Late Pleistocene Stegomastodon (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from Uruguay

Fossil Proboscidea remains from the Dolores Formation, Montevideo, Uruguay, are described and taxonomically identified. We compared these remains with those of Stegomastodon waringi and Stegomastodon platensis from several localities in Brazil and Argentina using multivariate analysis. The results indicate that Stegomastodon waringi (HOLLAND, 1920) is represented in the quarry. Enamel tooth sample of gomphothere was dated to 17,620 ± 100 BP by AMS ¹⁴C so we confirm the late Pleistocene age for this fauna. To reconstruct the paleodiet and habitat preference we measured the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of the teeth dentine. Of the two different adaptations attributed to Stegomastodon waringi, we found that at this latitude they were mixed-C₃ feeders, closely related with the Brazil population.