Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina

Autores
Vera, Rocío Belén; Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar; Krapovickas, Verónica
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Two Late Miocene tracksites in Argentina—Toro Negro and Huayquerías formations—preserve over 300 fossil footprints, offering new ichnological insights into the behavior of extinct South American ungulates. These sites include abundant oval-shaped tracks attributed to proterotheriids, a monodactyl group within Litopterna that evolved horse-like limbs. We describe Okana andina n. igen. n. isp., characterized by elongated, anteriorly narrow tracks lacking lateral digit impressions. Detailed analysis of track morphology, preservation, spatial distribution, and footprint orientation reveals patterns consistent with coordinated group movement. To test this behavioral inference, we evaluated multiple hypotheses for the formation of these high-density surfaces, including non-synchronous accumulation, ephemeral aggregation around localized resources, spatial channeling by environmental barriers, and selective preservation bias. These alternatives were rejected based on the ichnological and sedimentological context, including uniform preservation type, consistent morphology, directional coherence, and analogy with modern gregarious ungulates. The evidence supports near-synchronous movement by multiple individuals, providing the first ichnological record of social behavior in Proterotheriidae and expanding our understanding of group-living in extinct South American native ungulates.
Fil: Vera, Rocío Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina
Fil: Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentina
Fil: Krapovickas, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina
Materia
ICHNOLOGY
PROTEROTHERIIDAE
ETHOLOGY
SOUTH AMERICAN NATIVE UNGULATES
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/268349
Acceder
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spelling Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest ArgentinaVera, Rocío BelénRomano Muñoz, Cristo OmarKrapovickas, VerónicaICHNOLOGYPROTEROTHERIIDAEETHOLOGYSOUTH AMERICAN NATIVE UNGULATEShttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Two Late Miocene tracksites in Argentina—Toro Negro and Huayquerías formations—preserve over 300 fossil footprints, offering new ichnological insights into the behavior of extinct South American ungulates. These sites include abundant oval-shaped tracks attributed to proterotheriids, a monodactyl group within Litopterna that evolved horse-like limbs. We describe Okana andina n. igen. n. isp., characterized by elongated, anteriorly narrow tracks lacking lateral digit impressions. Detailed analysis of track morphology, preservation, spatial distribution, and footprint orientation reveals patterns consistent with coordinated group movement. To test this behavioral inference, we evaluated multiple hypotheses for the formation of these high-density surfaces, including non-synchronous accumulation, ephemeral aggregation around localized resources, spatial channeling by environmental barriers, and selective preservation bias. These alternatives were rejected based on the ichnological and sedimentological context, including uniform preservation type, consistent morphology, directional coherence, and analogy with modern gregarious ungulates. The evidence supports near-synchronous movement by multiple individuals, providing the first ichnological record of social behavior in Proterotheriidae and expanding our understanding of group-living in extinct South American native ungulates.Fil: Vera, Rocío Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Krapovickas, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaNature2025-07info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/268349Vera, Rocío Belén; Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar; Krapovickas, Verónica; Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina; Nature; Scientific Reports; 15; 1; 7-2025; 1-192045-2322CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-06230-3info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/s41598-025-06230-3info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:38:58Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/268349instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 09:38:58.411CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
title Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
spellingShingle Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
Vera, Rocío Belén
ICHNOLOGY
PROTEROTHERIIDAE
ETHOLOGY
SOUTH AMERICAN NATIVE UNGULATES
title_short Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
title_full Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
title_fullStr Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
title_sort Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Vera, Rocío Belén
Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar
Krapovickas, Verónica
author Vera, Rocío Belén
author_facet Vera, Rocío Belén
Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar
Krapovickas, Verónica
author_role author
author2 Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar
Krapovickas, Verónica
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv ICHNOLOGY
PROTEROTHERIIDAE
ETHOLOGY
SOUTH AMERICAN NATIVE UNGULATES
topic ICHNOLOGY
PROTEROTHERIIDAE
ETHOLOGY
SOUTH AMERICAN NATIVE UNGULATES
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Two Late Miocene tracksites in Argentina—Toro Negro and Huayquerías formations—preserve over 300 fossil footprints, offering new ichnological insights into the behavior of extinct South American ungulates. These sites include abundant oval-shaped tracks attributed to proterotheriids, a monodactyl group within Litopterna that evolved horse-like limbs. We describe Okana andina n. igen. n. isp., characterized by elongated, anteriorly narrow tracks lacking lateral digit impressions. Detailed analysis of track morphology, preservation, spatial distribution, and footprint orientation reveals patterns consistent with coordinated group movement. To test this behavioral inference, we evaluated multiple hypotheses for the formation of these high-density surfaces, including non-synchronous accumulation, ephemeral aggregation around localized resources, spatial channeling by environmental barriers, and selective preservation bias. These alternatives were rejected based on the ichnological and sedimentological context, including uniform preservation type, consistent morphology, directional coherence, and analogy with modern gregarious ungulates. The evidence supports near-synchronous movement by multiple individuals, providing the first ichnological record of social behavior in Proterotheriidae and expanding our understanding of group-living in extinct South American native ungulates.
Fil: Vera, Rocío Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina
Fil: Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentina
Fil: Krapovickas, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina
description Two Late Miocene tracksites in Argentina—Toro Negro and Huayquerías formations—preserve over 300 fossil footprints, offering new ichnological insights into the behavior of extinct South American ungulates. These sites include abundant oval-shaped tracks attributed to proterotheriids, a monodactyl group within Litopterna that evolved horse-like limbs. We describe Okana andina n. igen. n. isp., characterized by elongated, anteriorly narrow tracks lacking lateral digit impressions. Detailed analysis of track morphology, preservation, spatial distribution, and footprint orientation reveals patterns consistent with coordinated group movement. To test this behavioral inference, we evaluated multiple hypotheses for the formation of these high-density surfaces, including non-synchronous accumulation, ephemeral aggregation around localized resources, spatial channeling by environmental barriers, and selective preservation bias. These alternatives were rejected based on the ichnological and sedimentological context, including uniform preservation type, consistent morphology, directional coherence, and analogy with modern gregarious ungulates. The evidence supports near-synchronous movement by multiple individuals, providing the first ichnological record of social behavior in Proterotheriidae and expanding our understanding of group-living in extinct South American native ungulates.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-07
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/268349
Vera, Rocío Belén; Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar; Krapovickas, Verónica; Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina; Nature; Scientific Reports; 15; 1; 7-2025; 1-19
2045-2322
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/268349
identifier_str_mv Vera, Rocío Belén; Romano Muñoz, Cristo Omar; Krapovickas, Verónica; Social behavior of proterotheriid ungulates revealed by mammal tracksites in northwest Argentina; Nature; Scientific Reports; 15; 1; 7-2025; 1-19
2045-2322
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-06230-3
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1038/s41598-025-06230-3
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.070432

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