This is a list of South American species extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE) and continues to the present day.
The list includes extinctions in the Falklands and other islands near the continent but not the Galápagos Islands, which have their own list of extinct species. Extinct animals from the West Indies are covered in List of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene. Extinctions from Easter Island, a territory of Chile in Polynesia, are covered in the List of Oceanian species extinct in the Holocene.
Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.
Mammals (class Mammalia)
Opossums (order Didelphimorphia)
Opossums (family Didelphidae)
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsRed-bellied gracile opossumCryptonanus ignitusJujuy, ArgentinaLast collected in 1962. The only known locality was destroyed by agriculture and urban development.
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsOne-striped opossumMonodelphis unistriataSoutheastern Brazil and northeastern ArgentinaOnly collected twice, in 1821 in Brazil and 1899 in Argentina. The causes of decline are unknown, but possibly related to habitat loss through logging and agriculture.
Armadillos, pampatheres, and glyptodonts (order Cingulata)
Long-nosed armadillos (family Dasypodidae)
Scientific nameRangeCommentsPropraopus sulcatusEastern South AmericaMost recent remains at Toca do Serrote do Artur, Brazil dated to 6660-4880 BCE.
Chlamyphorid armadillos and glyptodonts (family Chlamyphoridae)
Scientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesDoedicurus clavicaudatusSouth American pampasMost recent remains at Arroyo Seco, Argentina dated to 4765-4445 BCE.Eutatus seguiniNorthern Argentina and UruguayMost recent remains at Arroyo Seco, Argentina dated to 6389-6060 BCE.Stuart, A.J. (2021) Vanished Giants: The Lost World of the Ice Age. University of Chicago Press, 288 pages.Glyptodon clavipesEastern Brazil to the Argentinian pampaMost recent remains at Toca do Serrote do Artur, Brazil dated to 6660-4880 BCE.Glyptodon reticulatusSouthern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern São Paulo, Brazil but without direct datation.Glyptotherium cylindricumFlorida and Texas to northeastern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil but without direct datation.Hoplophorus euphractusEastern BrazilMost recent remains at Toca do Serrote do Artur, Brazil dated to 6660-4880 BCE.Neosclerocalyptus paskoensisZurita, A. E., Scarano, A. C., Carlini, A. A., Scillato-Yané, G. J., & Soibelzon, E. (2011). Neosclerocalyptus spp.(Cingulata: Glyptodontidae: Hoplophorini): cranial morphology and palaeoenvironments along the changing Quaternary. Journal of Natural History, 45(15-16), 893-914.Southern South AmericaMost recent remains in Paraguay dated to 5120 BCE.Zurita, A. E. (2007). Sistemática y evolución de los Hoplophorini (Xenarthra: glyptodontidae: hoplophorinae. Mioceno tardío-Holoceno temprano). Importancia bioestratigráfica, paleobiogeográfica y paleoambiental. (Doctoral dissertation, Universidad Nacional de La Plata).Neuryurus sp.Eastern Argentina and UruguayMost recent remains at Lobería, Argentina dated to c. 19050-8050 BCE.Carlini, A. A. (2006) Neuryurus (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae) in the Lujanian (late Pleistocene–early Holocene) of the Pampean region. N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., pp. 78-88.Panochthus tuberculatusArgentina to southern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Luján, Argentina but without direct datation.Fariña, R. A., Vizcaíno, S. F., & Bargo, M. S. (1998). "Body mass estimations in Lujanian (late Pleistocene-early Holocene of South America) mammal megafauna". Mastozoología Neotropical, 5 (2), 87-108.
Pachyarmatheres (family Pachyarmatheriidae)
Scientific nameRangeComments PicturesPachyarmatherium brasilienseEastern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil but without direct datation.
Pampatheres (family Pampatheriidae)
Scientific nameRangeComments PicturesHolmesina majusMinas Gerais and Ceará, BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil but without direct datation.Pampatherium sp.Mexico, Central and South America
Anteaters and sloths (order Pilosa)
Megalonychid ground sloths (family Megalonychidae)
Scientific nameRangeComments PicturesAhytherium aureumEastern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern São Paulo, Brazil but without direct datation.Ghilardi, A. M., Fernandes, M. A., & Bichuette, M. E. (2011). "Megafauna from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene deposits of the Upper Ribeira karst area, southeast Brazil". Quaternary International, 245 (2), 369-378.
Giant ground sloths (family Megatheriidae)
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments PicturesPanamerican ground slothEremotherium laurillardiSouthern United States to BrazilMost recent remains in the Miranda River basin, Brazil dated to 5477-4170 BCE.Cortes, Fábio and Carvalho, Ismar de Souza and de Araújo-Júnior, Hermínio Ismael and Ximenes, Celso Lira and Facincani, Edna M. Facincani, (2024) 3,500 Years BP: The Last Survival of the Mammal Megafauna in the Americas. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5047403 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5047403Giant ground slothMegatherium americanumTemperate South America and the AndesMost recent remains at Campo Laborde, Argentina were dated to 5270-4310 BCE and show signs of human hunting and processing.Gutiérrez, M.A. et al. (2010). "Supervivencia diferencial de mamíferos de gran tamaño en la región pampeana en el Holoceno temprano y su relación con aspectos paleobiológicos". In Zooarqueología a principios del siglo XXI: Aportes teóricos, metodológicos y casos de estudio. Ediciones del Espinillo, Buenos Aires, 231-242.
Mylodonts (family Mylodontidae)
Scientific nameRangeComments PicturesGlossotherium robustumSouth AmericaMost recent remains at El Cautivo, Ecuador dated to 6810-6650 BCE.Lestodon armatusSouthern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern São Paulo, Brazil but without direct datation.Mylodon darwiniPampas and PatagoniaMost recent remains at Cueva del Milodón, Chile dated to 10935-8804 BCE.Barnosky, A. D., & Lindsey, E. L. (2010). "Timing of Quaternary megafaunal extinction in South America in relation to human arrival and climate change". Quaternary International, 217 (1-2), 10-29.Scelidodon chiliensisWestern South AmericaMost recent remains at Pampa de los Fósiles, Peru, dated to 7160-6760 BCE.
Scelidotherid ground sloths (family Scelidotheriidae)
Scientific nameRangeComments PicturesCatonyx cuvieriEastern South AmericaMost recent remains at Lagoa Santa, Brazil dated to 7830-7430 BCE.Scelidotherium leptocephalumSouthern South AmericaMost recent remains at Río Cuarto, Argentina dated to 5660-5540 BCE.Cruz, L. E., Bargo, M. S., Tonni, E. P., & Figini, A. J. (2010). "Radiocarbon date on megafauna from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Córdoba province, Argentina: stratigraphic and paleoclimatic significance". Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, 27 (3), 470-476.Valgipes bucklandiIntertropical region of BrazilMost recent remains at Lagoa Santa, Brazil dated to 9110-9030 BCE.Miño-Boilini, Á. R., & Quiñones, S. I. (2020). "Los perezosos Scelidotheriinae (Xenarthra, Folivora): taxonomía, biocronología y biogeografía". Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, 22 (2), 201-218.
Nothrotheriid ground sloths (family Nothrotheriidae) Scientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesNothrotherium maquinenseEastern BrazilFound in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil but without direct datation.
Elephant-like mammals (order Proboscidea)
Gomphotheres (family Gomphotheriidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesCuvier's gomphothereLucas, S. G. Vertebrate Paleontology in New Mexico - A brief history. Vertebrate Paleontology in New Mexico: Bulletin 68, 68, 1.Cuvieronius hyodonCentral America to northern and central AndesMost recent remains at Quebrada Quereo, Chile dated to 7450-6850 BCE; however this date is not calibrated and the remains could be older.Labarca, R., López, P., & García, C. (2005). Interacción entre hombre y fauna extinguida en la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno en Chile centro-sur: una revisión. Boletín Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, 54, 115-127. Notiomastodon platensisSouth AmericaMost recently dated at El Totumo, Colombia, to 4170-4050 BCE; however this date is uncalibrated and the remains are assigned to the Late Glacial. Other remains from Toro, Valle del Cauca are assigned to the Holocene but with no direct date.Rodríguez-Flórez, C. D., Rodríguez-Flórez, E. L., & Rodríguez, C. A. (2009). "Revisión de la fauna pleistocénica Gomphotheriidae en Colombia y reporte de un caso para el Valle del Cauca. Boletín Científico. Centro de Museos". Museo de Historia Natural, 13 (2), 78-85. Calibrated remains at Itapipoca, Brazil were dated to 8209-5886 BCE, and at El Cautivo, Ecuador to 6810-6650 BCE.
Rodents (order Rodentia)
Cavies (family Caviidae)
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesGalea tixiensisRío de la Plata basin to southern BoliviaMost recent remains at the Tandilia mountains, Argentina dated to around 950 CE.Quintana, C. (2005). Despiece de microroedores en el Holoceno Tardío de las Sierras de Tandilia (Argentina). Archaeofauna, 14, 227-241.Giant capybaraFariña, R.A., Vizcaíno, S.F., & De Iuliis, G. (2013) Megafauna: Giant beasts of Pleistocene South America. Indiana University Press, 435 pages.Neochoerus sp.Southern United States to BrazilFound in sites of Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Rondonia, Brazil that date from the Late Pleistocene to early Holocene, but without exact dating.da Silva, R. C., Berbert-Born, M., Bustamante, D. E. F., Santoro, T. N., Sedor, F., & dos Santos Avilla, L. (2019). "Diversity and preservation of Pleistocene tetrapods from caves of southwestern Bahia, Brazil". Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 90, 233-254.
Tuco-tucos (family Ctenomyidae)
Scientific nameRangeCommentsCtenomys viarapaensisPampa de Achala, ArgentinaMost recent remains at Quebrada del Real 1 dated to 5410 BCE - 1590 CE.De Santi, N. A., Verzi, D. H., Olivares, A. I., Piñero, P., Morgan, C. C., Medina, M. E., ... & Tonni, E. P. (2020). A new peculiar species of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae) from the Holocene of central Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 100, 102499.
Neotropical spiny rats (family Echimyidae)
Scientific nameRangeCommentsClyomys riograndensisRio Grande do Sul, BrazilMost recent remains dated to 1750 BCE.Hadler, P., Verzi, D. H., Vucetich, M. G., Ferigolo, J., & Ribeiro, A. M. (2008). Caviomorphs (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Holocene of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil: systematics and paleoenvironmental context. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia, 11(2), 97-116.Dicolpomys fossorRío de la Plata basin and southern BrazilMost recent remains at Sambaquí de Puerto Landa, Argentina dated to 894-953 CE.Verzi, D. H., Olivares, A. I., Hadler, P., Castro, J. C., & Tonni, E. P. (2018). Occurrence of Dicolpomys (Echimyidae) in the late Holocene of Argentina: the most recently extinct South American caviomorph genus. Quaternary International, 490, 123-131.Proclinodontomys mordaxRio Grande do Sul, BrazilMost recent remains dated to 5250 BCE.
Rock rats, degus, and viscacha rats (family Octodontidae)