Pampean megamammals in Europe: the fossil collections from Santiago Roth

Abstract

Santiago Roth was a Swiss fossil finder, naturalist, and paleontologist that emigrated to Argentina in 1866. His work largely influenced the discipline in the country at the end of the twentieth century, particularly the stratigraphy of the Pampean region. Some of his collections of Pampean fossils were sold to museums and private collectors in Europe and were accompanied by elaborated catalogues. Fossils in the Roth's catalogues N° 2 and 3 are housed today in the Natural History Museum of Denmark, fossils from catalogues N° 4 to 6, were sold to Swiss museums, with Catalogue N° 5 currently housed at the Department of Paleontology, Universität Zürich. Here, we provide a general framework on the stratigraphy from the Roth's Pampean fossil sites, summarize the history of the Pampean fossils in Europe originally collected by Roth, and provide historical and curatorial details of the Roth's collection at the Department of Paleontology, Universität Zürich.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13358-023-00283-5.

Keywords: Argentina; Europe; Fossils; Nineteenth century explorations; Quaternary; South America.

Fig. 1

Geographical location of the fossiliferous sites mentioned by Roth in his catalogues. The sites are in Pampean region, Argentina (A), including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, and Santa Fe provinces (B). Localities are not exact. Detail of the sites at the riverbanks of the Paraná River are shown in (C). Map produced with QGIS V.3 3.22.0. The shape for the map was obtained from Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Argentina (http://www.ign.gob.ar)

Fig. 2

Some personalities that represents the pillars for their contribution to the studies on geology, stratigraphy, paleontology, and biochronology from the Pampean region. From left to right: Santiago Roth (A), Alfred Doering (B), Florentino Ameghino (C), Carl Burckhardt (D), Joaquín Frenguelli (E), and Eduardo Tonni (F). Images A, D, and E modified from Riccardi (2011); B from Tonni (2021); C drawing by R. Veroni, 1943 (archive from MACN-PV)

Fig. 3

Principal stratigraphic schemes for the Pampean region

Fig. 4

Cover of one of the most influential works by Roth (1888a) with his fundamentals on the stratigraphy of the Pampean region (left). This contribution contains the stratigraphic section from the Paraná riverbank (top right), today crucial information to interpret Roth´s ideas and the major divisions of the "pampean formation" (Roth, : 404). Photograph of “La Elisa”, the first slaughterhouse in South America, built in 1882 in the town of San Nicolás de los Arroyos (photograph from the archives of the Museo y Archivo Histórico “Gregorio Santiago Chervo”) (bottom right). The excavations for the construction of “La Elisa” benefited access to the stratigraphical sections of the riverbanks of the Paraná River

Fig. 5

Comprehensive stratigraphic section from the Paraná River (north of Buenos Aires and south of Santa Fe provinces), geochronological, chronostratigraphic, and biostratigraphic references based on previous studies in the locality of Ramallo (Buenos Aires Province; Voglino & Pardiñas, 2005). This section was used to interpret the stratigraphic scheme proposed by Roth (Voglino, 2020). References: A Depth meters of the stratigraphic section. B Squematic stratigraphic section from the Paraná riverbanks; C Sedimentary Units (US, by its abbreviation in Spanish) based on Voglino and Pardiñas (2005); D Roth’s stratigraphic scheme for the “pampean formation”; E Epochs; F South American Stages/Ages; G Magnetic polarity; H TL and OSL dating (black circle: Kemp et al., ; white circle: Tófalo et al., ; star: Prado & Alberdi, 2012); I, Biozones (Cione et al., 2015); J, Marine Isotopic Stages

Fig. 6

First pages of the catalogues from the Roth´s collections of fossil vertebrates from the Pampean Region. Catalogue Nº1 published in Genua in 1879 (A). Catalogue Nº2 published in San Nicolás in 1882 (B) and in Genua in 1884 (C). Catalogue Nº3, handwritten in San Nicolás in 1885 (D). Cover of the journal Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft with Catalogue Nº5 published in Berlin in 1888 (E). Catalogue Nº5 published in Zurich in 1889 (F) and first page of the catalogue, the numbers at the right in manuscript are the prices in Francs for each specimen (G). Catalogue Nº6 published in Zurich in 1892 (H). Public acknowledgment to the local Swiss community, several organizations and societies, and government for contribution to purchase Roth Catalogue N°5 (Heim & Lang, 1893) (I)

Fig. 7

Unterer Pampeano. Landscape of Pampean region at the Early Pleistocene. Roth´s Unterer Pampeano partially correlates with the Ensenadan Stage/Age. The reconstruction is based from specimens from Roth Catalogue N° 5 and MHNG. (1) Smilodon sp. (Felidae), likely MHNG GEPI V-3213, 3214 (Pleistocene in collection catalogue, exact stratigraphic location uncertain; Ruiz-Ramoni et al., 2023); the presence of this taxon in South America dates from the Early Pleistocene, Ensenadan Stage/Age to the Late Pleistocene, Lujanian Stage/Age (e.g., Prevosti & Forasiepi, 2018); (2) Scelidotherium bravardi (Mylodontidae), PIMUZ A/V 506, 507, 519, 520 (Le Verger, 2023); (3) Mesotherium cristatum (Mesotheriidae), PIMUZ 467 (Carrillo & Püschel, 2023); (4) Neosclerocalyptus ornatus (Glyptodontidae), PIMUZ A/V 447 (Le Verger, 2023); (5) Lestodon sp. (Mylodontidae), PIMUZ A/V 503 (Le Verger, 2023); (6) Morenelaphus sp. (Cervidae), PIMUZ A/V 4162 (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023); (7) Hippidion sp. (Equidae), PIMUZ A/V 4240 (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023). Reconstruction by Jorge L. Blanco

Fig. 8

Mittlerer Pampeano. Landscape of Pampean region at the late Early Pleistocene to Middle Pleistocene. Roth´s Mittlerer Pampeano partially correlates with the Ensenadan and likely Bonaerian Stage/Age. The reconstruction is based from specimens from Roth Catalogue N° 5. (1) Lagostomus maximus (Chinchillidae), PIMUZ A/V 4235a, 4235b, 4202 (Kerber, 2023); (2) Pampatherium typum (Pampatheriidae), PIMUZ A/V 431, 432 (Le Verger, 2023); (3) Tayassu pecari (Tayassuidae), PIMUZ A/V 4188 (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023); (4) Arctotherium sp. (Ursidae), PIMUZ A/V 4215 (Ruiz-Ramoni et al., 2023); (5) Doedicurus clavicaudatus PIMUZ A/V 459, 4148 (Le Verger, 2023); (6) Megatherium americanum (Megatheriidae), PIMUZ A/V 479, 481, 482, 483 (Le Verger, 2023); (7) Notiomastodon cf. N. platensis (Gomphotheriidae), PIMUZ A/V 4161, 4092 (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023); (8) Toxodon cf. T. platensis (Toxodontidae) PIMUZ A/V 4163, 4199, 4210, 4233, 4245, 4290, 5697 (Carrillo & Püschel, 2023). Reconstruction by Jorge L. Blanco

Fig. 9

Oberer Pampeano. Landscape of Pampean region at the Late Pleistocene. Roth´s Oberer Pampeano correlates with the Lujanian Stage/Age. The reconstruction is based from specimens from Roth Catalogue N° 5. (1) Glyptodon reticulatus (Glyptodontidae) PIMUZ A/V 4122 (Le Verger, 2023); Dusicyon avus (Canidae), PIMUZ A/V 4232 (Ruiz-Ramoni et al., 2023); (3) Propraopus sulcatus (Dasypodidae), PIMUZ A/V 426, 427 (Le Verger, 2023); (4) Macrauchenia patachonica (Macrauchenidae), this species is an artistic license, since all specimens from Catalogue N°5 assigned to this taxon are from the Mittlerer Pampeano (PIMUZ A/V 4118, 4119, 5700; Carrillo & Püschel, ; Püschel & Martinelli, 2023); (5) Equus cf. Equus neogaeus (Equidae), PIMUZ A/V 4212, 4248 (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023); (6) Hemiauchenia cf. H. paradoxa (Camelidae), PIMUZ A/V 4186, 4195, 4127, 4196, 4255) (Carrillo-Briceño et al., 2023); (7) Findings of humans remains in some archeological sites of Buenos Aires Province, such as Fontezuelas or Baradero, influenced Roth´s interpretation on the contemporaneity with megamammals in the "pampean formation" (Sánchez-Villagra et al., 2023). Reconstruction by Jorge L. Blanco

Fig. 10

Preservation treatment on Roth´s collection Catalogue No. 5 at PIMUZ. Unidentified, old consolidant ageing: yellowing and flaking (A). Unidentified adhesive, yellowed, sticky, and chemically irreversible (B). Labelling in 3 steps: application of 20% Paraloid B-72 in acetone as a protective base layer (C); label written with india ink and quill (D), and gentle application of 20% Paraloid B-72 as a top coat (E). Application of the top coat may sometimes cause numbers to run. Sufficient drying time is needed between each layer. A 50% Paraloid B-72 solution was sometimes used as a top coat. In E, the label was written on a layer of titanium white acrylic paint, after the base coat, for contrast. Housing process: "Cavity" mount out of ethafoam according to specimen’s contours (F); cushion the cavity with polyester batting (G), and cut outline around cavity and tuck Tyvek material (42 g/m²) into a slit to secure in place (H) (Dzinak, 2017)

Fig. 11

Specimens scanned using the Artec Space Spider and Eva structured blue light scanner. The detail surface and color are captures in great detail. Catonyx tarijensis PIMUZ AV 512 (A); Nothrotherium escrivanense PIMUZ AV 477 (B); Scelidotherium leptocephalum PIMUZ AV 513 (C). Specimens available at [https://sketchfab.com/PIMUZ]