Paraná Formation

The Paraná Formation is a geologic formation in Argentina. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Miocene epoch.

Paraná Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Miocene
Type	Geological formation
Location
Region	Entre Ríos Province
Country	Argentina
Type section
Named for	Paraná Basin

Fossil content

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Mammals

Cetaceans

Cetaceans reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
cf. Aulophyseter	cf. A. sp.	Cantera del Puerto Viejo near Paraná, Entre Ríos.[1]	Incomplete tooth (MACN Pv 8926).[1]	Now deemed an indeterminate physeteroid.[2]
Balaenidae gen. et. sp. indet.	Indeterminate		Right tympanic bulla (MACN Pv 13221).[1]	A balaenid.
Balaenoptera	B. sp.		Right tympanic bulla (MACN Pv 13220).[1]	A rorqual.
Balaenopteridae indet.		South Bank of Ensenada Creek.[3]	Cubitus & radius (CICYTTP-PV-1-197) bearing bite marks matching Cosmopolitodus hastalis.[3]	A rorqual.
Physeteroidea gen. et. sp. indet.	Indeterminate	Cantera del Puerto Viejo near Paraná, Entre Ríos.[2]	An almost complete tooth (MAS Pv 1361) & a fragmentary tooth (MACN Pv 8926).[2]	Previously identified as cf. Aulophyseter sp.[2]
Platanistoidea indet.			Left tympanic bulla (MACN Pv 15997).[1]	A relative of river dolphins.
Pontistes	P. rectifrons		[4]	A pontoporiid.
Prionodelphis	P. rovereti		A single tooth.[5]	A dubious delphinoid, other specimens once referred to this taxon are now thought to represent monachine seals.[5]

Pinnipeds

Pinnipeds reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Properiptychus	P. argentinus		Jaw & limb elements.[6]	A monachine seal.

Rodents

Rodents reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
cf. Cardiatherium	cf. C. sp. indet.	La Juanita locality.[7]	Left isolated cheek tooth (CICYTTP-PV-M-1-147) & right upper cheek tooth (CICYTTP-PV-M-1-148).[7]	A hydrochoerine.
Caviidae gen. & sp. indet.	Indeterminate	La Juanita locality.[7]	A left upper M1-2 (CICYTTP-PV-M-2-267).[7]	A cavy.
Plesiacarechimys	P. nov. sp.?	La Juanita locality.[7]	Right lower molar (CICYTTP-PV-M-1-145).[7]	An octodontoid.

Sirenians

Sirenians reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Dioplotherium	D. sp.	Cliffs along Paraná River, Villa Urquiza.[8]	Upper left molar (CORD-PZ 4301).[8]	A dugongid.
Metaxytherium	M. sp.	Cerro La Matanza locality, Victoria City.[8]	Posterior end of both maxillae (MASP 373).[8]	A dugongid.

Xenarthrans

Xenarthrans reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Scirrotherium	S. sp. indet.	La Juanita locality.[7]	A fixed osteoderm (CICYTTP-PV-M-1-144).[7]	A pampatheriid.

Birds

Birds reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Pelecanus	P. paranensis	Cerro La Matanza locality, Victoria City.[9]	A nearly complete pelvis (CICYTTP-PV-A-3-277).[9]	A pelican.
cf. Phoenicopterus	cf. P. sp. indet.	La Juanita locality.[7]	Fragment of shaft with distal end of left tibiotarsus (CICYTTP-PV-A-1-12).[7]	A flamingo.

Fish

Bony fish

Bony fish reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Siluroidae	Undetermined		Abundant fragmentary specimens.[10]	Evidently represents extant catfish genera.[10]
Tetraodontidae indet.	Indeterminate	La Juanita & Toma Vieja localities.[11]	Several premaxillary beaks.[11]	Remains of pufferfish.

Rays

Rays reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Dynatobatis	D. paranensis		Dermal tubercles.[10]
Myliobatis	M. americanus		Detached teeth.[10]
Raja	R. agassizi		Dermal tubercles.[10]	Moved to the genus Rioraja.
Rioraja	R. agassizii		Dermal tubercles.[10]	A skate, originally reported as Raja agassizi.

Sharks

Sharks reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Carcharias	C. (Prionodon) obliquidens		Teeth.[10]	Junior synonym of Squalus obliquidens.[12]
Carcharodon	C. megalodon		Teeth.[10]	Reassigned to the genus Otodus.
	C. sp.	Arroyo Ensenada valley.[13]	2 teeth (UAP 1301 & 1303).[13]	Related to the great white shark.
Cestracion	C. paranensis		2 teeth.[10]	Cestracion is now a junior synyonym of Heterodontus.
Cosmopolitodus	C. hastalis		Several teeth.[10]	A mackerel shark, originally reported as Oxyrhina hastalis.
Galeocerdo	G. aduncus		Tooth.[10]	A requiem shark.
Hemipristis	H. serra		A few well-preserved upper teeth.[10]	A large weasel shark.
Heterodontus	H. paranensis		2 teeth.[10]	A bullhead shark, originally reported as Cestracion paranensis.
Megascyliorhinus	M. trelewensis	La Juanita locality.[14]	4 anterior teeth.[14]	A ground shark, specimens originally labelled "Squatina".[14]
Odontaspis	O. elegans		Teeth.[10]
Otodus	O. megalodon		Teeth.[10]	A megatooth shark, originally reported as Carcharodon megalodon.
Oxyrhina	O. hastalis		Several teeth.[10]	Reassigned to the genus Cosmopolitodus.
Squalus	S. obliquidens		Teeth.[10]	Originally reported as Carcharias (Prionodon) obliquidens.

Invertebrates

Bivalves

Bivalves reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Aequipecten	A. paranensis		Valves.[15]	A scallop.
Amusium	A. darwinianum		[15]	A scallop.
Erodona	E. doellojuradoi	La Juanita & La Paz.[16]	260 specimens.[16]	An erodonid.
Flabellipecten	F. oblongus		Valves.[15]	A scallop.
Polymesoda	P. muravchiki	La Juanita.[16]	13 specimens.[16]	A cyrenid.

Bryozoans

Bryozoans reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Acanthodesia	A. cf. sulcata	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Fragments of colonies (MLP 13471 to 13476).[17]	A cheilostomatid.
Microporella	M. sp.	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Fragments of colonies (MLP 13477 to 13483).[17]	A microporellid.
Schizoporella	S. sp.	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Fragments of colonies (MLP 13474, MLP 13484 to 13488).[17]	A schizoporellid.
Schizoporellidae indet.	Indeterminate	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Fragments of colonies (MLP 13489).[17]	A schizoporellid.
Schizosmittina	S. sp.	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Fragments of colonies (MLP 13486, MLP 13490 to 13492).[17]	A bitectiporid.
Tubulipora	T. sp.	Punta Gorda, near Diamante, Entre Ríos.[17]	Two colonies (MLP 13493 & MLP 13494).[17]	A tubuliporid.

Echinoderms

Echinoderms reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Abertella	A. sp.		[18]	A sand dollar.
Amplaster	A. alatus		[18]	A sand dollar.
	A. ellipticus		[18]	A sand dollar.
Monophoraster	M. duboisi		[18]	A sand dollar.
Neognathostomata	Indeterminate		An immature specimen.[18]	A sea urchin.
Ophiocoma	O. sp.		[18]	A brittle star.
Ophiothrix	O. sp.		[18]	A brittle star.

Plants

Plants reported from the Paraná Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Astroniumxylon	A. parabalansae	Toma Vieja fossil locality.[19]	Fossil wood.[19]	An anacardiaceaen.
Laurophyllum	L. sp.	Villa Urquiza.[20]	Leaves.[20]	A lauraceaen.
Myrciophyllum	M. paranaesianum	Villa Urquiza.[20]	Leaves.[20]	A myrtaceaen.
Ocotea	O. sp.	Villa Urquiza.[21]	Leaves.[21]	A lauraceaen.
Piptadenioxylon	P. paraexcelsa	Toma Vieja fossil locality.[19]	Fossil wood.[19]	A mimosoid.
Schinus	S. aff. terebinthifolius	Villa Urquiza.[20]	Leaves.[20]	An anacardiaceaen.
Solanumxylon	S. paranensis	Toma Vieja fossil locality.[19][22]	Fossil wood.[19]	A nightshade.

Correlations

Laventan

Laventan correlations in South America

Formation	Honda	Honda	Aisol	Cura-Mallín	Pisco	Ipururo	Pebas	Capadare	Urumaco	Inés	Paraná	Map
Basin	VSM	Honda	San Rafael	Caldera	Pisco	Ucayali	Amazon	Falcón		Venezuela	Paraná	Paraná Formation (South America)
Country	Colombia	Bolivia	Argentina	Chile	Peru			Venezuela			Argentina
Boreostemma
Hapalops
Miocochilius
Theosodon
Xenastrapotherium
Mylodontidae
Sparassodonta
Primates
Rodents
Birds
Terror birds
Reptiles
megalodon
Flora
Insects
Environments	Fluvial			Fluvio-deltaic		Fluvio-lacustrine		Fluvio-deltaic			Fluvial	Laventan volcanoclastics Laventan fauna Laventan flora
Volcanic	Yes

Huayquerian

Huayquerian correlations in South America

Formation	Cerro Azul	Ituzaingó	Paraná	Camacho	Raigón	Andalhuala	Chiquimil	Las Flores	Maimará	Palo	Pebas	Muyu	Rosa	Saldungaray	Salicas	Urumaco	Map
Basin	Colorado	Paraná				Hualfín		Tontal	Andes	Salta	Amazon	Huasi	Altiplano	BA	Velasco	Falcón	Paraná Formation (South America)
Country	Argentina			Uruguay		Argentina					Brazil  Peru	Bolivia		Argentina		Venezuela
Cardiatherium
Lagostomus
Macroeuphractus
Proeuphractus
Pronothrotherium
Pseudotypotherium
Thylacosmilus
Xotodon
Macraucheniidae
Primates
Rodents
Reptiles
Birds
Terror birds
Flora
Environments	Aeolian-fluvial	Fluvio-deltaic			Fluvial						Fluvio-lacustrine	Fluvial			Fluvio-lacustrine	Fluvio-deltaic	Huayquerian volcanoclastics Huayquerian fauna Huayquerian flora
Volcanic						Yes