Abstract

FERNICOLA, Juan Carlos. New contributions to the systematic of Glyptodontia Ameghino 1889 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata). Ameghiniana [online]. 2008, vol.45, n.3, pp.553-574. ISSN 1851-8044.

An exhaustive revision of the systematic of the glyptodonts, including different classifications and phylogenetic hypothesis proprosed since the XIX century is presented herein. According to the current classification, proposed as preliminary, a cladistic analysis based on 84 craniodental characters was carried out for the following taxa: Glyptodontinae [Glyptodon], Doedicurinae [Doedicurus] Propalaehoplophorinae [Propalaehoplophorus and Eucinepeltus] and Hoplophorinae (=Sclerocalyptinae) Hoplophorini (=Sclerocalyptini) [Neosclerocalyptus (=Sclerocalyptus), Eosclerocalyptus and Hoplophractus] Plohophorini [Stromaphorus, Pseudoplohophorus and Plohophorus] Panochthini [Panochthus] and Lomaphorini [Urotherium]. The results of this analysis support the monophyly of the glyptodonts as well as a basal dichotomy represented by the Propalaehoplophorinae as the sister group of the remaining glyptodonts. The relationships between the taxa of this group do not support the previous monophyletic hypotheses of the Hoplophorinae (= Sclerocalyptinae) neither of their tribes Hoplophorini (= Sclerocalyptini) and Plohophorini. On the contrary, different groups not formally proposed until today are clearly supported as the derived clades (Glyptodon + Doedicurus) and (Panochthus + Neosclerocalyptus). These results, together with the preliminary character of the current classification, allow to propose a new classification for the glyptodonts. On the other hand, the combination of the phylogenetic and the stratigraphic information allows locating the first dichotomy of the glyptodonts in Colhuehuapian times (c.a. 20 Ma.). The second dichotomy, assignable to Chasicoan/Huayquerian times (c.a. 10 Ma.), allows to recognize a gap in the paleontological record of at least 10 Ma. Lastly, the inclusion of the genus Hoplophractus within Eosclerocalyptus is questioned.

Keywords : Glyptodontia; Systematic; Phylogeny; Classification; Glyptodontia; Sistemática; Filogenia; Clasificación.