List of gomphothere fossils in South America
This is a list of gomphothere fossils found in South America. Gomphotheres were elephant-like mammals that lived from the Middle Miocene to the Holocene.
The following species have been described in twentieth and twenty-first century paleontological literature about South America.
An alternative proposal is considered within the scientific community, listed below.
Original classification
- Gomphotheriidae
- * Cuvieroniinae
- ** Cuvieronius
- *** C. arellanoi
- *** C. hyodon
- *** C. priestleyi
- *** C. tarijensis
- *** C. tropicus
- ** Haplomastodon
- *** H. chimborazi
- *** H. guayasensis
- *** H. waringi
- ** Notiomastodon
- *** N. ornatus
- *** N. platensis
- *** N. vidali
- ** Stegomastodon
- *** S. mirificus
- *** S. platensis
- *** S. primitivus
- *** S. superbus
- *** S. waringi
- Cuvieronius
- * C. hyodon
- Notiomastodon
- * N. platensis
Gomphothere fossil finds
Argentina
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Late Pleistocene | Urundel Fm. | Quebrada del Aguay, Salta | Stegomastodon sp. | ||
Late Pleistocene | Río Dulce, Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero | Stegomastodon platensis | |||
Late Pleistocene | Santa Clara Fm. | Santa Clara del Mar, Mar Chiquita Partido, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon platensis | ||
Late Pleistocene | San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon platensis | |||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Yupoi Fm. | Arroyo Toropí-Level 3, Bellavista, Corrientes | Stegomastodon sp. | ||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Luján Fm. | Luján, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon superbus | ||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Luján Fm. | Playa del Barco, Monte Hermoso, El Conglomerado, Cascada Paleolama, Pehuen Có, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon platensis | ||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Aviá Terai, Chaco | Stegomastodon platensis | |||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Barranqueras, Chaco | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Charata, Chaco | Stegomastodon sp., Stegomastodon cf. platensis | |||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Castelli, Chaco | Stegomastodon cf. platensis | |||
Pleistocene | El Palmar Fm. | Estancia El Palmar, Entre Ríos | Stegomastodon platensis | ||
Pleistocene | Punta Piedras, Punta Indio, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Río Carcarañá, Río Tercero, Santa Fe | Mastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Bajada de Santa Fe, Entre Ríos | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Pampa de Olaen, Córdoba | cf. Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Arroyo Feliciano Fm. | San José de Feliciano, Entre Ríos | Stegomastodon waringi | ||
Pleistocene | Tapalqué, Buenos Aires | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Pleistocene | Arroyo Perucho Verna Fm. | Villa Elisa, Entre Ríos | Stegomastodon waringi | ||
Pleistocene | Charbonier Fm. | Valle de Los Reartes, Córdoba | Stegomastodon platensis | ||
Pleistocene | Tafí del Valle Fm. | Tafí del Valle, Tucumán | Gomphotheriidae indet. | ||
Pleistocene | - | - | - | - | - |
Bolivia
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Pleistocene | Río Rujero, Tarija | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Ulloma Fm. | Río Desaguadero, Ulloma, Oruro | Cuvieronius hyodon | ||
Pleistocene | Anzaldo, Cochabamba | Cuvieronius sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Betanzos Basin, between Potosí and Sucre | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Valle de Carohuaycho, between Camiri and Charagua | Cuvieronius "andinum" | |||
Pleistocene | Chiquitos | Cuvieronius "andinum" | |||
Pleistocene | Villa Montes, Tarija | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Mid Pleistocene | Ñuapua Fm. | Ñuapua 1, Chuquisaca | Stegomastodon sp. | ||
Early Pleistocene | Tarija Fm. | Tarija, Tarija | Cuvieronius hyodon, C. tropicus, Notiomastodon sp., Stegomastodon sp. |
Brazil
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Holocene | Lagoa do Rumo/Chapada Diamantina, Baixa Grande, Bahia | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Garrincho, São Raimundo Nonato, Piauí | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Toca da Janela da Barra do Antoniao, São Raimundo Nonato, Piauí | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Gruta dos Brejões, Morro do Chapéu, Bahia | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Toca dos Ossos, Ourolândia, Bahia | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Fazenda Suse II, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Janaúba, Minas Gerais | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Gruta do Ingá, Pains, Minas Gerais | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Poté, Minas Gerais | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Lapa do Caetano, Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Lajedo de Escada, Apodi, Rio Grande do Norte | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Caverna do Japonês & Nascente do Formoso, Serra da Bodoquena, Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Picos II, Piranhas, Alagoas | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Late Pleistocene | Touro Passo Fm. | Touro Passo Creek, Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul | Gomphotheriidae indet. | ||
Pleistocene | Aguas do Araxá, Minas Gerais | Haplomastodon waringi, Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Pleistocene | Inajá Fm. | Inajá, Pernambuco | Haplomastodon chimborazi | ||
Pleistocene | Inajá Fm. | Lage Grande, Pesqueira, Pernambuco | Haplomastodon chimborazi, Notiomastodon vidali | ||
Pleistocene | Roçado & Quixabinha, Petrolândia, Pernambuco | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Santa Cruz do Capibaribe & Panelas, Pernambuco | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Águas Belas & Santa Maria da Boa Vista, Pernambuco | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Lagoa das Pedras, Salgueiro, Pernambuco | Haplomastodon waringi | |||
Pleistocene | Lagoa Lajinha, Petrolina, Pernambuco | Stegomastodon waringi "" | |||
Pleistocene | Fazenda Nova, Brejo da Madre de Deus, Pernambuco | Stegomastodon sp. "", S. waringi, Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Jirau & João Cativo, Itapipoca, Ceará | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Taguara/Araras, Nova Mamoré & Porto Velho, Rondônia | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Sitio Novo, Matina, Bahia | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Vitória da Conquista, Bahia | Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Fazenda Caraíba, Coronel João Sá, Bahia | Stegomastodon waringi, Notiomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Serro do Gronda, Espírito Santo | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Taperoá, Paraíba | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Upper Ribeira, São Paulo | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Tortonian | Solimões Fm. | Río Acre, Acre | Amahuacatherium peruvium |
Chile
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Pleistocene | Taguatagua, O'Higgins | C. hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Tierras Blancas & Los Vilos, La Ligua, Valparaíso | C. hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Parral, Cauquenes, Maule | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | San Pablo de Tramalhué, Pilauco Bajo, Osorno | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Río Bueno, Valdivia | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Paredones & Colchagua | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Alto de Boroa, Temuco | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Limahuida, Río Choapa | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Casablanca | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Chillán | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Monte Verde | C. hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Lagunillas, Valparaíso | cf. hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Catapilco, La Ligua | cf. hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Marchigüe, Colchagua | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | El Trebal 1, Padre Hurtado, Metropolitan Region | Stegomastodon platensis | |||
Pleistocene | Río Salado 1, Chiu Chiu | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Quebrada Quereo Fm. | Quereo | Gomphotheriidae indet. | ||
Pleistocene | Malloco, Santiago | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Algarrobo | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Melipilla | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Cerrillos, Santiago | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Chorro de la Vieja, Colchagua | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Cachagua | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Estero de Coyanco, Laja | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pliocene | Las Pozas/Chacabuco | C. tropicus |
Colombia
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Holocene | Quaternary alluvium | Yumbo, Valle del Cauca | Stegomastodon waringi | ||
Holocene | Quaternary alluvium | Turbaná, Bolívar | Stegomastodon waringi | ||
Late Pleistocene | Sabana Fm. | Tibitó, Checua, Bosa, Guasca, Guatavita, Soacha, Tunjuelito, Pubenza & Mosquera, Tocancipá, Bogotá savanna, Cundinamarca | Cuvieronius hyodon, Haplomastodon waringi or H. chimborazi | ||
Late Pleistocene | Curití, Santander | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Soatá Fm. | Soatá, Boyacá | Haplomastodon waringi | ||
Late Pleistocene | Rotinet Fm. | Rotinet, Repelón, Atlántico | Haplomastodon waringi | ||
Middle Pleistocene | Tocaima, Cundinamarca | Haplomastodon waringi | |||
Pleistocene | Arboleda, Nariño | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Mercaderes, Cauca | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | El Remolino, Taminango, Nariño | Haplomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Toro, Valle del Cauca | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Medellín, Antioquia | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | El Cocuy, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Duitama, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Sáchica, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Socotá, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Tunja, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Villa de Leyva, Boyacá | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Salamina, Caldas | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Carrizal, Uribia, La Guajira | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Cabrera & San Alfonso, Villavieja, Huila | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Cúcuta, Norte de Santander | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Pamplona, Norte de Santander | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Agualinda, Lebrija, Santander | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Vélez, Santander | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Ibagué, Tolima | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Ortega, Tolima | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | La Victoria, Valle del Cauca | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Zarzal, Valle del Cauca | Gomphotheriidae indet. |
Ecuador
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Tablazo Fm. | Río Cañas, Montecristi, Manabí | Haplomastodon chimborazi | ||
Pleistocene | Imbabura, Imbabura | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Pleistocene | Region de La Paz, Carchi | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Hacienca Pucará, Carchi | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Calderón/Carapungo, Quito, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Alangasí, Quito, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Punín, Chalán, Chimborazo | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Tumbaco, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Llano Chico, Quito, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Quebrada La Tola, Quito, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Checa, Pichincha | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | La Carolina, Santa Elena | Haplomastodon guayasensis | |||
Pleistocene | Tanque Loma, Santa Elena | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Pleistocene | Quebrada Pistud, Bolívar, Carchi | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Pleistocene | Baños, Cuenca | Cuvieronius hyodon |
Paraguay
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Pleistocene | General Bruguer/Riacho Negro, Presidente Hayes | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Puerto Santa Rosa, San Pedro | cf. Notiomastodon |
Peru
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Late Pleistocene | La Brea, Talara, Piura | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Cupinisque Desert, La Libertad | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Ocucaje, Ica | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Quebrada El Jahuay, Arequipa | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | La Huaca, Piura | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Ayusbamba, Cuzco | Cuvieronius hyodon | |||
Late Pleistocene | Quipan, Canta, Lima | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Pasamayo Quarry, Lima | Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Pleistocene | Sacaco 2, Arequipa | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Pleistocene | Celendín, Cajamarca | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Tortonian | Madre de Dios Fm. | Cerro Colorado, Madre de Dios | Amahuacatherium peruvium |
Uruguay
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Late Pleistocene | Dolores Fm. | Campo Viñoles, Cerro Largo | Stegomastodon waringi | ||
Mid to Late Pleistocene | Dolores Fm. | Casil Quarry, Montevideo | Stegomastodon waringi |
Venezuela
Age | Formation | Location | Present elevation | Fossils | Notes |
Late Pleistocene | Cucuruchú, Barquisimeto | Haplomastodon chimborazi | |||
Late Pleistocene | Taima-Taima, Falcón | Haplomastodon sp., Stegomastodon waringi | |||
Late Pleistocene | San Miguel, Lara | ?Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Quíbor, Lara | ?Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Quebrada de Guadalupe, Lara | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | San Juan de los Morros, Guárico | Stegomastodon sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Los Guamos, Trujillo | ?Cuvieronius sp. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Minas de Guaniamo, Cedeño, Bolívar | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Los Guayos, Guacara, Carabobo | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Zanja de Lira, Cojedes | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | La Ciénega,, Falcón | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Coro, Falcón | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Camaguán, Guárico | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Barbacoas, Lara | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Carora, Lara | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | La Cruz, Guardagallos, Quebrada del Totumo, Urdaneta, Lara | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | El Anís, Mérida | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Maturín, Monagas | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Mundo Nuevo, Monagas | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Orocual, Monagas | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Cumanacoa, Sucre | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Agua Viva, Trujillo | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Serranía del Perijá, Zulia | Gomphotheriidae indet. | |||
Late Pleistocene | Minas de Guasare-Socuy, Zulia | Gomphotheriidae indet. |
Proposed reclassification
Some authors, Lucas, Mothé, Avilla et al., propose a reclassification of the South American gomphotheres as follows:- Stegomastodon is an exclusively North American genus
- Haplomastodon is a South American genus, but synonymous with Notiomastodon
- as Notiomastodon was defined earlier, all Haplomastodon species should be considered part of Notiomastodon
- all formerly described species as Stegomastodon sp., Haplomastodon sp. and Notiomastodon sp. belong to a single species; Notiomastodon platensis
- Cuvieronius is the only remaining South American genus outside of Notiomastodon, containing the single local species C. hyodon
Evolution
- Lucas proposes that Notiomastodon evolved from Cuvieronius inside South America
- Mothé et al. propose that Notiomastodon and Cuvieronius reached South America in two separate migration waves
Gallery
Publications South America
Publications Argentina
Publications Bolivia
Publications Brazil
Publications Chile
Publications Colombia
Publications Ecuador
Publications Paraguay
Publications Peru
Publications Uruguay
Publications Venezuela
Publications proposed reclassification