The South American land mammal ages (SALMA) establish a geologic timescale for prehistoric South American fauna beginning 64.5 Ma during the Paleocene and continuing through to the Late Pleistocene (0.011 Ma). These periods are referred to as ages, stages, or intervals and were established using geographic place names where fossil materials where obtained. The basic unit of measurement is the first/last boundary statement. This shows that the first appearance event of one taxon is known to predate the last appearance event of another. If two taxa are found in the same fossil quarry or at the same stratigraphic horizon, then their age-range zones overlap.

Background

South America was an island continent for much of the Cenozoic, or the "Age of Mammals". As a result, its mammals evolved in their own unique directions, as Australia and Madagascar still have today.

Paleogeographic timeline

A simplified paleogeographic timeline of South America:

Definitions

Cenozoic fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South America

The following formations have provided vertebrate, insect or plant fossils, formations with other invertebrates are excluded:

Fossil content

Notes and references

SALMA

Pebas Wetlands

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

Venezuela