Los Hegetotheriinae (Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata) del Mioceno superior de la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina

Abstract

Remains of Hegetotheriinae (Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata) from several sites of La Pampa Province are studied in this paper. Specimens were collected from outcrops corresponding to the Cerro Azul Formation and the coeval levels of the Río Negro Formation. Faunal remains from these sites reflect the presence of typical Huayquerian (late Miocene) taxa present in other areas of Argentina. The morphometrical study of these hegetotherines allows their referal to Hemihegetotherium achataleptum, a species known from the late Miocene of the provinces of Catamarca, San Juan, Mendoza, and La Pampa. Despite a slight difference in size observed between the remains of La Pampa and the known H. achataleptum specimens, a specific separation between them is not justified, especially considering the scarcity of H. achataleptum material and the absence of significant morfological differences with respect to the holotype.