Late Pleistocene biota from Pubenza,Colombia; turtles,mammals, birds,invertebrates and plant remains |
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| Authors: | AndrÉs Alfonso-Rojas Laura M Herrera-Gutierrez Catalina SuÁRez MartÍN R Ciancio Jonathan S Pelegrin Edwin-Alberto Cadena |
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| Institution: | 1. Grupo de Paleontología Neotropical Tradicional y Molecular (PaleoNeo), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia;2. Servicio Geológico Colombiano, Bogotá, Colombia;3. Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS) y División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de LaPlata, La Plata, Argentina;4. Área de Biología y Programa de Maestría en Educación Ambiental y Desarrollo Sostenible, Facultad de Educación, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali, Colombia
Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia |
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| Abstract: | Pubenza is a remarkable palaeontological site of Colombia, and a place that could hold some of the potentially oldest evidence of humans in northern South America. Previous palaeontological research at this site has mainly focused on the megafauna. Here we describe and establish the systematic palaeontology for the small fauna that inhabited this ancient lacustrine ecosystem, including the first report of birds, tortoises and vipers for the Late Pleistocene in Colombia. Furthermore, exceptionally well preserved fossilised wasp nests are morphologically and elementally characterised, which is the first report of an ichnofossil of this kind in northern South America. In addition, new material of kinosternid turtles, armadillos and rodents is also described. Our results reveal that the Bogotá River Basin, where Pubenza is located, was a rich ecosystem during the Late Pleistocene and a region of great interest for future articulated palaeontological and archaeological studies. |
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| Keywords: | Caviomorpha Crotophaginae palaeoichnoentomology Pubenza Viperidae Testudines |
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