New reports of Late Cretaceous reptiles from the Bauru Group of southern Goiás State, Brazil. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Candeiro, Carlos Roberto A.; Brusatte, Stephen L.; Simbras, Felipe M.; Pereira, Camila; Sousa-Júnior, André L.; Cavalcanti, Ramon; Carelli, Daniel; Resende, Isa Lúcia M.; Nogueira, Musa; Souza, Joyce Brenda F.; Gil, Lívia M.; Rossi, Reile F.; Hannibal, Wellington L.; Costa, Raoni Ribeiro G.F.; Oliveira, Gustavo R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of South American earth sciences. Volume 85(2018)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 235
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Brazil central -- Cretaceous -- Tetrapods -- South America; Geology -- Latin America -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Latin America -- Periodicals; Geology -- Antarctica -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Antarctica -- Periodicals; Geology -- Caribbean Area -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Caribbean Area -- Periodicals; Géologie -- Amérique latine -- Périodiques; Sciences de la terre -- Amérique latine -- Périodiques; Géologie -- Antarctique -- Périodiques; Sciences de la terre -- Antarctique -- Périodiques; Géologie -- Caraïbes (Région) -- Périodiques; Sciences de la terre -- Caraïbes (Région) -- Périodiques; Earth sciences; Geology; Antarctica; Caribbean Area; Latin America; Periodicals; 550.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsames.2018.04.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0895-9811

Abstract

Abstract: Over the past few decades, important fossils of dinosaurs, crocodylomorphs, and other latest Cretaceous vertebrates have been recovered from the Bauru Group of Brazil, giving unique insight into how Gondwanan faunas were evolving before the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact. Most of these records, however, come from a few regions, most notably Mato Grosso, western São Paulo, and Triângulo Mineiro. Here we describe a fossil reptile assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of the Adamantina and Marília formations (Bauru Group, Paraná Basin) in a region that has gone largely unexplored: southern Goiás State. Although these fossils are isolated and largely incomplete, they record a high diversity of vertebrates, including podocnemidoid turtles, crocodyliforms, and titanosaurid dinosaurs. As previous records from this region were limited to a single indeterminate sauropod bone, these new fossils are the first diagnostic members of their groups from southern Goiás State. Despite the fragmentary condition of the new fossils, they demonstrate that the local fauna was diverse during the latest Cretaceous, and generally similar to Bauru Group faunas from other parts of Brazil. These fossils lend further support to the hypothesis that a diverse terrestrial fauna, dominated by dinosaurs and crocodylomorphs but also including turtles, was widespread across South America (and possibly Gondwana) during the very end of the Cretaceous Period. Highlights: Most of these records from Central Brazil came from Mato Grosso, western São Paulo, and Triângulo Mineiro. Here we describe a fossil reptile assemblage from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Group, of the southern Goiás state: podocnemidoid turtles, crocodyliforms, and titanosaurid dinosaurs. Despite the fragmentary condition of the new fossils, they demonstrate that the local fauna was diverse during the latest Cretaceous Period.