On the presence of Holochilus brasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819) (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in the late Pleistocene of southern Brazil

Fossil remains of the sigmodontine rodent Holochilus brasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819) from two geographic areas from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil are reviewed and described here. The specimens came from two localities: Quarai River in the western region, which has yielded a dentary with an incisor and molars, and Chui Creek in the eastern region, where a fragmented right dentary and a maxillary fragment with molars were collected. The presence of this taxon in the late Pleistocene of meridional Brazil suggests the existence of perennial water bodies. Keywords : mammals, rodents, late Pleistocene, paleoenvironment, Rio Grande do Sul.