A review of the time scale and potential geographic distribution of Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) in the late Pleistocene of South America

The objectives of the present study were to (1) provide new dates of Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) fossils from the Brazilian Intertropical Region, derived from Electron Spin Resonance (ESR); (2) propose a timeline for the occurrence of N. platensis in South America based on published data (ESR, 14C, 230Th/234U) and, finally, (3) propose a geographic distribution for the species over the period between 21 ka (Last Glacial Maximum) and 120 ka (Interglacial period). The new dates presented here, together with the available estimates, indicate that the species occurred in South America between at least 530 ka and 6 ka (middle Pleistocene–early Holocene). The Paleo-Species Distribution Models created for the 21 ka and 120 ka periods overlapped with the distribution of dry forest habitats during the Last Glacial Maximum, which clearly indicates that the species was associated with this type of vegetation.