Abstract

RENGIFO-SANCHEZ, Camilo; MUNOZ-NATES, Charles  and  MOTHE, Dimila. Fossil records of the genus Notiomastodon cf. platensis (Mammalia: Proboscidea) in southwestern Colombia, deposited at the Universidad del Cauca Natural History Museum, Popayán. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2023, vol.27, n.1, pp.145-157.  Epub Sep 25, 2023. ISSN 0123-3068.  https://doi.org/10.17151/bccm.2023.27.1.10.

This work focuses on the description of fossil specimens belonging to proboscideans from the Quaternary of South America, deposited at the Natural History Museum of the Universidad del Cauca. The information collected from the pieces of this group is synthesized based on anatomy compared with specimens from other institutes and cited bibliography. A comparison is made of measurements taken (mm) of the samples analyzed to give approximations of their taxonomic identification, age and biomass, the latter, in the case of postcranial elements. The samples are composed of teeth M2, M3, bunodonts, trilophodont and pentalophodont (lacking defenses) found near the Tatacoa desert (Huila) and a fragmented molar M1 bunodont, found in Mercaderes (Cauca), in addition to postcranial elements (a patella and a vertebrae) found in an indigenous grave in Valle de Atríz (Nariño). Based on the morphological characteristics identified in this work, the records from the three localities are classified as Notiomastodon cf. platensis. Our report will serve to reinforce paleobiological studies about presence of Notiomastodon as a prominent megafauna’s component during Quaternary in southwestern Colombia.

Keywords : Proboscidea; paleontology; collections; Southwestern Colombia.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )