Abstract:

Defecation in communal latrines is a common behaviour of extant mammals widely distributed among megaherbivores. This behaviour has key social functions with important biological and ecological implications. Herbivore communal latrines are only documented among mammals and their fossil record is exceptionally restricted to the late Cenozoic. Here we report the discovery of several massive coprolite associations in the Middle-Late Triassic of the Chañares Formation, Argentina, which represent fossil communal latrines based on a high areal density, small areal extension and taphonomic attributes. Several lines of evidence (size, morphology, abundance and coprofabrics) and their association with kannemeyeriiform dicynodonts indicate that these large synapsids produced the communal latrines and had a gregarious behaviour comparable to that of extant megaherbivores. This is the first evidence of megaherbivore communal latrines in non-mammal vertebrates, indicating that this mammal-type behaviour was present in distant relatives of mammals, and predates its previous oldest record by 220 Mya.

Author affiliation: Fiorelli, Lucas Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia Tecnológica de Anillaco; Argentina

Author affiliation: Ezcurra, Martin Daniel. University of Birmingham. School of Geography; Reino Unido. Ludwig Maximilians Universitat; Alemania

Author affiliation: Hechenleitner, Esteban Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia Tecnológica de Anillaco; Argentina

Author affiliation: Argañaraz, Eloisa. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Centro de Invest.paleobiologicas; Argentina

Author affiliation: Taborda, Jeremías Ramón Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina

Author affiliation: Trotteyn, Maria Jimena. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "Dr. Emiliano Aparicio"; Argentina

Author affiliation: Von Baczko, Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina

Author affiliation: Desojo, Julia Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina