishes and southeast Asian molluscs. It may be related to seasonal fluctuations in water level and anoxia in present-day South American freshwater environments, as well as to predation and productivity.

First fossil of the Giant Armored Catfish Acanthicus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Late Miocene of Entre Ríos Province, Argentina

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4808 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-581
Author(s):  
SERGIO BOGAN ◽  
FEDERICO L. AGNOLIN
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Large River ◽  
River Channels ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Neotropical Fishes ◽  
Northern Half ◽  
Late Neogene ◽  
Single Genus ◽  
Entre Rios

Loricariidae is a very diverse lineage of Neotropical fishes, being the most speciose family of the order Siluriformes. However, the loricariid fossil record is still very sparse. The aim of the present contribution is to describe in detail several bones belonging to the loricariid genus Acanthicus coming from late Miocene beds located at the Paraná River cliffs, Entre Ríos province, Argentina. Fishes of the Acanthicus clade are currently restricted to the northern half of South America, being mainly distributed in the Orinoco and Amazonas basins, with a single genus reaching the Paraná-Plata basin. Acanthicus adds to the list of several taxa that are shared by the Miocene of Paraná, Amazonas and Orinoco basins, but that nowadays are absent in the former (e.g., Colossoma, Phractocephalus, and Brachyplatystoma), and are typical of large river channels. This report of Acanthicus supports a close affinity between freshwater faunas of the Paraná, Orinoco, and Amazonas basins. Miocene fossils of freshwater fishes recorded in Paraná beds shed light on the connections between ancient basins of South America and also indicate that several fish clades suffered regional extinctions during the late Neogene or the beginning of the Quaternary. 

New Late Miocene Dromomerycine Artiodactyl from the Amazon Basin: Implications for Interchange Dynamics

2014 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Prothero ◽  
Kenneth E. Campbell ◽  
Brian L. Beatty ◽  
Carl D. Frailey
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
South America ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Isthmus Of Panama ◽  
Great American Biotic Interchange ◽  
American Immigrant ◽  
Early Late ◽  
Ground Sloths

A new dromomerycine palaeomerycid artiodactyl, Surameryx acrensis new genus new species, from upper Miocene deposits of the Amazon Basin documents the first and only known occurrence of this Northern Hemisphere group in South America. Osteological characters place the new taxon among the earliest known dromomerycine artiodactyls, most similar to Barbouromeryx trigonocorneus, which lived in North America during the early to middle Miocene, 20–16 Ma. Although it has long been assumed that the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) began with the closure of the Isthmus of Panama in the late Pliocene, or ca. 3.0–2.5 Ma, the presence of this North American immigrant in Amazonia is further evidence that terrestrial connections between North America and South America through Panama existed as early as the early late Miocene, or ca. 9.5 Ma. This early interchange date was previously indicated by approximately coeval specimens of proboscideans, peccaries, and tapirs in South America and ground sloths in North America. Although palaeomerycids apparently never flourished in South America, proboscideans thrived there until the end of the Pleistocene, and peccaries and tapirs diversified and still live there today.

Sabia on shells: A specialized Pacific-type commensalism in the Caribbean Neogene

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geerat J. Vermeij
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
West Pacific ◽  
Early Pliocene ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Warm Temperate

In the Recent biota, species of the hipponicid gastropod genus Sabia that excavate characteristic pits on the outer surfaces of shells of reef-dwelling gastropods and hermit crabs occur only in the tropical Indo-West Pacific region and in adjacent warm-temperate parts of Japan and Australia. I report the discovery of Sabia pits in reef-associated gastropod shells from the Cercado (late Miocene) and Gurabo (early Pliocene) Formations of the Dominican Republic. The likely culprit was Hipponix otiosa Pilsbry and Johnson, 1917, a species here reassigned to Sabia Gray, 1840. Pliocene extinction, which was far more severe in the Caribbean and elsewhere in the western Atlantic than in the Indo-West Pacific, selectively eliminated Sabia and its commensalism from Atlantic reef ecosystems. This case is one of several examples indicating the vulnerability of specialized associations to extinction-causing disturbances.

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