Osteohistology of non-mammalian therapsids from Puesto Viejo Group, Argentina

Abstract

The Puesto Viejo Group is an important unit for the knowledge Triassic faunas especially non-mammalian therapsids. This group crops out in the San Rafael Block, southwest Mendoza, Argentina. It is composed of the basal Quebrada de los Fósiles Formation (QF) which is overlaid by the Río Seco de la Quebrada Formation (RSQ). This report comprises tetrapod remains from the RSQ Formation at the Quebrada del Durazno area that includes, until now, exclusively therapsids. The aim of this study is to analyse the bone microstructure of cynodonts and dicynodonts to elucidate the histological features and growth patterns. Histological thin sections made in ribs and appendicular bones reveal a predominance of fibrolamellar bone tissue suggesting an overall fast bone growth, however, the presence of parallel-fibred bone suggest periods of slowing down of the growth. The existence of growth marks indicates periodic interruptions of growth, which is likely the expression of their ability to rapid respond to environmental changes. This contribution offers new insights into the bone microstructure of tetrapod assemblages from RSQ Formation during the Upper Triassic span.