# Santacrucian

The Santacrucian age is a period of geologic time (17.5 – 16.3 Ma) within the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically with SALMA classification in South America. It follows the Colhuehuapian and precedes the Friasian age.

## Etymology

The age is named after the Santa Cruz Formation in the Austral/Magallanes Basin of southern Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.

## Formations

| Formation bold is type | Country | Basin |
| Santa Cruz Formation | Argentina Chile | Austral Basin |
| Aisol Formation | Argentina | San Rafael Block |
| Cantaure Formation | Venezuela | Falcón Basin |
| Castillo Formation | Venezuela | Falcón Basin |
| Cerro Boleadoras Formation | Argentina | Austral Basin |
| Chaguaramas Formation | Venezuela | Eastern Venezuela Basin |
| Chilcatay Formation | Peru | Pisco Basin |
| Chucal Formation - Chucal fauna | Chile | Altiplano Basin |
| Cura-Mallín Group | Chile | Cura-Mallín Basin |
| Gran Bajo del Gualicho Formation | Argentina | Colorado Basin |
| Jimol Formation | Colombia | Cocinetas Basin |
| Mariño Formation | Argentina | Cuyo Basin |
| Pinturas Formation | Argentina | Austral Basin |
| Río Yuca Formation | Venezuela | Barinas-Apure Basin |

## Fossils

| Group | Fossils | Formation | Notes |
| Mammals | Abderites meridionalis, Acarechimys pascuali, Acaremys major, A. messor, A. murinus, A. tricarinatus, Acdestis lemairei, A. oweni, Acrocyon sectorius, Acyon bardus, A. tricuspidatus, Adianthus bucatus, Adiastaltus habilis, A. procerus, Adinotherium ferum, A. ovinum, A. robustum, Ameghinomys constans, A. rarus, Anatherium defossus, Anathitus revelator, Arctodictis munizi, Argyromanis patagonicus, cf. Asterostemma depressa, Astrapotherium magnum, Borhyaena tuberata, Cladosictis patagonica, Cochlops muricatus, Diadiaphorus majusculus, D. robustus, Dicardia fissa, Encinepeltus petesatus, Eocardia montana, Eucholoeops fronto, E. ingens, Euphractus patagonicus, Eutatus carinatus, E. deleo, E. lagena, Hapalops angustipalatus, H. elongatus, H. indifferens, H. longiceps, H. platycephalus, H. ponderosus, Hegetotherium mirabile, Homalodotherium cunninghami, Homunculus patagonicus, Interatherium excavatum, I. extensum, I. robustum, Licaphrium floweri, Lycopsis torresi, Metopotoxus laevatus, Microbiotherium acicula, M. gallegosense, M. patagonicum, M. tehuelchum, Necrolestes patagonensis, Neoreomys australis, Nesodon imbricatus, N. marmoratus, Orthoarthrus mixtus, Pachyrukhos moyani, Palaeothentes aratae, P. intermedius, P. minutus, P. lemoinei, P. pascuali, Paraeutatus distans, Pelecyodon cristatus, Peltephilus ferox, P. giganteus, P. nanus, P. pumilus, P. strepens, Perathereutes pungens, Phanomys mixtus, P. vetulus, Phonocdromus gracilis, Plagiocoelus obliquus, Planops magnus, Prepotherium filholi, P. potens, Proeutatus oenophorum, P. robustus, Propalaehoplophorus australis, P. incisivus, P. minus, Protamandua rothi, Prothylacinus patagonicus, Protypotherium attenuatum, P. australe, P. praerutilum, Prozaedyus exilis, Prozaedius proximus, Pseudoacaremys kramarzi, Pseudonotictis pusillus, Schismotherium rectangularis, Sipalocyon gracilis, S. obusta, Spaniomys modestus, Stegotherium tauberi, S. tesselatum, Steiromys detentus, S. duplicatus, Stenotatus hesternus, Stilotherium dissimile, Tetramerorhinus cingulatum, T. fortis, T. lucarius, T. mixtum, Theosodon garrettorum, T. gracilis, T. lydekkeri, Thoatherium minusculum, Vetelia puncta, Hyperleptus sp., Nematherium sp., Neuryurini sp., Perimys sp., Sciamys sp., Myrmecophagidae indet. | Santa Cruz | [18][19] [20][21] [22][23] [24][25] [26][27] [28][29] [30][31] [32][33] [34][35] [36][37] [38][39] [40][41] [42] |
| Mammals | cf. Astrapotherium sp., cf. Theosodon sp., Lomaphorini indet., Mylodontinae indet., Propalaehoplophorinae indet., Toxodontidae indet. | Aisol | |
| Mammals | Baraguatherium takumara | Castillo | |
| Mammals | Xenastrapotherium christi, Boreostemma sp. | Chaguaramas | |
| Mammals | Altitypotherium chucalensis, A. paucidens, Eotypotherium chico, Hegetotherium cf. mirabile, Nesodon imbricatus, Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis, Acarechimys sp., Adinotherium sp., Neoreomys sp., cf. Peltephilus sp., Stenotatus sp., Theosodon sp., Octodontoidea indet., Toxodontidae indet. | Chucal | |
| Mammals | Paedotherium minor, Acarechimys sp., aff. Alloiomys sp., ?Hegetotherium sp., aff. Incamys sp., Luantus sp., Maruchito sp., Prostichomys sp., Protacaremys sp., cf. Protypotherium sp., Sipalocyon sp., Abderitidae indet., Astrapotheria indet., Astrapotheriidae indet., Caviomorpha indet., Dasypodidae indet., Eocardiidae indet., Hegetotheriinae indet., Interatheriinae indet., Pachyrukhinae indet., Toxodontidae indet., Typotheria indet. | Cura-Mallín | |
| Mammals | Prohegetotherium schiaffinoi, Rusconitherium mendocense,Thoatheriopsis mendocensis, Scleromys sp. | Mariño | [49][50] [51][52] |
| Mammals | Acarechimys minutissimus, Acaremys murinus, Acdestis oweni, Adelphomys candidus, Branisamyopsis praesigmoides, Carlocebus carmenensis, C. intermedius, ?Diadiaphorus caniadensis, Eosteiromys annectens, E. cf. homogenidens, Galileomys eurygnathus, Luantus toldensis, L. propheticus, Microbiotherium cf. gallegosense, M. tehuelchum, Neoreomys australis, N. pinturensis, Oligobiotherium divisum, Pachybiotherium illuminatum, Perimys erutus, P. intermedius, Phanomys mixtus, Picturotherium migueli, Prostichomys bowni, Prothoatherium lacerum, Scleromys osbornianus, S. quadrangulatus, Soriacebus adrianae, S. ameghinorum, Spaniomys modestus, Steiromys principalis, S. duplicatus, Tetramerorhinus ?cingulatum, T. fleaglei, T. prosistens, Prolagostomus sp., Stichomys sp., Theosodon sp. | Pinturas | [53][54] [55][56] [57][58] |
| Birds | Anisolornis excavatus, Badiostes patagonicus, Brontornis burmeisteri, Cariama santacrucensis, Eoneornis australis, Eutelornis patagonicus, Liptornis hesternus, Opisthodactylus patagonicus, Paraptenodytes antarcticus, Patagornis marshi, Phorusrhacos longissimus, Protibis cnemialis, Psilopterus bachmanni, P. lemoinei, Thegornis debilis | Santa Cruz | [22][23] [25][42] |
| Birds | Psilopteridae indet. | Aisol | |
| Reptiles & amphibians | Diasemosaurus occidentalis, Dibolosodon typicus, Erichosaurus bombimaxila, E. debilis, E. diminutus, Calyptocephalella sp., Colubridae indet. | Santa Cruz | [21][22] [23][59] |
| Reptiles & amphibians | Crocodylia indet. | Aisol | |
| Reptiles & amphibians | Anura indet. | Chucal | |
| Reptiles & amphibians | Crocodylidae indet., Gavialidae indet. | Jimol | |
| Reptiles & amphibians | Colubridae indet. | Pinturas | |
| Fishes | Carcharhinidae indet., Dalatiidae indet., Hemigaleidae indet., Lamnidae indet., Myliobatidae indet. | Jimol | |
| Flora | Araucaria marensii, Doroteoxylon vicentiperezii, Eucryphiaceoxylon eucryphioides, Myrceugenia chubutense, Nothofagoxylon triseriatum, Ulminium atlanticum | Santa Cruz | |