Abstract

The genus Pratulum is one of the most 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, Pratulum kurrowchipellu sp. nov. and Pratulum terpoorteni sp. nov., extending its biogeographic distribution to South America, specifically to lower Miocene localities of central and 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.