Late neogene elasmobranch fauna from the Coquimbo formation, Chile

Abstract

Neogene marine sediments from Chilean geological formations contain a diverse marine fossil fauna. In Chile, the "Norte Chico" (27 degrees S to 32 degrees S) is composed of two important sedimentary marine deposits, the Bahia Inglesa and Coquimbo formations. Diverse vertebrate taxa including fish, birds, mammals and abundant chondrichthyans have been described from Bahia Inglesa Formation. However, the vertebrate fauna from Coquimbo Formation has been poorly documented. Based upon field trips and the analysis of collections from the Coquimbo Formation, the elasmobranch fossil fauna is composed of at least nine taxa, two of which are extinct (Carcharocles megalodon and Carcharodon plicatilis). The rest of the taxa are related with living elasmobranch species that are inhabitants of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Tropical America coast.