The youngest record of fossil land mammals from Antarctica; its significance on the evolution of the terrestrial environment of the Antarctic Peninsula during the late Eocene

• Published in: Journal of Paleontology
• Main Authors: Vizcaino, S. F., Bond, M., Reguero, M. A., Pascual, R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1997
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctica; Seymour Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022336000039263; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000039263

The record of fossil land mammals from Antarctica has been restricted previously to the middle levels of the Eocene-?early Oligocene La Meseta Formation in Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. This mostly shallow-marine sequence was divided informally into seven subunits (Tertiary Eocene La Meseta or TELM 1 to 7) by Sadler (1988). Land mammals, representing South American lineages of marsupials, edentates, and ungulates were recovered from TELM 3, 4, and 5 (Marenssi et al., 1994; Vizcaíno et al., 1994). The purpose of the present note is to report the discovery of a well-preserved ungulate tooth from the uppermost level of the La Meseta Formation (TELM 7) and to discuss its paleoenvironmental implications.