Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana
The Campanian Anacleto Formation holds an abundant and diverse ichnofossil and body-fossil vertebrate record. Despite the striking diversity of this record, pterosaur fossils had never been described from the unit. Here, we report four pterosaur manus tracks from fluvial red beds cropping out in the...
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/11/1007 |
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| author | Ignacio Díaz-Martínez Arturo M. Heredia Santiago N. González Nerina Canale Silvina de Valais Carlos A. Cónsole-Gonella Romina M. Montes Martina Caratelli Sofía Urzagasti-Torres Geraldine Fischer Agustina Lecuona Pablo Paniceres Leonardo Salgado Paolo Citton |
| author_facet | Ignacio Díaz-Martínez Arturo M. Heredia Santiago N. González Nerina Canale Silvina de Valais Carlos A. Cónsole-Gonella Romina M. Montes Martina Caratelli Sofía Urzagasti-Torres Geraldine Fischer Agustina Lecuona Pablo Paniceres Leonardo Salgado Paolo Citton |
| author_sort | Ignacio Díaz-Martínez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Campanian Anacleto Formation holds an abundant and diverse ichnofossil and body-fossil vertebrate record. Despite the striking diversity of this record, pterosaur fossils had never been described from the unit. Here, we report four pterosaur manus tracks from fluvial red beds cropping out in the Área Natural Protegida Municipal Paso Córdoba (Río Negro Province, northern Patagonia, Argentina). Tracks are longer than wide, tridactyl with digit impressions of different lengths (I < II < III), anteriorly directed and laterally asymmetrical. Being on loose slabs and lacking direct examination of pes morphology, the material is classified as undetermined pterosaur tracks. The new find represents the first occurrence of pterosaurs from the lower–middle Campanian of Argentina and one of the few evidences from South America for this time interval. In addition, it is one of the few ichnological pterosaur records from Gondwana, thus shedding light on the palaeobiogeography of this clade during the latest Cretaceous. Pterosaur tracks from the Anacleto Formation allow us to integrate the body-fossil record from the unit and to add a new component, along with birds, to the flying archosaur fauna coexisting with non-avian dinosaurs, notosuchians, chelonians, squamates and mammals in the Campanian of northern Patagonia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:23:19Z |
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| id | doaj.art-50e2dadbf9fe4789a849c9f9c99ecadc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:23:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-50e2dadbf9fe4789a849c9f9c99ecadc2023-11-24T08:06:39ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-11-011411100710.3390/d14111007Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in GondwanaIgnacio Díaz-Martínez0Arturo M. Heredia1Santiago N. González2Nerina Canale3Silvina de Valais4Carlos A. Cónsole-Gonella5Romina M. Montes6Martina Caratelli7Sofía Urzagasti-Torres8Geraldine Fischer9Agustina Lecuona10Pablo Paniceres11Leonardo Salgado12Paolo Citton13Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaDepartamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-CONICET, Miguel Lillo 205, Tucumán, ArgentinaSede Alto Valle/Valle Medio, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Sede Alto Valle/Valle Medio, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaDirección de Turismo, Municipalidad de General Roca, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaInstituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), CONICET, Av. Roca 1242, General Roca 8332, Río Negro, ArgentinaThe Campanian Anacleto Formation holds an abundant and diverse ichnofossil and body-fossil vertebrate record. Despite the striking diversity of this record, pterosaur fossils had never been described from the unit. Here, we report four pterosaur manus tracks from fluvial red beds cropping out in the Área Natural Protegida Municipal Paso Córdoba (Río Negro Province, northern Patagonia, Argentina). Tracks are longer than wide, tridactyl with digit impressions of different lengths (I < II < III), anteriorly directed and laterally asymmetrical. Being on loose slabs and lacking direct examination of pes morphology, the material is classified as undetermined pterosaur tracks. The new find represents the first occurrence of pterosaurs from the lower–middle Campanian of Argentina and one of the few evidences from South America for this time interval. In addition, it is one of the few ichnological pterosaur records from Gondwana, thus shedding light on the palaeobiogeography of this clade during the latest Cretaceous. Pterosaur tracks from the Anacleto Formation allow us to integrate the body-fossil record from the unit and to add a new component, along with birds, to the flying archosaur fauna coexisting with non-avian dinosaurs, notosuchians, chelonians, squamates and mammals in the Campanian of northern Patagonia.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/11/1007PterosauriaSouth AmericaichnologyCretaceousfluvial environmentNeuquén Group |
| spellingShingle | Ignacio Díaz-Martínez Arturo M. Heredia Santiago N. González Nerina Canale Silvina de Valais Carlos A. Cónsole-Gonella Romina M. Montes Martina Caratelli Sofía Urzagasti-Torres Geraldine Fischer Agustina Lecuona Pablo Paniceres Leonardo Salgado Paolo Citton Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana Diversity Pterosauria South America ichnology Cretaceous fluvial environment Neuquén Group |
| title | Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana |
| title_full | Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana |
| title_fullStr | Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana |
| title_short | Pterosaur Tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Basin), Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Insights into Campanian Pterosaur Diversity in Gondwana |
| title_sort | pterosaur tracks from the upper cretaceous anacleto formation neuquen basin northern patagonia argentina insights into campanian pterosaur diversity in gondwana |
| topic | Pterosauria South America ichnology Cretaceous fluvial environment Neuquén Group |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/11/1007 |
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