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Paleobiología De La Asociación Faunística De Caleufú (La Pampa, Formación Cerro Azul, Mioceno Superior – Plioceno Inferior), a Través De Análisis Tafonómicos

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Paleobiología De La Asociación Faunística De Caleufú (La Pampa, Formación Cerro Azul, Mioceno Superior – Plioceno Inferior), a Través De Análisis Tafonómicos Universidad Nacional de La Plata Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo Tesis Doctoral PALEOBIOLOGÍA DE LA ASOCIACIÓN FAUNÍSTICA DE CALEUFÚ (LA PAMPA, FORMACIÓN CERRO AZUL, MIOCENO SUPERIOR – PLIOCENO INFERIOR), A TRAVÉS DE ANÁLISIS TAFONÓMICOS Por Claudia Inés Montalvo Directora Dra. María Guiomar Vucetich Codirector Dr. Silvio A. Casadío 2004 Paleobiología de la asociación faunística de Caleufú (La Pampa, Formación Cerro Azul, Mioceno superior – Plioceno inferior), a través de análisis tafonómicos Indice Índice...................................................................................................................................... iii Resumen................................................................................................................................ v Agradecimientos..................................................................................................................... viii Capítulo 1 Introducción....................................................................................................... 1 Introducción............................................................................................................................ 2 Marco teórico............................................................................................................. 5 Antecedentes estratigráficos y paleontológicos........................................................ 8 Objetivos, hipótesis y estructuración del trabajo....................................................... 14 Materiales y métodos................................................................................................ 17 Capítulo 2 Asociación faunística de la Formación Cerro Azul en Caleufú..................... 22 Antecedentes............................................................................................................. 23 Situación geográfica del área de estudio.................................................................. 24 Contexto geomorfológico del afloramiento de la Formación Cerro Azul en Caleufú. 24 Estratigrafía............................................................................................................... 25 Análisis taxonómico................................................................................................... 30 Comparación de la asociación faunística de Caleufú con otras de la Formación Cerro Azul........................................................................................................ 71 Capítulo 3 Representación anatómica y taxonómica de los restos recuperados.......... 81 Cálculo del número de restos (NR)............................................................................ 82 Cálculo del número de especímenes identificados por taxón (NEIT)........................ 83 Cálculo del número mínimo de elementos esqueléticos (NME) y número mínimo de individuos (NMI).......................................................................................... 94 NMI y masa corporal estimada.................................................................................. 101 Diversidad y abundancia relativa de los componentes anatómicos representados en la asociación y en cada taxón..................................................................... 104 Análisis de la representación anatómica y taxonómica de los microvertebrados...... 110 Representación taxonómica............................................................... 110 Espectro de edad................................................................................ 111 Masa corporal y hábitos de vida......................................................... 115 Abundancia relativa............................................................................ 116 Índices................................................................................................ 118 Consideraciones acerca de la asociación de microvertebrados............................... 120 Capítulo 4 Otros atributos tafonómicos............................................................................. 122 Grado de biodegradación.......................................................................................... 123 Asociación de microvertebrados......................................................... 126 Coprolitos............................................................................................ 131 Coprolitos enteros..................................................................... 131 Fragmentos de coprolitos.......................................................... 134 Fragmentos óseos asociados con muy fuerte grado de digestión que indicaría que estuvieron incluidos en un coprolito................................................................................. 135 Grado de bioerosión.................................................................................................. 139 Atributos bioerosivos relacionados con la actividad de los depredadores sobre los elementos esqueléticos en el momento de la muerte de la presa............................................................... 139 Marcas de dientes..................................................................... 139 Marcas de arañazos y roído...................................................... 144 Corrosión sobre los restos.................................................................. 145 Señales producidas por el crecimiento de raíces..................... 146 Corrosiones provocadas por hongos y bacterias y ácidos propios del sustrato................................................................ 150 Corrosiones producidas por el desarrollo de líquenes sobre la superficie................................................................................ 154 Grado de distorsión mecánica................................................................................... 158 Tipos de rotura y de fracturas............................................................. 158 iii Paleobiología de la asociación faunística de Caleufú (La Pampa, Formación Cerro Azul, Mioceno superior – Plioceno inferior), a través de análisis tafonómicos Elementos esqueléticos enteros............................................... 159 Elementos del postcráneo rotos................................................ 160 Rotura de elementos postcraneanos en la asociación de microvertebrados................................................................... 162 Tipo de rotura de hemimandíbulas............................................ 163 Tipo de rotura de cráneos......................................................... 167 Índice de fragmentación............................................................ 167 Pérdida de dientes y dientes aislados....................................... 169 Coprolitos............................................................................................ 170 Grado de meteorización...................................................................... 171 Fragmentos indeterminables.............................................................. 178 Señales de pisoteo............................................................................. 181 Grado de desarticulación........................................................................................... 184 Grado de abrasión..................................................................................................... 186 Atributos relacionados con el desarrollo y evolución del paleosuelo........................ 187 Grados de encostramiento, desarrollo de concreciones calcáreas y relleno sedimentario..................................................................... 188 Impregnaciones por óxidos de manganeso........................................ 197 Grado de dispersión................................................................................................... 200 Grado de reagrupamiento.......................................................................................... 202 Grado de remoción.................................................................................................... 204 Capítulo 5 Discusión............................................................................................................ 205 Asociación de microvertebrados............................................................................... 206 Consideraciones acerca de los depredadores.................................... 208 Mamíferos candidatos a ocupar el papel de depredador.................... 213 Otros atributos de la etapa bioestratinómica....................................... 215 Asociación de mamíferos de mayor talla corporal..................................................... 218 Desarrollo del suelo e interpretación de los atributos adquiridos después del enterramiento...................................................................................................... 221 Historia tafonómica de la asociación faunística de Caleufú....................................... 224 Capítulo 6 Conclusiones..................................................................................................... 227 Bibliografía............................................................................................................................ 239 iv Paleobiología de la asociación faunística de Caleufú (La Pampa, Formación Cerro Azul, Mioceno superior – Plioceno inferior), a través de análisis tafonómicos Resumen Se realizaron estudios detallados de la asociación faunística proveniente de niveles de la Formación Cerro Azul (Mioceno superior – Plioceno
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