Ituzaingó Formation

The Ituzaingó Formation (Spanish: Formación Ituzaingó), in older literature also described as Entre Ríos or Entrerriana Formation, is an extensive geological formation of Late Miocene (Tortonian, or Huayquerian in the SALMA classification) age in the Paraná Basin of the Corrientes, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos Provinces in Mesopotamia, northeastern Argentina.[1] The formation comprises mudstones, cross-bedded sandstones and conglomerates deposited in a fluvio-deltaic environment and is renowned for the preservation of a rich fossil assemblage, including many mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, bivalves, foraminifera, ichnofossils and flora.

Ituzaingó Formation
Stratigraphic range: Tortonian (Huayquerian)
~9.0–7.3 Ma
↓
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsConglomerado Osifero Member
UnderliesPuerto Alvear, Hernandarías, Timbúes & Yupoí Formations
OverliesParaná & Rosario Formations
Area120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi)
ThicknessUp to 150 m (490 ft)
Typically 10–20 m (33–66 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, mudstone
OtherConglomerate
Location
LocationMesopotamia
Coordinates31.7°S 60.4°W / -31.7; -60.4
Approximate paleocoordinates31.8°S 58.3°W / -31.8; -58.3
RegionCorrientes, Santa Fe & Entre Ríos Provinces
Country Argentina
ExtentParaná Basin
Type section
Named forItuzaingó
Named byDe Alba
Year defined1953

Description
Map of the Paraná River drainage basin with the river indicated. Most outcrops of the Ituzaingó Formation flank the middle course of the Paraná River.

The Ituzaingó Formation was first described by De Alba in 1953 and later by Herbst in 1971.[2] The up to 150 metres (490 ft), but in most areas between 10 and 20 metres (33 and 66 ft) thick formation is found in an area of 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 sq mi),[3] stretching from the Paraná River to 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Tostado.[4] The Ituzaingó Formation crops out in the northeasternmost part of Argentina (Mesopotamia), in the provinces of Corrientes, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos, among other locations along the banks of the Paraná River.[5]

Stratigraphy

The formation overlies the marine Paraná Formation and is unconformably overlain by the Puerto Alvear,[6] Hernandarías and Yupoí Formations of Early Pleistocene (Uquian and Ensenadan respectively) age.[5][7][8] At the shores of the Paraná River, the formation underlies the Timbúes Formation.[9] In certain places along the same river, the formation cuts into the underlying Rosario Formation.[10]

The formation contains a basal conglomeratic member "Conglomerado osífero" (bony conglomerate) with abundant vertebrate remains.[11] This conglomerate is overlain by almost unfossiliferous whitish to yellow brown sandstones and green mudstones. The Ituzaingó Formation (as Entre Ríos Formation) was correlated with the Puelches Formation of the subsurface of Buenos Aires Province. According to the mammals occurring in the conglomerate and the stratigraphic relationships, the age of the base of Ituzaingo Formation is almost exclusively Tortonian (Late Miocene) or Huayquerian in the SALMA classification.[12]

Depositional environment

The formation, as the Paraná and Puelches Formations, has been deposited in a vast Miocene tidal flat environment.[13] Both the terrestrial and freshwater fauna of the Ituzaingó Formation indicates a climate warmer than present. The freshwater vertebrate record suggests important basin connections with Amazonian basins.[11]

Alternatively, the Conglomerado Osífero Member has been interpreted as tide-dominated fluvial channels, pertaining to the marine Paraná Formation.[14]

Fossil content

The Ituzaingó Formation has provided a large variety of fossils, of various groups, from mammals to birds and reptiles to fish and flora. The terrestrial fauna is predominant while a few marine genera are also present.[15] The presence of typical Amazonian freshwater fish and absence of austral fauna in both the underlying Paraná and the Ituzaingó Formation suggests a connection with northern areas of South America. The fauns has been correlated to the older Miocene faunas of the Honda Group at La Venta in Colombia, the Urumaco Formation at Urumaco in Venezuela and the Pebas Formation of the Amazon region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.[16] Several ground sloth genera present in the Ituzaingó Formation are endemic from this unit, whereas other are also present in the Arroyo Chasicó Formation of Buenos Aires Province, the Andalhuala and Corral Quemado Formations of Catamarca Province, and the Toro Negro Formation of La Rioja Province.[17]

GroupFossilsImageNotes
Ground slothsPronothrotherium mirabilis
[12][18]
[19]
Amphiocnus paranense, Eomegatherium nanum, Megabradys darwini, Megalonychops primigenius, Menilaus affinis, Mesopotamocnus brevirostrum, Octomylodon aversus, Ortotherium brevirostrum, O. laticurvatum, O. robustum, O. schlosseri, O. scrofum, O. seneum, Paranabradys vucetichae, Pliomegatherium lelongi, Pliomorphus ameghinoi, P. gracilis, P. mutilatus, P. robustus, Prolestodon antiquus, P. paranensis, Promegatherium parvulum, P. smaltatum, Promylodon paranensis, Protomegalonyx doellojuradoi, P. praecursor, Ranculcus scalabrinianus, Sphenotherus paranensis, Strabosodon acuticavus, S. obtusicavus, Torcellia paranense, Pyramiodontherium sp., Scelidotheriinae indet.
[18]
[20][21]
[22][23]
[24][25]
GlyptodontsEleutherocercus paranensis
[26][27]
Chasicotatus spinozai, Chlamyphractus pressulus, Comaphorus concisus, Hoplophorus verus, Kraglievichia paranense, Macroeuphractus retusus, Palaehoplophorus antiquus, Paraglyptodon paranensis, Parahoplophorus paranensis, Plohophorus paranensis, Proeuphractus limpidus, Protoglyptodon primiformis, Pseudoeuryurus lelongianus, Scirrotherium carinatum, ?Trachycalyptus cingulatus, Urotherium interundatum, Berthawyleria sp., ?Zaedyus sp.
RodentsBriaromys trouessartianus, Cardiatherium paranense, Carlesia pendolai, Diaphoromys compressidens, D. gamayensis, D. mesopotamicus, Doellomys parcus, Eumegamys contortus, E. dubius, E. scalabrinianus, E. paranensis, Eumegamysops praependens, Gyriabrus glutinatus, G. holmbergi, G. indivisus, G. rebagliattii, Haplostropha sacabriniana,Isostylomys ameghinoi, I. laurillardi, Lagostomopsis antiquus, L. pallidens, Myocastor obesus, M. paranensis, M. sinuata, Neoepiblema ambrosettianus, N. horridula, Olenopsis typicus, Paradoxomys cancrivorus, Pentastylodon racedi, Pentastylomys seriei, Perimys scalabrinianus, Phoberomys burmeisteri, P. insolita, P. lozanoi, P. minima, P. praecursor, Phugatherium cataclisticum, Potamarchus murinus, P. sigmodon, Protabrocoma paranensis, Protomegamys coligatus, Pseudosigmomys paranensis, Rusconia crassidens, Strophostephanos jheringi, Telodontomys compressidens, Tetrastylomys castellanosi, Tetrastylus aguilari, T. diffusus, T. laevigatus, T. robustus, T. (Protelicomys) atavus, Anatochoerus, Anchimysops, Cardiatherium, Cardiomys, Caviodon, Colpostemma sp., Contracavia, Kiyutherium, Paleocavia, Parodimys, Plexochoerus, Pliodolichotis, Procardiatherium, Prodolichotis, Protohydrochoerus
[28]
Toxodonts?Adinotherium paranense
[12][18]
[19]
Xotodon doellojuradi, X. foricurvatus
Dilobodon lutarius, Dinotoxodon paranensis, Eutomodus elautus, Palaeotoxodon paranensis, ?P. protoburmeisteri, ?P. virgatus, Stenotephanos plicidens, ?Berroia sp.
LitopternsDiadiaphorus paranensis
Brachytherium cuspidatum, Licaphrium mesopotamiense, Neobrachytherium ameghinoi, Oxyodontherium piramydatus, O. zeballosi, Paranauchenia denticulata, Promacrauchenia antiqua, Proterotherium cervioides, P. gradatum, Scalabrinitherium bravardi, S. rothii, Coelosoma eversa, Cullinia sp.
SparassodontsThylacosmilus atrox
Stylocynus paranensis
TypotheresMunizia paranensis, Protypotherium antiquum, Trachytypotherium sp.
CetaceansSaurocetes gigas, Iniidae indet.
BatsEumysops parodii, Notictis ortizi
Other mammalsCyonasua argentina, Dasypus neogaeus, Haplodontherium limun, Neohapalops rothi, Pachynodon modicus, Philander entrerianus, Toxodontherium compressum, T. reverendum, Zygolestes paranensis, Chironectes sp.
BirdsAndalgalornis sp.
[18][29]
[30]
Devincenzia pozzi, Macranhinga paranensis, M. ranzii, Palaelodus cf. ambiguus, Rhea (Pterocnemia) mesopotamica, Megapaloelodus sp., Phoenicopteridae indet., Phorusrhacidae indet., Rallidae indet., Rheidae indet.
CrocodilesCaiman latirostris
[12][18]
[31]
C. cf. yacare
Caiman australis, C. gasparinae, C. jacare, C. lutescens, Gryposuchus neogaeus, Mourasuchus arendsi
LizardsTupinambis cf. merianae
TurtlesParahydraspis paranaensis, Phrynops cf. geoffroanus, Testudo paranensis
FishMegapiranha paranensis
Colossoma macropomus
[12][18]
[32][33]
Potamotrygon motoro
[34]
Squatina dumeril
[34]
Phractocephalus ivy, Cynodontidae indet.
[35]
[12][18]
InvertebratesProtelphidium tuberculatum, Ostrea sp.
[36]
MacrofloraAnadenantheroxylon villaurquicense, Astroniumxylon bonplandianum, A. parabalansae, Curtiembreoxylon poledrii, Gleditsioxylon paramorphoides, Guadua morronei, G. zuloagae, Laurinoxylon artabeae, Mangroveoxylon areniensis, Menendoxylon vasallensis, Microlobiusxylon paranaensis, Maytenoxylon, Mimosoxylon, Palmoxylon yuqueriense, Prosopisinoxylon americanum, Prumnopityoxylon gnaedingerae, Ruprechtioxylon breae, Scalarixylon, Schinopsixylon heckii, Soroceaxylon entrerriensis, Syagrus, Uruguaianoxylon striata
[37][38]
[39][40]
[41][42]
IchnofossilsArenicolites
[36]
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See also

References
  1. Ituzaingó Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. Vezzosi, 2015, p.27
  3. Vezzosi, 2015, p.28
  4. Vezzosi, 2015, p.29
  5. Franco, 2014, p.16
  6. Brunetto, 2013, p.22
  7. Cione et al., 2000, p.195
  8. Cione et al., 2009, p.3
  9. Vezzosi, 2015, p.41
  10. Vezzosi, 2015, p.75
  11. Cione et al., 2005, p.49
  12. Colonia La Celina at Fossilworks.org
  13. Torra, 2005, p.46
  14. Martín Pérez, 2013, p.291
  15. Martín Pérez, 2013, p.27
  16. Cione et al., 2005, p.58
  17. Brandoni, 2013, p.135
  18. Paraná, Pueblo Brugo to Diamante, Ituzaingó Fm. at Fossilworks.org
  19. Ciudad de Paraná at Fossilworks.org
  20. Brandoni & Scillato, 2007, p.430
  21. Brandoni & Scillato, 2007, p.431
  22. Brandoni, 2008, p.14
  23. Brandoni, 2008, p.16
  24. Brandoni, 2011, p.36
  25. Brandoni, 2014, p.34
  26. Scillato et al., 2013, pp.119–120
  27. Góis et al., 2013, p.177
  28. Candela, 2005, pp.43–46
  29. Noriega & Agnolin, 2008, pp.272-285
  30. Agnolin & Noriega, 2012
  31. Scheyer & Delfino, 2016, p.56
  32. Cione et al., 2009, p.4
  33. Cione et al., 2013, p.70
  34. Cione et al., 2005, p.52
  35. Azpelicueta & Cione, 2016, p.221
  36. Torra, 2005, p.45
  37. Franco, 2018, p.646
  38. Franco, 2014, p.25
  39. Brea et al., 2013a, pp.45-47
  40. Brea et al., 2013b, p.4
  41. Franco & Brea, 2015, p.3
  42. Moya & Brea, 2020

Bibliography

Further reading
  • Brandoni, Diego; Gustavo J. Scillato Yané; Ángel R. Miño Boilini, and Emmanuel Favotti. 2016. Los Tardigrada (Mammalia, Xenarthra) de Argentina: diversidad, evolución y biogeografía. Contribuciones del MACN _. 263–274. Accessed 2018-10-08.
  • Croft, Darin A. 2016. Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys: The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America, 1–320. Indiana University Press ISBN 9780253020949. Accessed 2018-10-08.
  • Simpson, George Gaylord. 1996. Splendid Isolation: The Curious History of South American Mammals, 1–275. UMI ISBN 9780783733111. Accessed 2018-10-08.
  • Tambussi, Claudia P., and Federico Degrange. 2012. South American and Antarctic Continental Cenozoic Birds: Paleobiogeographic Affinities and Disparities, 1–113. Springer ISBN 9789400754676. Accessed 2018-10-08.
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