Juvenile glyptodonts (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Cerro Zeballos (Collón Curá Formation, Middle Miocene), Chubut, Argentina

Abstract

The diversity of glyptodonts has been historically overestimated in part because many taxa have been described based on portions of different regions of the carapace, isolated osteoderms and materials from juvenile specimens. Although juvenile glyptodonts specimens are relatively frequent in the fossil record, they have not been considered in many studies. In the present study we report and describe juvenile glyptodonts specimens from the fossiliferous locality Cerro Zeballos belonging to the Collón Curá Formation (Middle Miocene). The specimens were assigned to Paraeucinepeltus cf. raposeirasi, and they were differentiated into an early juvenile stage and a late juvenile stage. The identification and description of juvenile glyptodonts specimens provides information about onto- genetic variations in osteoderms, cranial and postcranial skeleton of glyptodonts. This improves the recognition of genera and species of glyptodonts and avoids the inappropriate creation of new taxa.