Past Sea Incursions into Patagonia and the Resulting Record of Marine Invertebrates

Abstract

Since the initial opening of the Atlantic Oceanin the Early Cretaceous, the eastern margin of southern South America has beenaffected by a number of marine transgressions that left behind a richsedimentary and palaeontological record, documenting the palaeogeographic andpalaeoclimatic changes that took place. We provide a brief account of the mainevents recorded in the fossil record reflecting the fluctuatingpalaeogeographic changes in this part of the continent, related to changingclimatic conditions. A clearer picture ofthe history of the different faunas involved and the factors linked to theirgeographic and stratigraphic distribution is a key factor in the understandingof the origin and characteristics of the faunas currently living along thecoasts of the South Atlantic.