Abstract

The genus Pratulum is one of the most 17 abundant genera of Cardiidae in formations of Cenozoic age in New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica. Currently, three species are known to inhabit the warm seas of Australia and New Zealand. Here, two new species are described, P. kurrawchipellu sp. nov. and P. terpoorteni sp. nov., extending its biogeographic distribution to South America, specifically to lower Miocene localities of central to southern Chile. Also, this finding contributes additional evidence that reaffirms the faunistic relationship between South America, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica during the Cenozoic, adding another genus to the list of mollusks that shares its distribution among these regions.