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Pelecanus paranensis sp. nov., a new pelican (Aves, Pelecanidae) from the marine Upper Miocene Paraná Formation, which crops out in the Province of Entre Ríos, Argentina, is described. This record constitutes the first report of a fossil pelican from Argentina and the southernmost from South America. The holotypical specimen consists of a very large and nearly complete pelvis, which is characterized by having the cristae iliacae dorsales continuous throughout its entire length and a large foramen acetabuli. The U-shaped morphology of the postacetabular section of the pelvis of the new species as well as the wide incisura sutura iliosynsacralis, allow to infer its phylogenetic position within the New World pelican species clade, showing a close relationship with the clade (P. occidentalis + P. thagus). A probable trans-Atlantic dispersal route for the ancestor of the New World pelicans is thus inferred. The inland Paranaense Sea, which flooded the South American Chaco-Paraná basin during the mid-Neogene, is proposed as a south-north pathway for ancestral forms of the clade (P. occidentalis + P. thagus). These regressive marine paleoenvironments of the Late Miocene may have acted as the evolutionary driver for the transition of pelican species from brackish or freshwater habitats to those inhabiting strictly marine coastlines.

A major barrier to advancing ornithology is the systemic exclusion of professionals from the Global South. A recent special feature, Advances in Neotropical Ornithology, and a shortfalls analysis therein, unintentionally followed a long-standing pattern of highlighting individuals, knowledge, and views from the Global North, while largely omitting the perspectives of people based within the Neotropics. Here, we review current strengths and opportunities in the practice of Neotropical ornithology. Further, we discuss problems with assessing the state of Neotropical ornithology through a northern lens, including discovery narratives, incomplete (and biased) understanding of history and advances, and the promotion of agendas that, while currently popular in the north, may not fit the needs and realities of Neotropical research. We argue that future advances in Neotropical ornithology will critically depend on identifying and addressing the systemic barriers that hold back ornithologists who live and work in the Neotropics: unreliable and limited funding, exclusion from international research leadership, restricted dissemination of knowledge (e.g., through language hegemony and citation bias), and logistical barriers. Moving forward, we must examine and acknowledge the colonial roots of our discipline, and explicitly promote anti-colonial agendas for research, training, and conservation. We invite our colleagues within and beyond the Neotropics to join us in creating new models of governance that establish research priorities with vigorous participation of ornithologists and communities within the Neotropical region. To include a diversity of perspectives, we must systemically address discrimination and bias rooted in the socioeconomic class system, anti-Blackness, anti-Brownness, anti-Indigeneity, misogyny, homophobia, tokenism, and ableism. Instead of seeking individual excellence and rewarding top-down leadership, institutions in the North and South can promote collective leadership. In adopting these approaches, we, ornithologists, will join a community of researchers across academia building new paradigms that can reconcile our relationships and transform science. Spanish and Portuguese translations are available in the Supplementary Material.

Los acantilados litorales del area comprendida entre Punta Iglesias y Arroyo Los Cueros (Partidos de General Pueyrredon y Mar Chiquita, Provincia de Buenos Aires) albergan una serie de sitios de gran importancia paleontologica. Estas geoformas han brindado cuantiosas colecciones que integran el acervo de museos locales y nacionales, representando herramientas esenciales para comprender los procesos geologicos, biologicos y socio-culturales del pasado regional. Sin embargo, dicho area evidencia un estado critico de vulnerabilidad patrimonial como consecuencia del incremento sistematico de la erosion costera y las alteraciones antropicas sobre las geoformas locales. Estas circunstancias obligan la urgente implementacion de planes de manejo costero que consideren la relevancia del patrimonio local de acuerdo al marco de proteccion legal que rige sobre estos bienes. Asimismo, la existencia de caracteristicas propicias en las comunidades locales podria representar una oportunidad para abordar la problematica mediante la integracion participativa de los sectores directa o indirectamente afectados. Sugerimos a los organismos implicados, la elaboracion y articulacion conjunta de un “Plan de Manejo Integrado del Patrimonio” considerando las particularidades de cada sector a los fines de coaccionar medidas que garanticen el resguardo de los bienes en riesgo. Especialmente, consideramos necesario el establecimiento de un area protegida sobre el frente acantilado de Camet Norte (Partido de Mar Chiquita), donde existe un yacimiento de condiciones excepcionales dentro la region pampeana y bajo una grave situacion de deterioro continuo.

Antarctoboenus carlinii nov. gen. nov. sp. is a large-sized falconiform bird from the La Meseta Formation (Lower Eocene) at Seymour (Marambio) Island, West Antarctica. The holotypical tarsometatarsus was originally assigned to Falconidae and its affinities to Polyborinae were pointed out. Detailed osteological and comparative analyses of the Antarctic specimen allowed recognition of the new taxon as a member of stem group Falconidae, i.e. it is supposed to belong to the early radiation of the falconiform lineage. Antarctoboenus carlinii is distinguished from members of crown group Falconidae by having a very shallow sulcus extensorius, a large foramen vasculare distale, an undistinguishable tendinal attachment for the m. adductor digiti II, and short trochlea metatarsi II, among its main diagnostic characters. Purported phylogenetic relationships between A. carlinii and Polyborinae are based on plesiomorphic characters retained in the tarsometatarsus of the latter clade. Our conclusions reinforce the hypothesis about the Neotropical or Austral origin of Falconidae supported by previous molecular phylogenies., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo

In the present paper, the geomorphological and sedimentary characteristics of the continental sequences exposed on the coastal cliffs and surrounding areas of the Centinela del Mar locality are described and interpreted. Fourteen lithofacies are defined, their relation, geometry and structure are represented using transversal and longitudinal detailed profiles. In the basal and medium sector of the profile, facies of different degrees of transport and aqueous rework were recognized. In the superior sector, a succession of marine peri-coastal facies corresponding to the «Belgranense» transgression (=Fm. Pascua) were identified, ending the secuence with relictual eolic facies. The different historical interpretations are discussed, homologating the units referred previously with the ones proposed on this paper. These units are correlated with those defined in the allostratigrapic scheme proposed by other authors for the area covered between Playa San Carlos and Arroyo Chapadmalal. This allowed recognize for the area under study the presence of the Punta San Andrés and Arroyo Lobería Alloformations (basal-medium and superior sector, respectively). Between these two entities, a association of well defined progradant marine facies are found and named on this paper as Centinela del Mar Alloformation. Finally, the information gathered here (magnetostratigraphy, radiometric dating, stratigraphic correlations, etc) indicates, at least preliminarily, that the secuence of Centinela del Mar corresponds to the Ensenadense-Lujanense interval (Lower Pleistocene - Holocene).Son descriptas e interpretadas las características geomorfológicas y sedimentarias de las sucesiones continentales expuestas en los acantilados litorales y sectores aledaños de la localidad Centinela del Mar. Se definen catorce litofacies, cuyas relaciones, geometría y estructuras son representadas mediante perfiles transversales y longitudinales de detalle. En el sector basal y medio del perfil fueron reconocidas facies de distinto grado de transporte y retrabajo ácueo, en tanto, en el sector superior fue identificada una secuencia de facies marinas y perilitorales correspondientes a la transgresión «Belgranense» (=Fm. Pascua), culminando la sucesión facies eólicas relictuales. Las diferentes interpretaciones históricas son ampliamente discutidas, homologándose las unidades referidas previamente con las propuestas en este trabajo. Dichas unidades se correlacionan con aquellas definidas en el esquema aloestratigráfico propuesto para el área comprendida entre Playa San Carlos y Arroyo Chapadmalal. Esto permitió reconocer para el área bajo estudio la presencia de las Aloformaciones Punta San Andrés y Arroyo Lobería (sector basal-medio y cuspidal, respectivamente). Entre estas dos entidades, se intercala una asociación de facies marinas progradantes hacia ambientes perilitorales definidas y nominadas aquí como Aloformación Centinela del Mar. Finalmente, la información aquí reunida (magnetoestratigrafía, dataciones radio-métricas, correlaciones estratigráficas, etc.) permite indicar, al menos preliminarmente, que la sucesión de Centinela del Mar corresponde al intervalo Ensenadense-Lujanense (Pleistoceno Inferior-Holoceno).

ANA M. BAEZ,", CARLOS A. SCANFERLA,2 FEDERICO L. AGNOLIN,73 MARCOS CENIZO,3 and MARTIN DE LOS REYES3; 1Universidad de Buenos Aires and Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia," Angel Gallardo 470, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina, baez@gl.fcen.uba.ar; 2Laboratorio de Anatomia Comparada y Evoluci6n de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia," Angel Gallardo 470, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina; 3Fundaci6n de Historia Natural Felix de Azara, Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropologia, Universidad Maim6nides, Valentin Virasoro 732, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Glyptodontidae (Mammalia, Xenarthra) are one of the most common paleofaunistic elements in the South American megafauna. In this context, of the six genera most frequently recorded in the South American Pleistocene (Glyptodon, Neosclerocalyptus, Hoplophorus, Neuryurus, Panochthus and Doedicurus), at least four (Hoplophorus, Neuryurus, Panochthus and Doedicurus) present structures in their caudal armor that could have had defensive/offensive functions, in addition to a solid dorsal carapace and cephalic shield. In this article, we provide the first record and description of a series of highly modified osteoderms, located at the anterolateral region and over the cephalic notch of the dorsal carapace. These "spine"-like osteoderms were found in two of the largest Pleistocene glyptodonts: Glyptodon munizi (early-middle Pleistocene) and, G. reticulatus (late Pleistocene-early Holocene). We propose that they are structures for protection of the neck and abdomen, the most vulnerable body regions of these large armored animals, since they are not covered by the cephalic shield, carapace or caudal armor. Noteworthy, structures like those described herein are not known in glyptodonts recorded before the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI), so it could be a reaction to the arrival of Smilodon and Arctotherium (Carnivora, Mammalia) the largest terrestrial carnivores that ever lived in South America., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo