The arrival of humans to the Americas at the end of the Pleistocene has been one of the foundations of the hypothesis that hunter-gatherer groups had a direct role in the extinction of megafauna. However, empirical evidence of the exploitation of megafauna by humans and associated chronological context are still scarce, especially in South America. Using evidence of modifications on osteological remains and the association of some lithic artifact we provide a reassessment of the megafauna that was exploited at the classic Taima-Taima site (Venezuela), with an updated chronology and paleoenvironmental inferences. Our preliminary results show that, at least, five species of extinct megaherbivores were probably exploited at the site, expanding the previous records, restricted to the proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis and the giant armadillo Glyptotherium cf. G. cylindricum. The new data of the other likely exploited taxa include the terrestrial sloth Glossotherium, the macrauchenid cf. Xenorhinotherium bahiense and a toxodontid. Both killing and slaughtering activities were likely practised. Seven new enamel radiocarbon dates show an age of 17.48–15.6 cal kyr BP for the fossiliferous strata, although this is likely to be a minimum age given the material's propensity for modern carbon uptake. The study of phytoliths and starch grains from the dental calculus of N. platensis identified five plant taxa from the phytoliths: arboreal dicotyledons, Poaceae, Marantaceae, Asteraceae and Arecaceae. Herbivore dental ecometrics and dietary inferences suggest that humans apparently exploited a diversity of grazing and browsing megaherbivores within heterogeneous landscapes of northern South America.

Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) is the most widely distributed proboscidean species in the Quaternary of South America. Over the past few decades, various pathological conditions of the axial skeleton have been described in this species; however, no cases of mandibular diseases has been reported to date, despite their common occurrence in extant proboscideans. In this study, we document signs of mandibular diseases in two N. platensis individuals from the Pleistocene of Argentina. The first individual exhibits bony swelling, cloaca and solid periosteal reaction, likely associated with a fractured molar. The second specimen shows extreme molar crown wear, pulp cavity exposure, and the formation of a periapical abscess, likely resulting from pulp infection due to dental attriction. Both cases, though differing in origin, are diagnosed as secondary chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible, an infectious process that would have impaired feeding, potentially leading to malnutrition, weakness, and contributing to the mortality of these individuals.

In 2020, a group of Brazilian female paleontologists from various universities and public institutions conducted the study "Brazilian Paleontology Gender Profile," whose main objective was to assess the current demographic diversity of Brazilian paleontologists and how the role of women has evolved throughout the history of the Brazilian Society of Paleontology. Initially, the project aimed to determine the number of professionals working in Paleontology and their demographic distribution in the country. However, our research expanded, encompassing race, Indigenous representation, LGBTQIAP+ data, parenthood, harassment, and gender violence. The present work presents the first installment of three sets of unpublished data, shedding light on gender issues and how to combat gender discrimination through the proposal of affirmative action policies that could be taken within the Brazilian Society of Paleontology and other scientific associations in South America.

Here we used Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating methods on seven fossil specimens to update the temporal and geographic distributions of the Quaternary proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis Ameghino 1888, from C & oacute;rdoba Province, Argentina. While abundant in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene South American fossil record, the knowledge about the Early-Middle Pleistocene records of this proboscidean is scarce due to limited numeric datings data. ESR results reveal numeric ages ranging from 560 +/- 40 to 47 +/- 7 ka, placing the species within the Ensenadan to Lujanian stages of the Pleistocene (Chibanian to Late Pleistocene). The Ensenadan record represents the oldest numeric age of Notiomastodon platensis in South America. The study highlights the importance of numeric dating in addressing the geochronological data gap for South American megafauna and reveals the multiple environments that Notiomastodon platensis inhabited during Quaternary, suggesting slow vertical migrations in response to climatic changes, with mountainous regions of Cordoba province serving as refuges. The need for further numeric datings is emphasized in this study, to improve our understanding of the evolutionary history and extinction drivers of South American proboscideans during the Quaternary. (c) 2025 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Proboscidea is a group of large mammals abundant in the fossil record and in Brazil it is represented by Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888). To improve the understanding on its taxonomy, chronology, annual diet, and habitats paleoenvironmental aspects, we conducted a morphological description, absolute dating, and analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen (513C and 518O) in Notiomastodon' remains from the northern (Norte de Minas) and western (Triangulo Mineiro) mesoregions of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The material includes isolated teeth, mandibular portions, and postcranial bones at different levels of fragmentation, associated with at least eight adults and one juvenile. The only individual from Triangulo, found in Campina Verde municipality, was dated at 27,715-27,903 Cal yr BP. It presented a mixed diet based on C4 plants (piC4 = 90 %; 513C = 0.5 %o), which implies the occupation of an open environment, mostly pasture. The region was relatively humid (518O = 24.7 %o), which is supported by the existence of humidity corridors in the Amazon region. A similar phytophysiognomy was inferred for the Norte de Minas region between at least 21,966-22,279 Cal yr BP and 18,944-19,157 Cal yr BP. However, one specimen showed a different 513C value (piC3 = 0.87 %; 513C = -10.2 %o). This indicates it lived in a transitional environment between low-density forest and arboreal savannah. This likely occurred during a period that favored the expansion of trees and shrubs. The region underwent climate change, from relatively humid conditions (518O = 25.6 +/- 0.2 %o) to expressively dry (518O = 34.6 %o) between the dated periods, a change corroborated by some palynological data. The multiannual paleoecological analysis, based on sequential sampling of three dentin layers of an incisor, indicated the relative stability of vegetation and climate despite fluctuations in hydrology. The perceived disassociation between vegetation dynamics and local hydrology corroborates the idea that factors other than precipitation may play a significant role in the environmental dynamics of the Cerrado biome.

In this study, we present new records of the extinct South American proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis from three new fossiliferous sites in the riverbed of Cauca River, in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The fossil specimens were found in late Pleistocene deposits and include immature to senile Notiomastodon platensis individuals, comprising abundant dental and post-cranial materials. A review of the geographic distribution of the Notiomastodon platensis records in Colombia suggests that this giant mammal used the inter-Andean valleys as migratory corridors, possibly due to the presence of more suitable environmental conditions (lower temperatures and dry-forest) and energy-saving terrains, avoiding more prominent Andean hills. In addition, the Cauca Valley deposits stand out as having palaeontological significance to the comprehension of the late Pleistocene of the western region of South America.

Este trabajo se enfoca en la descripción de muestras fósiles pertenecientes a proboscídeos del Cuaternario de América del Sur, depositados en el Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad del Cauca (Popayán, Colombia). Se sintetiza la información recabada a partir de las piezas de dicho grupo, utilizando la anatomía comparada con ejemplares de otros institutos y referencial bibliográficas adicionales. Se realiza una comparación de las medidas tomadas (en milímetros) de las muestras analizadas para obtener aproximaciones de su identificación taxonómica, edad y biomasa, esta última aplicada específicamente a los elementos postcraneales. Las muestras se componen de dientes M2, M3, bunodontes, trilofodontes y pentalofodontes (carentes de defensas) encontradas en cercanías al desierto de la Tatacoa (Huila) y un molar M1 bunodonte fragmentado, encontrado en Mercaderes (Cauca), además de elementos postcraneales (una patela y una vértebra) encontrados en una tumba indígena en el Valle de Atríz (Nariño). A partir de las características morfológicas identificadas en este trabajo, los registros de las tres localidades se clasifican como Notiomastodon cf. platensis. El reporte de esta información contribuye significativamente a reforzar los estudios paleobiológicos sobre la presencia de Notiomastodon como componente destacado de la megafauna del Cuaternario en el sur occidente de Colombia.

The Proboscidea were very prominent in South American ecosystems during the Pleistocene and part of the Holocene. Specifically, in Valle del Cauca (Colombia), fossils of these large mammals have been found, reflecting an abundant presence in the region. In this work, a mandibular fragment with a complete last molar (m3) is reported, found near the bed of the Cauca River, in the Juanchito municipality of Santiago de Cali. According to the morphological features of the specimen, it is proposed that the remains belong to the proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis. This study emphasizes the large geographical distribution of this proboscidean in South America, including the Valle del Cauca, and provides new information on its presence in Colombia. In a paleoecological context, this work supports a generalist condition based on the use of food resources associated with the tropical dry forest during the processes of glacial and interglacial fluctuation that this type of ecosystem experienced during the Pleistocene epoch and that led to various changes in habitat aridity, fragmentation, and heterogeneity. Keywords: Notiomastodon, Quaternary, paleoecology, megafauna, South America.

The extinct Gomphotheriidae is the only proboscidean family that colonized South America. The phylogenetic position of the endemic taxa has been through several revisions using morphological comparisons. Morphological studies are enhanced by paleogenetic analyses, a powerful tool to resolve phylogenetic relationships; however, ancient DNA (aDNA) preservation decreases in warmer regions. Despite the poor preservation conditions for aDNA in humid, sub-tropical climates, we recovered ∼3,000 bp of mtDNA of Notiomastodon platensis from the Arroyo del Vizcaíno site, Uruguay. Our calibrated phylogeny places Notiomastodon as a sister taxon to Elephantidae, with a divergence time of ∼13.5 Ma. Additionally, a total evidence analysis combining morphological and paleogenetic data shows that the three most diverse clades within Proboscidea diverged during the early Miocene, coinciding with the formation of a land passage between Africa and Eurasia. Our results are a further step toward aDNA analyses on Pleistocene samples from subtropical regions and provide a framework for proboscidean evolution.

Climatic and environmental changes, as well as human action, have been cited as potential causes for the extinction of megafauna in South America at the end of the Pleistocene. Among megamammals lineages with Holarctic origin, only horses and proboscideans went extinct in South America during this period. This study aims to understand how the spatial extent of habitats suitable for Equus neogeus and Notiomastodon platensis changed between the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the middle Holocene in order to determine the impact that climatic and environmental changes had on these taxa. We used species distribution modeling to estimate their potential extent on the continent and found that both species occupied arid and semiarid open lands during the LGM, mainly in the Pampean region of Argentina, southern and northeastern Brazil, and parts of the Andes. However, when climate conditions changed from dry and cold during the LGM to humid and warm during the middle Holocene, the areas suitable for these taxa were reduced dramatically. These results support the hypothesis that climatic changes were a driving cause of extinction of these megamammals in South America, although we cannot rule out the impact of human actions or other potential causes for their extinction.

Fósseis de megafauna pleistocênica na Região Nordeste do Brasil são abundantes e têm registros a partir do século XVIII, sendo os proboscídeos muito comuns entre esses megamamíferos, constituindo um dos grupos que pode ajudar em interpretações paleoambientais. Assim, realizamos um extenso levantamento bibliográfico e revisão taxonômica, com visitas a coleções científicas brasileiras que contêm fósseis desses animais, a fim de produzir informações sobre o registro de ocorrências no Nordeste. Os dados apontam essa região como a detentora de mais da metade dos registros de Proboscídeos fósseis do Brasil. Apesar disso, a revisão taxonômica mostrou que apenas 33 espécimes podem ser classificados como Notiomastodon platensis, o que representa somente 18% do total. Os depósitos fossilíferos que contêm o maior número de espécimes identificáveis são os depósitos de tanque, provavelmente não porque preservem melhor os fósseis, mas porque estão em maior número entre os tipos de depósitos que preservam megafauna no Nordeste. Destas ocorrências, duas são inéditas: Aroeira (Paraíba) e Irecê (Bahia). A ausência de materiais diagnósticos corrobora a necessidade de metodologias alternativas para complementar os dados existentes. Já os dados de georreferência aqui apresentados constituem uma ferramenta para análise de distribuição potencial do grupo de proboscídeos pleistocênicos no contexto sul-americano.

The tragic fire at the National Museum (Brazil) in September 2018 caused invaluable losses to South American natural and cultural heritage. However, previous visits to the paleontological collection generated photographic and descriptive records of mammalian fossil specimens from the Pleistocene of Brazil. Thus, it was possible to redescribe and revise the taxonomy of Cervidae fossils from two important paleontological sites in the Brazilian Intertropical Region (João Cativo and Lage Grande). These fossils include antlers and lower teeth, and they were described and taxonomically identified by morphological comparisons with all extant and extinct South American deers. A new diversity of Cervidae was recognized, differently from that proposed in the literature, which recognized the presence of Hippocamelus sulcatus, Mazama americana, and Ozotoceros bezoarticus. Instead, the Cervidae fossils from João Cativo and Lage Grande sites belong to the extinct deer Morenelaphus. Although some specimens could not be identified at a specific level (Cervidae indet.), a comparative analysis of the estimated body mass pointed out the most massive deer in South America (including extinct and extant) and recognized Morenelaphus as the second heaviest. The record of these large deers with huge antlers suggests the presence of natural grasslands areas and milder climatic conditions for late Pleistocene in the Brazilian Intertropical Region. Climatic and environmental changes may have driven these large deers to extinction in the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. This study reveals an unprecedented Cervidae diversity for the Brazilian Intertropical Region, emphasizes the relevance of dental features, together with antlers morphology, in taxonomic studies of Cervidae, and also highlights the importance of South American natural heritage in the retrieving of knowledge and new scientific discoveries through collection specimens.

The South American native ungulates (SANUs) are usually overlooked in Eutherian phylogenetic studies. In the rare studies where they were included, the diversity of SANUs was underrated, keeping their evolutionary history poorly known. Some authors recognized the SANUs as a monophyletic lineage and formally named it Meridiungulata. Here, we recognized and defined a new supraordinal lineage of Eutheria, the Sudamericungulata, after performing morphological phylogenetic analyses including all lineages of SANUs and Eutheria. The SANUs resulted as non-monophyletic; thus, Meridiungulata is not a natural group; Litopterna and “Didolodontidae” are Panameriungulata and closer to Laurasiatheria than to other “Meridiungulata” (Astrapotheria, Notoungulata, Pyrotheria, and Xenungulata). The other “Meridiungulata” is grouped in the Sudamericungulata, as a new monophyletic lineage of Afrotheria Paenungulata, and shared a common ancestor with Hyracoidea. The divergence between the African and South American lineages is estimated to Early Paleocene, and their interrelationships support the Atlantogea biogeographic model. Shortly afterward, the Sudamericungulata explosively diversified in its four lineages. Confronting the Sudamericungulata evolutionary patterns and the Cenozoic natural events (such as tectonics and climatic and environmental changes, among others) helps to unveil a new chapter in the evolution of Gondwanan Eutheria, as well as the natural history of South America during the Cenozoic.

OBJECTIVE:This study explores the chemical composition and surface aspects of fossilized dental calculus from the South American Quaternary proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis and the first record of fossilized oral bacteria from extinct megafauna.MATERIALS:Blocks of dental calculus removed from the third molar of five specimens of Notiomastodon platensis collected from Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador.METHODS:We analyzed five samples of dental calculus by SEM and SEM-EDS, following a rigid protocol to avoid bacterial contamination.RESULTS:The dental calculus surface is homogeneous, porous, with various crystals, and composed mainly by oxygen and calcium. One sample revealed a well-preserved mineralized biofilm, with several rods and cocci bacteria.CONCLUSIONS:This is the first fossilized record of oral bacterial communities associated with extinct proboscideans.SIGNIFICANCE:This record confirms the parasitism between oral bacteria and Notiomastodon platensis and will enable the study of paleogenomic aspects of oral microbiota of proboscideans.LIMITATIONS:Fossilization conditions of proboscidean teeth with dental calculus are variable among specimens. Although rare, the preservation of oral bacteria is expected because of the oral biofilm composition.

Macrauchenia patachonica Owen, 1838 is a native and extinct Quaternary megamammal from South America. Although studies on macraucheniids started two centuries ago, when Charles Darwin found their first fossils, M. patachonica paleobiology is still poorly understood. Dental calculus is an oral pathology that fossilizes and the analysis of its contents is a useful, simple, and low-cost method to access paleobiological information of fossil mammals. Here, the paleodiet of an adult M. patachonica from Buenos Aires province, Argentina, was assessed using quantitative and qualitative analyses of dental calculus content. The sample was chemically processed and many phytoliths, palynomorphs, sponge spike fragments, and diatom frustules were recovered. Both herbaceous phytoliths (49%) and eudicotyledons (35.4%) were well represented. These results support, for this individual, a mixed feeding habit, including consumption of C3 and C4 plants composed of tree/shrub plants and C3/C4 grasses, although C3 could have been more significant. Dental calculus provided direct evidence of paleodiet elements of an extinct South American native mammal for the first time, and such data might support broader paleoecological, paleoenvironmental, and evolutionary studies.

The extinction of the Quaternary megafauna stands out among the evolutionary history of Cenozoic mammals. In South America, nearly 80% of the megamammals went extinct, including the native ungulates Macrauchenia patachonica and Xenorhinotherium bahiense. Little is known about the causes of the macraucheniids' extinction and their paleobiology. Here, we have reconstructed the dietary habits of M. patachonica and X. bahiense using enamel microwear and occlusal enamel index analyses, and also inferred their niches using species distribution modeling and stable isotope paleoecology, in addition to enamel microwear and occlusal enamel index data. We found that both macraucheniids had grazer-feeding habits, although their environmental requirements were different. M. patachonica could live in colder temperatures and arid, subtropical/temperate ecosystems, while X. bahiense was adapted to warmer temperatures and more humid, semi-arid tropical environments. Thus, despite similar feeding habits, these macraucheniids had distinct environmental requirements and ecological niches, which might explain the disjunction in the South American records. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macrauchenia patachonica Owen, 1838 is a native and extinct Quaternary megamammal from South America. Although studies on macraucheniids started two centuries ago, when Charles Darwin found their first fossils, M. patachonica paleobiology is still poorly understood. Dental calculus is an oral pathology that fossilizes and the analysis of its contents is a useful, simple, and low-cost method to access paleobiological information of fossil mammals. Here, the paleodiet of an adult M. patachonica from Buenos Aires province, Argentina, was assessed using quantitative and qualitative analyses of dental calculus content. The sample was chemically processed and many phytoliths, palynomorphs, sponge spike fragments, and diatom frustules were recovered. Both herbaceous phytoliths (49%) and eudicotyledons (35.4%) were well represented. These results support, for this individual, a mixed feeding habit, including consumption of C3 and C4 plants composed of tree/shrub plants and C3/C4 grasses, although C3 could have been more significant. Dental calculus provided direct evidence of paleodiet elements of an extinct South American native mammal for the first time, and such data might support broader paleoecological, paleoenvironmental, and evolutionary studies.

Proboscideans are megamammals widely recorded in South America Quaternary deposits, especially in Brazil, where many specimens are found in tanks and caves. In tank deposits, the fossil remains are usually recognized as adult individuals, although highly and usually fragmented. The records of immature proboscideans are rare, consisting of isolated teeth and jaw fragments, especially from tank deposits. Here we describe a new and rare occurrence of an immature proboscidean - a second upper left deciduous premolar (DP2) of Notiomastodon cf. N. platensis - from Pernambuco State, Brazil. This record increases the number of immature individuals known for Notiomastodon in Brazil, contributes to the understanding of the frequency of immature individuals in tank deposits, and increases Notiomastodon geographic distribution in South America.

As one of the three major groups of gomphotheres, the Miocene Choerolophodontidae were long considered to have been distributed in Europe, Africa, and South Asia, with a few localities in East Asia, whereas choerolophodontids never extended into North America during the Miocene. In this paper, we report new Choerolophodon fossil materials from the early and middle Miocene of China, which suggest morphological similarities to the enigmatic North American Gnathabelodon thorpei. The new fossils were recovered from the lower Miocene of Linxia (C. guangheensis) and the middle Miocene of Junggar (Choerolophodon sp.) basins, suggesting the persistence of this genus in East Asia during the early-middle Miocene. The cheek tooth morphology of the new specimens resembles that of early-middle Miocene Choerolophodon from elsewhere (i.e., C. palaeindicus, C. kisumuensis, and C. chioticus), in addition to striking affinities with Gnathabelodon thorpei. The upper tusk and mandibular characters of G. thorpei, which include upwardly bent maxillary tusks without enamel bands, and elongated and trough-like mandibular symphysis without mandibular tusks, also support its relationship with the choerolophodontids. The occurrence of a possible member of Choerolophodontidae in the late Miocene of North America (i.e., G. thorpei) reveals intercontinental dispersals of choerolophodontids from East Asia across Beringia possibly between 16.0 and 11.0 Ma, at roughly the same time as other proboscideans, e.g., Mammutidae, Amebelodontidae, and Gomphotheriidae. Together, these new materials significantly revise previously established models of the geographic distribution, taxonomic diversity, and ecological adaptations of Choerolophodontidae within China and elsewhere across the Holarctic.

The diversity of South American proboscideans during the Quaternary has been a subject of discussion for decades. The presence of Cuvieronius hyodon in South America is unquestioned and unanimous; however, the taxonomy of the known second South American proboscidean is still a controversy. Some authors argue that the South American species traditionally referred to Stegomastodon should instead be referred to a distinc genus, namely Notiomastodon, endemic to South America. Others authors, however, do not accept this attribution and continue to recognize the genus Stegomastodon as present in South America. In this study, we recognize several differences in the mandible, skull, dentition, and postcranial morphology of North American species of Stegomastodon and Notiomastodon, that further support the validity of Notiomastodon as a taxon separate from Stegomastodon. Indeed, a phylogenetic hypothesis of trilophodont bunodont proboscideans supports the separation between Stegomastodon and Notiomastodon, and the diversification of the common ancestor of these proboscideans may have occurred during the middle to late Miocene. No specimen with Stegomastodon diagnostic features is recognized in South America. The Stegomastodon records are restricted to the Pliocene-middle Pleistocene of North America, while Notiomastodon records are found only from the middle Pleistocene-early Holocene of South America. In this way, we recognize that Stegomastodon records are restricted to North America and that only Cuvieronius and Notiomastodon are recorded in South America.