Earth:Santacrucian

Short description: South American land mammal age (SALMA)

The Santacrucian age is a period of geologic time (17.5 – 16.3 Ma) within the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically with SALMA classification in South America. It follows the Colhuehuapian and precedes the Friasian age.

Etymology

The age is named after the Santa Cruz Formation in the Austral/Magallanes Basin of southern Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.

Formations

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Locations of Santacrucian formations

Formation bold is type	Country	Basin	Notes
Santa Cruz Formation	Argentina Chile	Austral Basin
Aisol Formation	Argentina	San Rafael Block
Cantaure Formation	Venezuela	Falcón Basin
Castillo Formation	Venezuela	Falcón Basin
Cerro Boleadoras Formation	Argentina	Austral Basin
Chaguaramas Formation	Venezuela	Eastern Venezuela Basin
Chilcatay Formation	Peru	Pisco Basin
Chucal Formation - Chucal fauna	Chile	Altiplano Basin
Cura-Mallín Group	Chile	Cura-Mallín Basin
Gran Bajo del Gualicho Formation	Argentina	Colorado Basin
Jimol Formation	Colombia	Cocinetas Basin
Mariño Formation	Argentina	Cuyo Basin
Pinturas Formation	Argentina	Austral Basin
Río Yuca Formation	Venezuela	Barinas-Apure Basin

Fossils

Group	Fossils	Formation	Notes
Mammals	Abderites meridionalis, Acarechimys pascuali, Acaremys major, A. messor, A. murinus, A. tricarinatus, Acdestis lemairei, A. oweni, Acrocyon sectorius, Acyon bardus, A. tricuspidatus, Adianthus bucatus, Adiastaltus habilis, A. procerus, Adinotherium ferum, A. ovinum, A. robustum, Ameghinomys constans, A. rarus, Anatherium defossus, Anathitus revelator, Arctodictis munizi, Argyromanis patagonicus, cf. Asterostemma depressa, Astrapotherium magnum, Borhyaena tuberata, Cladosictis patagonica, Cochlops muricatus, Diadiaphorus majusculus, D. robustus, Dicardia fissa, Encinepeltus petesatus, Eocardia montana, Eucholoeops fronto, E. ingens, Euphractus patagonicus, Eutatus carinatus, E. deleo, E. lagena, Hapalops angustipalatus, H. elongatus, H. indifferens, H. longiceps, H. platycephalus, H. ponderosus, Hegetotherium mirabile, Homalodotherium cunninghami, Homunculus patagonicus, Interatherium excavatum, I. extensum, I. robustum, Licaphrium floweri, Lycopsis torresi, Metopotoxus laevatus, Microbiotherium acicula, M. gallegosense, M. patagonicum, M. tehuelchum, Necrolestes patagonensis, Neoreomys australis, Nesodon imbricatus, N. marmoratus, Orthoarthrus mixtus, Pachyrukhos moyani, Palaeothentes aratae, P. intermedius, P. minutus, P. lemoinei, P. pascuali, Paraeutatus distans, Pelecyodon cristatus, Peltephilus ferox, P. giganteus, P. nanus, P. pumilus, P. strepens, Perathereutes pungens, Phanomys mixtus, P. vetulus, Phonocdromus gracilis, Plagiocoelus obliquus, Planops magnus, Prepotherium filholi, P. potens, Proeutatus oenophorum, P. robustus, Propalaehoplophorus australis, P. incisivus, P. minus, Protamandua rothi, Prothylacinus patagonicus, Protypotherium attenuatum, P. australe, P. praerutilum, Prozaedyus exilis, Prozaedius proximus, Pseudoacaremys kramarzi, Pseudonotictis pusillus, Schismotherium rectangularis, Sipalocyon gracilis, S. obusta, Spaniomys modestus, Stegotherium tauberi, S. tesselatum, Steiromys detentus, S. duplicatus, Stenotatus hesternus, Stilotherium dissimile, Tetramerorhinus cingulatum, T. fortis, T. lucarius, T. mixtum, Theosodon garrettorum, T. gracilis, T. lydekkeri, Thoatherium minusculum, Vetelia puncta, Hyperleptus sp., Nematherium sp., Neuryurini sp., Perimys sp., Sciamys sp., Myrmecophagidae indet.	Santa Cruz
	cf. Astrapotherium sp., cf. Theosodon sp., Lomaphorini indet., Mylodontinae indet., Propalaehoplophorinae indet., Toxodontidae indet.	Aisol
	Baraguatherium takumara	Castillo
	Xenastrapotherium christi, Boreostemma sp.	Chaguaramas
	Altitypotherium chucalensis, A. paucidens, Eotypotherium chico, Hegetotherium cf. mirabile, Nesodon imbricatus, Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis, Acarechimys sp., Adinotherium sp., Neoreomys sp., cf. Peltephilus sp., Stenotatus sp., Theosodon sp., Octodontoidea indet., Toxodontidae indet.	Chucal
	Paedotherium minor, Acarechimys sp., aff. Alloiomys sp., ?Hegetotherium sp., aff. Incamys sp., Luantus sp., Maruchito sp., Prostichomys sp., Protacaremys sp., cf. Protypotherium sp., Sipalocyon sp., Abderitidae indet., Astrapotheria indet., Astrapotheriidae indet., Caviomorpha indet., Dasypodidae indet., Eocardiidae indet., Hegetotheriinae indet., Interatheriinae indet., Pachyrukhinae indet., Toxodontidae indet., Typotheria indet.	Cura-Mallín
	Prohegetotherium schiaffinoi, Rusconitherium mendocense,Thoatheriopsis mendocensis, Scleromys sp.	Mariño
	Acarechimys minutissimus, Acaremys murinus, Acdestis oweni, Adelphomys candidus, Branisamyopsis praesigmoides, Carlocebus carmenensis, C. intermedius, ?Diadiaphorus caniadensis, Eosteiromys annectens, E. cf. homogenidens, Galileomys eurygnathus, Luantus toldensis, L. propheticus, Microbiotherium cf. gallegosense, M. tehuelchum, Neoreomys australis, N. pinturensis, Oligobiotherium divisum, Pachybiotherium illuminatum, Perimys erutus, P. intermedius, Phanomys mixtus, Picturotherium migueli, Prostichomys bowni, Prothoatherium lacerum, Scleromys osbornianus, S. quadrangulatus, Soriacebus adrianae, S. ameghinorum, Spaniomys modestus, Steiromys principalis, S. duplicatus, Tetramerorhinus ?cingulatum, T. fleaglei, T. prosistens, Prolagostomus sp., Stichomys sp., Theosodon sp.	Pinturas
Birds	Anisolornis excavatus, Badiostes patagonicus, Brontornis burmeisteri, Cariama santacrucensis, Eoneornis australis, Eutelornis patagonicus, Liptornis hesternus, Opisthodactylus patagonicus, Paraptenodytes antarcticus, Patagornis marshi, Phorusrhacos longissimus, Protibis cnemialis, Psilopterus bachmanni, P. lemoinei, Thegornis debilis	Santa Cruz
	Psilopteridae indet.	Aisol
Reptiles & amphibians	Diasemosaurus occidentalis, Dibolosodon typicus, Erichosaurus bombimaxila, E. debilis, E. diminutus, Calyptocephalella sp., Colubridae indet.	Santa Cruz
	Crocodylia indet.	Aisol
	Anura indet.	Chucal
	Crocodylidae indet., Gavialidae indet.	Jimol
	Colubridae indet.	Pinturas
Fishes	Carcharhinidae indet., Dalatiidae indet., Hemigaleidae indet., Lamnidae indet., Myliobatidae indet.	Jimol
Flora	Araucaria marensii, Doroteoxylon vicentiperezii, Eucryphiaceoxylon eucryphioides, Myrceugenia chubutense, Nothofagoxylon triseriatum, Ulminium atlanticum	Santa Cruz

References

Bibliography

Santa Cruz Formation

• Agnolin, Federico L. 2009. Sistemática y Filogenia de las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae), 1–79. Fundación de Historia Natural Felix de Azara. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Arnal, M., and M.G. Vucetich. 2015. Revision of the fossil rodent Acaremys Ameghino, 1887 (Hystricognathi, Octodontoidea, Acaremyidae) from the Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina) and the description of a new acaremyid. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology 27. 42–59. Accessed 2019-02-13.
• Bostelmann, J. Enrique; Jacobus P. Le Roux; Ana Vásquez; Néstor M. Gutiérrez; José Luis Oyarzún; Catalina Carreño; Teresa Torres; Rodrigo Otero, and Andrea Llanos, C. Mark Fanning, Francisco Hervé. 2013. Burdigalian deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation in the Sierra Baguales, Austral (Magallanes) Basin: Age, depositional environment and vertebrate fossils. Andean Geology 40. 458–489. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Brea, Mariana; Alejandro F. Zucol; M. Susana Bargo; Juan Carlos Fernicola, and Sergio F. Vizcaíno. 2017. First Miocene record of Akaniaceae in Patagonia (Argentina): a fossil wood from the early Miocene Santa Cruz formation and its palaeobiogeographical implications. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 183. 334–347. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Buffetaut, Éric. 2016. A reassessment of the giant birds Liornis floweri Ameghino, 1895 and Callornis giganteus Ameghino, 1895, from the Santacrucian (late Early Miocene) of Argentina. Palæovertebrata 40. e3. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Cenizo, Marcos Martín, and Federico Lisandro Agnolín. 2010. The southernmost records of Anhingidae and a new basal species of Anatidae (Aves) from the lower–middle Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology 34. 493–514. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Chandler, Robert M. 2012. A new species of tinamou (Aves: Tinamiformes, Tinamidae) from the Early-Middle Miocene of Argentina. PalArch's Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 9. 1–8. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Ercoli, Marcos D., and Francisco J. Prevosti. 2011. Estimación de masa de las especies de Sparassodonta (Mammalia, Metatheria) de edad Santacrucense (Mioceno Temprano) a partir del tamaño del centroide de los elementos apendiculares: inferencias paleoecológicas. Ameghiniana 48. 462–479. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• González, Laureano Raúl, and Gustavo Juan Scillato Yané. 2008. Una nueva especie de Stegotherium Ameghino (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae, Stegotheriini) del Mioceno de la provincia de Santa Cruz (Argentina). Ameghiniana 45. 641–648. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Mayr, Gerald, and Jorge I. Noriega. 2015. A well-preserved partial skeleton of the poorly known early Miocene seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60. 589–598. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Muñoz, Nahuel A.; Néstor Toledo; Adriana M. Candela, and Sergio F. Vizcaíno. 2019. Functional morphology of the forelimb of Early Miocene caviomorph rodents from Patagonia. Lethaia 52. 91–106. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Noriega, Jorge I., and Gerald Mayr. 2017. The systematic affinities of the putative seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis (Noriega et al., 2009) from the Miocene of Argentina. Contribuciones del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 7. 133–139.
• Noriega, Jorge I.; Sergio F. Vizcaíno, and Susana Bargo. 2009. First Record and a New Species of Seriema (Aves: Ralliformes: Cariamidae) from Santacrucian (Early-Middle Miocene) Beds of Patagonia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29. 620–626. Accessed 2019-02-28.
• Sinclair, W., and M. Farr. 1932. Aves of the Santa Cruz beds. Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia (1896–1899) 7. 157–191.
• Verzi, Diego H.; A. Itatí Olivares, and Cecilia C. Morgan. 2017. Systematics and evolutionary significance of the small Abrocomidae from the early Miocene of southern South America. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology 29. 411–422. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Vizcaíno, Sergio F.; Richard F. Kay, and Susana Bargo. 2012. Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia: High-Latitude Paleocommunities of the Santa Cruz Formation, 1–370. Cambridge University Press ISBN:9780521194617. Accessed 2017-10-21.

Aisol Formation

• Forasiepi, Analía M.; Esperanza Cerdeño; Mariano Bond; Gabriela I. Schmidt; Maximiliano Naipauer; Fiona R. Straehl; Agustín G. Martinelli; Alberto C. Garrido, and Mark D. Schmitz and James L. Crowley. 2015. New toxodontid (Notoungulata) from the Early Miocene of Mendoza, Argentina. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 89. 611–634. Accessed 2019-02-13.
• Forasiepi, Analía M.; Agustín G. Martinelli; Marcelo S. De la Fuente; Sergio Dieguez, and Mariano Bond. 2011. Paleontology and stratigraphy of the Aisol Formation (Neogene), San Rafael, Mendoza, 135–154. Cenozoic Geology of the Central Andes of Argentina, SCS Publisher, Salta. Accessed 2017-10-01.

Cantaure Formation

• Mendi, David, and Eliana Rodríguez. 2005. Integración geológica de la Península de Paraguaná, Estado Falcón (MSc thesis), 1–184. Universidad Central de Venezuela. Accessed 2017-10-26.

Castillo Formation

• Johnson, Kenneth G.; Marcelo R. Sánchez Villagra, and Órangel A. Aguilera. 2009. The Oligocene-Miocene transition on coral reefs in the Falcón Basin (NW Venezuela). PALAIOS 24. 59–69. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Rincón, Ascanio D.; Andrés Solórzano; H. Gregory McDonald, and Mónica Núñez Flores. 2017. Baraguatherium takumara, gen. et sp. nov., the earliest mylodontoid sloth (early Miocene) from northern South America. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 24. 179–191. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Rincón, Ascanio D.; Andrés Solórzano; Mouloud Benammi; Patrick Vignaud, and H. Gregory McDonald. 2014. Chronology and geology of an Early Miocene mammalian assemblage in North of South America, from Cerro La Cruz (Castillo Formation), Lara State, Venezuela: implications in the 'changing course of Orinoco River' hypothesis. Andean Geology 41. 507–528. Accessed 2018-09-07.
• Solórzano, Andrés; Ascanio D. Rincón; Giovanne M. Cidade; Mónica Núñez Flores, and Leonardo Sánchez. 2018. Lower Miocene alligatoroids (Crocodylia) from the Castillo Formation, northwest of Venezuela. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments _. 1–19. Accessed 2018-09-07.
• Urbani, Franco, and David Mendi. 2010. Notas sobre la discordancia del margen sur de la cuenca Oligo-Miocena de Falcón estados Lara, Falcón y Yaracuy, Venezuela. Boletín de la Academia de Ciencias Físicas, Matemáticas y Naturales LXX. 9–25. Accessed 2017-08-15.

Cerro Boleadores Formation

• Dal Molín, C.N., and F. Colombo. 2003. Sedimentación neógena en la Cuenca del Río Zeballos y del Río Jeinemeni (47° Latitud Sur) Antepaís patagónico Argentina. Geogaceta 34. 139–142. Accessed 2018-09-10.

Chaguaramas Formation

• Horovitz, Inés, and Marcelo R. Sánchez Villagra. 2012. El Registro Fósil del Cenozoico, 133–156. Venezuela Paleontológica: Evolución de la diversidad en el pasado. Accessed 2017-10-21.

Chilcatay Formation

• Bianucci, Giovanni; Giulia Bosio; Elisa Malinverno; Christian De Muizon; Igor M. Villa; Mario Urbina, and Olivier Lambert. 2018. A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from Peru sheds light on the Early Miocene platanistoid disparity and ecology. Royal Society Open Science 5. 172302.
• De la Cruz, Aldo Alván. 2008. Geología de Ocucaje: aportes en la sedimentología y paleontología de Lomas de Ullujaya (Ica, Perú). Revista del Instituto de Investigaciones FIGMMG 11. 51–59. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Lambert, Olivier; Christian De Muizon; Elisa Malinverno; Claudio Di Celma; Mario Urbina, and Giovanni Bianucci. 2017. A new odontocete (toothed cetacean) from the Early Miocene of Peru expands the morphological disparity of extinct heterodont dolphins. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 16. 981–1016. Accessed 2019-02-12.
• Lambert, Olivier; Giovanni Bianucci, and Mario Urbina. 2014. Huaridelphis raimondii, a new early Miocene Squalodelphinidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Chilcatay Formation, Peru. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34. 987–1004. Accessed 2019-02-12.

Cura-Mallín Group

• Flynn, John J.; Reynaldo Charrier; Darin A. Croft; Phillip B. Gans; Trystan M. Herriott; Jill A. Wertheim, and André R. Wyss. 2008. Chronologic implications of new Miocene mammals from the Cura-Mallín and Trapa Trapa formations, Laguna del Laja area, south central Chile. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 26. 412–423. Accessed 2017-10-20.
• Shockey, Bruce J.; John J. Flynn; Darin A. Croft; Phillip Gans, and André R. Wyss. 2012. New leontiniid Notoungulata (Mammalia) from Chile and Argentina : comparative anatomy, character analysis, and phylogenetic hypotheses. American Museum Novitates 3737. 1–64. Accessed 2019-02-15.
• Utgé, Silvana; Andrés Folguera; Vanesa Litvak, and Víctor A. Ramos. 2009. Geología del sector norte de la Cuenca de Cura Mallín en las Lagunas de Epulaufquen, Neuquén. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 64. 231–248. Accessed 2017-10-01.

Gran Bajo del Gualicho Formation

• Reichler, Valeria A. 2010. Estratigrafía y paleontología del Cenozoico marino del Gran Bajo y Salinas del Gualicho, Argentina, y descripción de 17 especies nuevas. Andean Geology 31. 177–219. Accessed 2018-09-11.

Jimol Formation

• Amson, Eli; Juan D. Carrillo, and Carlos Jaramillo. 2016. Neogene sloth assemblages (Mammalia, Pilosa) of the Cocinetas Basin (La Guajira, Colombia): Implications for the Great American Biotic Interchange. Palaeontology _. 1–20. Accessed 2017-03-31.
• Cadena, Edwin, and Carlos Jaramillo. 2015. Early to middle Miocene turtles from the northernmost tip of South America: giant testudinids, chelids, and podocnemidids from the Castilletes Formation, Colombia. Ameghiniana 52. 188–203. Accessed 2017-08-08.
• Carrillo, Juan D.; Eli Amson; Carlos Jaramillo; Rodolfo Sánchez; Luis Quiroz; Carlos Cuartas; Aldo F. Rincón, and Marcelo R. Sánchez Villagra. 2018. The Neogene record of northern South American native ungulates. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 101. 1–67. Accessed 2019-02-11.
• Carrillo Briceño, Jorge D.; Thodoris Argyriou; Vladimir Zapata; René Kindlimann, and Carlos Jaramillo. 2016. A New Early Miocene (Aquitanian) Elasmobranchii Assemblage from the la Guajira Peninsula, Colombia. Ameghiniana 53. 77–99. Accessed 2017-08-08.
• Hendy, Austin J.W.; Douglas S. Jones; Federico Moreno; Vladimir Zapata, and Carlos Jaramillo. 2015. Neogene molluscs, shallow marine paleoenvironments, and chronostratigraphy of the Guajira Peninsula, Colombia. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 134. 45–75. Accessed 2017-08-08.
• Moreno, F.; A.J.W. Hendy; L. Quiroz; N. Hoyos; D.S. Jones; V. Zapata; S. Zapata; G.A. Ballen, and Edwin Cadena, A.L. Cárdenas, J.D. Carrillo Briceño, J.D. Carrillo, D. Delgado Sierra, J. Escobar, J.I. Martínez, C. Martínez, C. Montes, J. Moreno, N. Pérez, R. Sánchez, C. Suárez, M.C. Vallejo Pareja, C. Jaramillo. 2015. Revised stratigraphy of Neogene strata in the Cocinetas Basin, La Guajira, Colombia. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 134. 5–43. Accessed 2017-08-08.
• Moreno Bernal, Jorge W. 2014. Fossil Crocodilians from the High Guajira Peninsula of Colombia, and the History of Neogene Crocodilian Diversity in Tropical South America, 1–66. University of Nebraska. Accessed 2017-08-08.
• Suárez, Catalina; AnalÍa M. Forasiepi; Francisco J. Goin, and Carlos Jaramillo. 2015. Insights into the Neotropics Prior to the Great American Biotic Interchange: new evidence of mammalian predators from the Miocene of Northern Colombia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36. e1029581. Accessed 2019-02-13.

Mariño Formation

• Cerdeño, Esperanza; Bárbara Vera, and Ana María Combina. 2018. A new early Miocene Mesotheriidae (Notoungulata) from the Mariño Formation (Argentina): Taxonomic and biostratigraphic implications. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 88. 118–131. Accessed 2019-02-11.
• Villafañe, A. L.; G. I. Schmidt, and E. Cerdeño. 2012. Consideraciones sistemáticas y bioestratigráficas acerca de Thoatheriopsis mendocensis Soria, 2001 (Litopterna, Proterotheriidae). Ameghiniana 49. 365–374.
• Cerdeño, Esperanza; G. M. López, and M. A. Reguero. 2008. Biostratigraphic considerations of the Divisaderan faunal assemblage. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28. 574–577.
• Cerdeño, Esperanza, and M. Guiomar Vucetich. 2007. The first rodent from the Mariño Formation (Miocene) at Divisadero Largo (Mendoza, Argentina) and its biochronological implications. Andean Geology 34. 199–207. Accessed 2017-10-23.
• Cerdeño, Esperanza; B. González Riga, and O. Bordonaro. 2006. Primer hallazgo de mamíferos en la Formación Mariño (Mioceno) en Divisadero Largo (Mendoza, Argentina). Ameghiniana 43. 205–214.

Pinturas Formation

• Kramarz, Alejandro G., and Mariano Bond. 2005. Los Litopterna (Mammalia) de la Formación Pinturas, Mioceno Temprano-Medio de Patagonia. Ameghiniana 42. 611–625. Accessed 2017-08-15.
• Kramarz, Alejandro G. 2001. Estudio de la fauna de roedores de la Formación Pinturas, Mioceno medio inferior de la Provincia de Santa Cruz (PhD thesis), 1–300. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Accessed 2017-08-15.

Río Yuca Formation

• Rincón, Ascanio D.; Andrés Solórzano; Oliver Macsotay; H. Gregory McDonald, and Mónica Nüñez Flores. 2016. A new Miocene vertebrate assemblage from the Río Yuca Formation (Venezuela) and the northernmost record of typical Miocene mammals of high latitude (Patagonian) affinities in South America. Geobios 757. 1–35. Accessed 2019-02-12.