The Ituzaingó Formation  (Spanish : Formación Ituzaingó ), in older literature also described as Entre Ríos  or Entrerriana Formation , is an extensive geological formation  of Late Miocene  (Tortonian , or Huayquerian  in the SALMA classification ) age in the Paraná Basin  of the Corrientes , Santa Fe  and Entre Ríos Provinces  in Mesopotamia , northeastern Argentina .[ 1] mudstones , cross-bedded sandstones  and conglomerates  deposited in a fluvio -deltaic  environment  and is renowned for the preservation of a rich fossil assemblage, including many mammals , birds , reptiles , fish , bivalves , foraminifera , ichnofossils  and flora .
Description 
Map of the Paraná River  drainage basin  with the river indicated. Most outcrops of the Ituzaingó Formation flank the middle course of the Paraná River. The Ituzaingó Formation was first described by De Alba in 1953 and later by Herbst in 1971.[ 2] [ 3] Paraná River  to 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Tostado .[ 4] Mesopotamia ), in the provinces  of Corrientes , Santa Fe  and Entre Ríos , among other locations along the banks of the Paraná River .[ 5] 
Stratigraphy 
The formation overlies the marine Paraná Formation  and is unconformably overlain by the Puerto Alvear,[ 6] Early Pleistocene  (Uquian  and Ensenadan  respectively) age.[ 5] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] 
The formation contains a basal conglomeratic member "Conglomerado osífero" (bony conglomerate ) with abundant vertebrate remains.[ 11] Buenos Aires Province . According to the mammals occurring in the conglomerate and the stratigraphic relationships, the age of the base of Ituzaingo Formation is almost exclusively Tortonian  (Late Miocene ) or Huayquerian  in the SALMA classification.[ 12] 
Depositional environment 
The formation, as the Paraná and Puelches Formations, has been deposited in a vast Miocene tidal flat environment.[ 13] [ 11] 
Alternatively, the Conglomerado Osífero Member has been interpreted as tide -dominated fluvial channels, pertaining to the marine Paraná Formation.[ 14] 
Fossil content 
The Ituzaingó Formation has provided a large variety of fossils, of various groups, from mammals to birds and reptiles to fish and flora. The terrestrial fauna is predominant while a few marine genera are also present.[ 15] Honda Group  at La Venta  in Colombia, the Urumaco Formation  at Urumaco  in Venezuela and the Pebas Formation  of the Amazon region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.[ 16] ground sloth  genera present in the Ituzaingó Formation are endemic from this unit, whereas other are also present in the Arroyo Chasicó Formation of Buenos Aires Province , the Andalhuala and Corral Quemado Formations of Catamarca Province , and the Toro Negro Formation of La Rioja Province .[ 17] 
Birds 
Mammals 
Chiroptera 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Eumysops 
E. parodii 
 
 
 
 
  
Notictis 
N. ortizi 
 
 
 
  
Cetaceans 
Litopterns 
Marsupials 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Philander P. entrerianus 
 
 
 
 
  
Chironectes C. sp. 
 
 
 
 
  
Zygolestes 
Z. paranensis 
 
 
 
 
  
Sparassodonts 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Thylacosmilus T. atrox 
 
 
 
  
Stylocynus 
S. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Rodents 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Briaromys 
B. trouessartianus 
 
 
 
 
  
Cardiatherium 
C. paranense 
 
 
 
  
Carlesia 
C. pendolai 
 
 
 
  
Diaphoromys 
D. compressidens 
 
 
 
  
D. gamayensis 
 
 
 
  
D. mesopotamicus 
 
 
 
  
Doellomys 
D. parcus 
 
 
 
  
Eumegamys E. contortus 
 
 
 
  
E. dubius 
 
 
 
  
E. scalabrinianus 
 
 
 
  
E. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Eumegamysops 
E. praependens 
 
 
 
  
Gyriabrus 
G. glutinatus 
 
 
 
  
G. holmbergi 
 
  
G. indivisus 
 
  
G. rebagliattii 
 
  
Haplostropha 
H. sacabriniana 
 
 
 
  
Isostylomys I. ameghinoi 
 
 
 
  
I. laurillardi 
 
  
Lagostomopsis 
L. antiquus 
 
 
 
  
L. pallidens 
 
  
Myocastor M. obesus 
 
 
 
  
M. paranensis 
 
  
M. sinuata 
 
  
Neoepiblema 
N. ambrosettianus 
 
 
 
  
N. horridula 
 
  
Olenopsis 
O. typicus 
 
 
 
  
Paradoxomys 
P. cancrivorus 
 
 
 
  
Pentastylodon 
P. racedi 
 
 
 
  
Pentastylomys 
P. seriei 
 
 
 
  
Perimys P. scalabrinianus 
 
 
 
  
Phoberomys P. burmeisteri 
 
 
 
  
P. insolita 
 
 
 
  
P. lozanoi 
 
 
 
  
P. minima 
 
 
 
  
P. praecursor 
 
 
 
  
Phugatherium 
P. cataclisticum 
 
 
 
  
Potamarchus 
P. murinus 
 
 
 
  
P. sigmodon 
 
  
Protabrocoma 
P. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Protomegamys 
P. coligatus 
 
 
 
  
Pseudosigmomys 
P. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Rusconia 
R. crassidens 
 
 
 
  
Strophostephanos 
S. jheringi 
 
 
 
  
Telodontomys 
T. compressidens 
 
 
 
  
Tetrastylomys 
T. castellanosi 
 
 
 
  
Tetrastylus 
T. aguilari 
 
 
 
  
T. diffusus 
 
  
T. laevigatus 
 
  
T. robustus 
 
  
T. (Protelicomys) atavus 
 
  
Anatochoerus 
 
 
 
  
Anchimysops 
A. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Cardiatherium 
 
 
 
  
Cardiomys 
 
 
 
  
Caviodon 
 
 
 
  
Colpostemma sp. 
 
 
 
  
Contracavia 
 
 
 
  
Kiyutherium 
 
 
 
  
Paleocavia 
 
 
 
  
Parodimys 
 
 
 
  
Plexochoerus 
 
 
 
  
Pliodolichotis 
 
 
 
  
Procardiatherium 
 
 
 
  
Prodolichotis 
 
 
 
  
Protohydrochoerus 
 
 
 
  
Toxodonts 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Adinotherium ?A. paranense 
 
 
 
  
?Berroia 
?B. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Dilobodon D. lutarius 
 
 
 
  
Dinotoxodon 
D. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Eutomodus 
E. elautus 
 
 
 
  
Haplodontherium 
H. limun 
 
 
 
  
Palaeotoxodon 
P. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
?P. protoburmeisteri 
 
  
?P. virgatus 
 
  
Stenotephanos 
S. plicidens 
 
 
 
  
Toxodontherium 
T.compressum 
 
 
 
  
T. reverendum 
 
  
Xotodon X. doellojuradi 
 
 
 
 
X. foricurvatus 
 
  
Typotheres 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Munyizia 
M. paranensis 
 
 
 
 
  
Protypotherium P. antiquum 
 
 
  
Trachytypotherium 
T. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Xenarthrans 
Cingulates 
Ground sloths 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Amphiocnus 
A. paranense 
 
 
 
 
  
Eomegatherium 
E. nanum 
 
 
 
  
Megabradys 
M. darwini 
 
 
 
  
Megalonychops 
M. primigenius 
 
 
 
  
Mesopotamocnus M. brevirostrum 
 
 
 
  
Neohapalops 
N. rothi 
 
 
 
  
Octomylodon O. aversus 
 
 
 
  
Ortotherium O. laticurvatum 
 
 
 
  
O. robustum 
 
  
O. schlosseri 
 
  
O. scrofum 
 
  
O. seneum 
 
  
Paranabradys 
P. vucetichae 
 
 
 
  
Pliomegatherium 
P. lelongi 
 
 
 
  
Pliomorphus 
P. ameghinoi 
 
 
 
  
P. gracilis 
 
  
P. mutilatus 
 
  
P. robustus 
 
  
Prolestodon 
P. antiquus 
 
 
 
  
P. paranensis 
 
 
  
Promegatherium P. parvulum 
 
 
 
  
P. smaltatum 
 
  
Promylodon 
P. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Pronothrotherium P. mirabilis 
 
 
 
 
Protomegalonyx 
P. doellojuradoi 
 
 
 
  
P. praecursor 
 
  
Pyramiodontherium 
P. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Ranculcus 
R. scalabrinianus 
 
 
 
  
Scelidotheriidae 
Indeterminate.
 
 
 
 
  
Sphenotherus 
S. paranensis 
 
 
 
  
Strabosodon 
S. acuticavus 
 
 
 
  
S. obtusicavus 
 
  
Torcellia 
T. paranense 
 
 
 
  
Other Mammals 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Cyonasua C. Argentina 
 
 
 
  
Reptiles 
Fish 
Invertebrates 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Protelphidium 
P. tuberculatum 
 
 
 
 
  
Ostrea O. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Microflora 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Anadenantheroxylon 
A. villaurquicense 
 
 
 
 
  
Astroniumxylon 
A. bonplandianum 
 
 
 
  
A. parabalansae 
 
  
Curtiembreoxylon 
C. poledrii 
 
 
 
  
Gleditsioxylon 
G. paramorphoides 
 
 
 
  
Guadua G. morronei 
 
 
 
  
G. zuloagae 
 
  
Laurinoxylon L. artabeae 
 
 
 
  
Mangroveoxylon 
M.areniensis 
 
 
 
  
Menendoxylon 
M. vasallensis 
 
 
 
  
Microlobiusxylon 
M. paranaensis 
 
 
 
  
Maytenoxylon 
M. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Mimosoxylon 
M. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Palmoxylon P. yuqueriense 
 
 
 
  
Prosopisinoxylon 
P. americanum 
 
 
 
  
Prumnopityoxylon 
P. gnaedingerae 
 
 
 
  
Ruprechtioxylon 
R. breae 
 
 
 
  
Scalarixylon 
S. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Schinopsixylon 
S. heckii 
 
 
 
  
Soroceaxylon 
S. entrerriensis 
 
 
 
  
Syagrus S. sp. 
 
 
 
  
Uruguaianoxylon 
U. striata 
 
 
 
  
Icnofossils 
Taxa 
Species 
Presence 
Abundance 
Description 
Images 
Notes
  
Arenicolites 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Huayquerian correlations 
See also 
References 
^ Ituzaingó Formation  at Fossilworks .org^ Vezzosi, 2015, p.27 
^ Vezzosi, 2015, p.28 
^ Vezzosi, 2015, p.29 
^ a b   Franco, 2014, p.16 
^ Brunetto, 2013, p.22 
^ Cione et al., 2000, p.195 
^ Cione et al., 2009, p.3 
^ Vezzosi, 2015, p.41 
^ Vezzosi, 2015, p.75 
^ a b   Cione et al., 2005, p.49 
^ a b c d e f g h i   Colonia La Celina  at Fossilworks .org^ Torra, 2005, p.46 
^ Martín Pérez, 2013, p.291 
^ Martín Pérez, 2013, p.27 
^ Cione et al., 2005, p.58 
^ Brandoni, 2013, p.135 
^ a b c d e f g h i   Paraná, Pueblo Brugo to Diamante, Ituzaingó Fm.   at Fossilworks .org^ Noriega & Agnolin, 2008, pp.272-285 
^ Agnolin & Noriega, 2012 
^ a b c d e   Ciudad de Paraná  at Fossilworks .org^ a b   Candela, 2005, pp.43–46 
^ a b   Scillato et al., 2013, pp.119–120 
^ a b   Góis et al., 2013, p.177 
^ Brandoni & Scillato, 2007, p.430 
^ Brandoni & Scillato, 2007, p.431 
^ Brandoni, 2008, p.14 
^ Brandoni, 2008, p.16 
^ Brandoni, 2011, p.36 
^ Brandoni, 2014, p.34 
^ Scheyer & Delfino, 2016, p.56 
^ a b   Bona, P.; Barrios, F.; Ezcurra, M.D.; Victoria, M.; Blanco, F.; Cidade, G.M. (2024). "New taxa of giant caimans from the southernmost hyperdiverse wetlands of the South American late Miocene". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 22  (1). doi :10.1080/14772019.2024.2375027 . ^ Cione et al., 2009, p.4 
^ Cione et al., 2013, p.70 
^ a b   Cione et al., 2005, p.52 
^ Azpelicueta & Cione, 2016, p.221 
^ a b   Torra, 2005, p.45 
^ Franco, 2018, p.646 
^ Franco, 2014, p.25 
^ Brea et al., 2013a, pp.45-47 
^ Brea et al., 2013b, p.4 
^ Franco & Brea, 2015, p.3 
^ Moya & Brea, 2020 
  
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(2000), "Miocene vertebrates from Entre Rios province, eastern Argentina"  (PDF) , Serie Correlación Geológica , 14 : 191– 237, retrieved 2018-10-08   {{citation}}:  CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Franco, María Jimena (2018), "Small Celastraceae and Polygonaceae twigs from the Upper Cenozoic (Ituzaingó Formation) of the La Plata Basin, Argentina" Historical Biology , 30  (5): 646– 660, doi :10.1080/08912963.2017.1313840 , hdl :11336/21859 , retrieved 2018-10-08   Franco, María Jimena; Brea, Marianne (2015), "First extra-Patagonian record of Podocarpaceae fossil wood in the Upper Cenozoic (Ituzaingó Formation) of Argentina" , New Zealand Journal of Botany 53  (2): 103– 116, doi :10.1080/0028825X.2015.1029055 , hdl :11336/39775 , retrieved 2018-10-08   Franco, María Jimena (2014), "Estípites de Arecaceae en la Formación Ituzaingó (Plioceno-Pleistoceno), Entre Ríos, Argentina" , Acta Geológica Lilloana , 26 : 14– 29, retrieved 2018-10-08   Góis, Flávio; Scillato Yané, Gustavo Juan; Carlini, Alfredo Armando; Guilherme, Edson (2013), "A new species of Scirrotherium  Edmund & Theodor, 1997 (Xenarthra, Cingulata, Pampatheriidae) from the late Miocene of South America" , Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology , 37  (2): 177– 188, doi :10.1080/03115518.2013.733510 , hdl :11336/18791 , retrieved 2018-10-08   Martín Pérez, Leandro (2013), Sistemática, tafonomía y paleoecología de los invertebrados de la Formación Paraná (Mioceno), Provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina (PhD thesis) (PDF) , Universidad Nacional de La Plata , pp. 1– 398, retrieved 2018-10-08   Moya, Eliana; Brea, Mariana (2020), "Combretaceous fossil wood from Ituzaingó Formation (Late Miocene?), Argentina, indicate a coastal marine environment", Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 281  104270, doi :10.1016/j.revpalbo.2020.104270 , hdl :11336/142562  Noriega, Jorge I.; Agnolin, Federico L. (2008), "El registro paleontológico de las Aves del "Mesopotamiense" (Formación Ituzaingó; Mioceno tardío-Plioceno) de la provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina (Mioceno Superior) de Argentina"  (PDF) , Temas de la Biodiversidad del Litoral III , 17 : 271– 290, retrieved 2018-10-08   Scheyer, T.M.; Delfino, M. (2016), "The late Miocene caimanine fauna (Crocodylia: Alligatoroidea) of the Urumaco Formation, Venezuela"  (PDF) , Palaeontologia Electronica 19 : 1– 57, retrieved 2018-10-09   Torra, Roberto (2005), "The Chaco Paraná Basin rift basin system. An approach to the tectonic-stratigraphical evolution from the Late Cretaceous to Quaternary"  (PDF) , Ciência e Natura , 27 : 25– 64, retrieved 2018-10-08   Vezzosi, Raúl Ignacio (2015), Diversidad de los mamíferos del Pleistoceno de la Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina: aspectos taxonómicos, bioestratigráficos y paleobiogeográficos relacionados (PhD thesis) (PDF) , Universidad Nacional de La Plata , pp. 1– 913, retrieved 2018-10-08   
Further reading 
Brandoni, Diego; Scillato Yané, Gustavo J.; Miño Boilini, Ángel R.; Favotti, Emmanuel (2016), "Los Tardigrada (Mammalia, Xenarthra) de Argentina: diversidad, evolución y biogeografía"  (PDF) , Contribuciones del MACN : 263– 274, retrieved 2018-10-08   Croft, Darin A (2016), Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys: The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America Indiana University Press , pp. 1– 320, ISBN  9780253020949 , retrieved 2018-10-08   Simpson , George Gaylord (1996), Splendid Isolation: The Curious History of South American Mammals 1– 275, ISBN  9780783733111 , retrieved 2018-10-08  Tambussi, Claudia P.; Degrange, Federico (2012), South American and Antarctic Continental Cenozoic Birds: Paleobiogeographic Affinities and Disparities Springer , pp. 1– 113, ISBN  9789400754676 , retrieved 2018-10-08