Late Cenozoic Invertebrate Paleontology of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, with Emphasis on Molluscs

摘要: Publisher Summary Studies on Late Cenozoic marine invertebrates recorded in Patagonia have been performed since the nineteenth century. Mollusc shells—mostly gastropods and bivalves—represent dominant biogenic elements within fossil assemblages. Some bivalves, like oysters, Mytilidae, Pectinidae, Veneridae and, among gastropods, Patellacea, Muricidae, Volutidae are most outstanding taxa terms of abundance, size, thickness, preservation. On contrary, associated macroinvertebrate fauna is represented by skeletons cnidarians, bryozoans, brachiopods, polyplacophors, scaphopods, polychaets, echinoderms, crabs. It widely known that molluscs useful tools as indicators former sea level environmental climatic changes. Past conditions regarding substrate nature, water energy levels, sea-surface temperature (SST) oceanic–atmospheric circulation deduced from Quaternary bivalves or marginal sediments, both Northern Southern hemispheres. The chapter focuses synthesis taxonomy, distribution, paleoecology, paleoenvironmental implications preserved along Patagonian coast, with emphasis molluscan assemblages age.