Taphonomic Analysis of an Articulated Baleen Whale (Cetacea; Mysticeti) from Upper Miocene Inner Shelf Deposits of Península Valdés, Patagonia, Argentina

A remarkably well-preserved, almost fully articulated baleen whale skeleton from the Late Miocene of Península Valdés, Argentina, offers unprecedented insights into taphonomic processes and paleoenvironmental conditions. This specimen, one of the most complete balaenid skeletons known globally, reveals a brief biostratinomic phase characterized by initial decomposition at sea, gas accumulation leading to reorientation, sinking in a ventral-up position on the inner shelf, and lateral re-orientation due to physical and biological processes. The high degree of articulation and association of skeletal elements suggests no lateral transport or refloating, indicating rapid burial under low-energy conditions with normal marine oxygenation and salinity. This study integrates taxonomic, sedimentological, stratigraphic, and ichnological analyses to reconstruct the complex taphonomic history and paleoenvironmental context of this exceptional fossil.

FARRONI, N. D., CUITIÑO, J. I., LAZO, D. G., & BUONO, M. R. (2024). TAPHONOMIC ANALYSIS OF AN ARTICULATED BALEEN WHALE (CETACEA; MYSTICETI) FROM UPPER MIOCENE INNER SHELF DEPOSITS OF PENÍNSULA VALDÉS, PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA. Palaios, 39(3), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2022.039