Differences between Plio-Pleistocene faunas from

southern Chile: age or environment?

Sven N. Nielsen
Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. Mail: sven.nielsen@uach.cl
Marine Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary deposits are rare in southern Chile and knowledge about this time interval
is therefore very limited. Faunas of this age from southern Chile are known from Arauco Peninsula (Tubul
Formation), Guafo island, and Guambln island. Published work is limited to mollusks, but corals, echinoderms
and decapod arthropods occur as well as marine mammals. Similarities between these three faunas were
noted early on and a similar age accordingly suggested. A total of 12 bivalve and 26 gastropod species is
recorded for all three areas together. Six bivalve species occur both in Tubul and on Guambln, while seven
are recorded from Guafo. Only two bivalve species are common to all areas. For the gastropods, 13 species
are recorded for Tubul and 14 for Guafo and Guambln. Five gastropod species are common to all areas. As
can be seen from these numbers, diversity is similar while species compositions are rather different. Substrate
preference of the recorded groups is similar for all three areas as is the ratio of larval versus direct
development in gastropods, but differences exist in the composition of alimentary strategies. The analysis
shows that environment seems to be similar to all areas, Guafo being most different.

Differences between Plio-Pleistocene faunas from

southern Chile: age or environment?
Sven N. Nielsen
Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. Mail: sven.nielsen@uach.cl

Introduction
Marine Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary deposits are
rare in southern Chile and knowledge about this
time interval is therefore very limited. Faunas of
this age from southern Chile are known from
Arauco Peninsula (Tubul Formation), Guafo
island, and Guambln island (Figure 1). Published
work is limited to mollusks (Tubul Formation:
Nielsen and Valdovinos, 2008; Guafo island:
Frassinetti, 1997, 2000; Guambln island:
Frassinetti and Covacevich, 1995), but corals,
echinoderms and decapod arthropods occur as
well as marine mammals. Similarities between
these three faunas were noted early on and a
similar age accordingly suggested. An update on
these three faunas is presented and the faunal
compositions compared.

Figure 1. Plio-Pleistocene fossil-bearing localities

of southern Chile.

Results
A total of 12 bivalve and 26 gastropod species is
recorded for all three areas together, including
several unpublished records for one or more
localities (Table 1). Six bivalve species occur both
in Tubul and on Guambln, while seven are

recorded from Guafo. Only two bivalve species

are common to all areas. For the gastropods, 13
species are recorded for Tubul and 14 for Guafo
and Guambln. Five gastropod species are
common to all areas. As can be seen from these
numbers, diversity is similar in all areas while
species compositions are rather different.
Substrate preference of the recorded groups is
similar for all three areas as is the ratio of larval
versus direct development in gastropods, but
differences exist in the composition of alimentary
strategies. The analysis shows that environment
seems to be similar for all areas, Guafo being
most different.
TAXON
Bivalvia
Cyclocardia
velutinus
Ennucula grayi
Ensis macha
Glycymeris sp.
Jupiteria sp.
Mulinia chilota
Panopea
chiloensis
Pecten sp.
Retrotapes
exalbidus
Tellina sp.
Tindariopsis
sulculata
Zygochlamys
patagonica
Gastropoda
Acanthina
unicornis
Adelomelon
reconditus
Argobuccinum
pustulosum
Aeneator
fontainei
Aeneator
steinmanni
Bela paesleri
Chorus
doliaris

LOCALITY
Guambln Guafo
Tubul
o

x
x

o
o
o
x
x
o

o
o

o
x
o
o
o
x
o

TAXON
Chorus
giganteus
Chorus
grandis
Cryptogemma
senex
Drillia janseni
Epitonium
magellanicus
Euspira
guamblinensis
Euspira
patagonica
Fusitriton
magellanicus
Gemmula
subaequalis
Hindsiclava
ignorata
Incatella
chilensis
Nassarius
taeniolatus
Penion
diversum
Sassia kampyla
Sassia
leucostomoides
Scaphander
cosmophilus
Trophon
huilliche
Trophon
parcus
Xymenopsis
hero

LOCALITY
o

o
x
o
x

x
x
x

x
o

x
x

o
x
x

Table 1. Occurrence of taxa at individual localities.

x: previously known occurrence, o: new record.

References
Frassinetti, D. 1997. Molluscos del Plioceno Superior de
Isla Guafo, sur de Chile. Parte I. Bivalvia. Boletn del
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile 46: 55-79.
Frassinetti, D. 2000. Moluscos del Plioceno Superior
marino de Isla Guafo, sur de Chile. Parte II. Gastropoda.
Boletn del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile 49:
131-161.
Frassinetti, D.; Covacevich, V. 1995. Moluscos del
Plioceno Superior marino de Isla Guambln, Archipielago
de los Chonos, sur de Chile. Revista Geolgica de Chile
22: 47-73.
Nielsen, S.N.; Valdovinos, C. 2008. Early Pleistocene
mollusks of the Tubul Formation, South-Central Chile. The
Nautilus 122: 201-216.