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Early diagenesis of fossil plants, especially of their reproductive structures, provides essential information about the evolution of the group. In this study, we describe the morphology and early fossil diagenesis of isolated eudicot seeds collected in neosols (entisols) derived from limestones of Romualdo Formation, Araripe Basin, Brazil. They were studied using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microtomography, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the imaging mode. The seeds were three-dimensionally preserved with volumes ranging from 10.16 to 18.57 mm3. The morphology and anatomy are described, and the specimens are identified as Fabidae seeds. It is known that Fabidae arose in the mid-late Cretaceous, so the seeds were considered diachronic to the paleobiota from the Romualdo Formation, not belonging to this stratigraphy. Based on the spectrometric intensities of the mapped elements, such as C, Fe, Si, and Cu, intensity images were elaborated on these elements on the surface and inside the seeds. The maps indicated higher intensities of C, Fe, Si, and Cu in the seed tissues than those in modern seeds, suggesting an early stage of diagenesis. The calcareous sandstones of the Romualdo Formation may have contributed charged ions carried by meteoric water and groundwater, and they later precipitated in the organic tissues, triggering the start of diagenesis in the soil.

Paleoclimatic interpretation based on the analysis of the leaf physiognomy of two Pleistocene floras, Rio Claro Formation, São Paulo, Brazil. The Jaguariúna and Jazigo Vargem Grande do Sul fossil floras are well-preserved records of an ancestor of one of the phytophysiognomies of the Atlantic Forest, the oldest belt of tropical forest in the world. These fossil floras are associated with the Rio Claro Formation, one of the most important sedimentary records of the Pleistocene from the São Paulo State Peripheral Depression, Brazil. The main physiognomic characteristics–type of margins and leaf area – of the angiosperm leaves from these floras allowed us to carry out the reconstruction of the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) for the moment of their deposition. The different equations used to reconstruct the MAT and the MAP are based on univariate methods known as Leaf Margin Analysis and Leaf Area Analysis. These equations indicated that the warm and humid subtropical/tropical climate under which the Jaguariúna fossil flora developed was characterized by a MAT of 22.1–22.8°C and a MAP of 566–831 mm, and also that the warm and humid subtropical climate under which the Jazigo Vargem Grande do Sul fossil flora developed was characterized by a MAT of 24.6–25.1°C and a MAP of 747–961 mm. These values indicate that, at the moment of deposition of the fossil floras of Jaguariúna and Jazigo Vargem Grande do Sul, conditions were warmer and less humid than the current ones. Therefore, it is possible to infer that these floras developed in a smaller climatic cycle, the interglacial period, during which the Rio Claro Formation was deposited. Keywords: Atlantic Forest, Pleistocene, physiognomic characteristics, angiosperm leaves, climatic cycle, interglacial period.

The floodplains of meandering rivers in southeastern Brazil represent places where the sedimentary record associated with the history of transition/ecotone areas and exchange of biomes accumulates, such as the Cerrado (Cerradao Forest) and Atlantic Forest (Semideciduous-Riparian Forest). The present study aims to use palynological, isotopic (δ13C, δ15N and 14C), and anthracological indicators in cores taken from three abandoned meander bends to make inferences about environmental evolution, vegetation reconstruction, and climatic inferences. The study area is located in the Mogi Guacu River Basin, in the countryside of Sao Paulo State. The studies show that ~2,730 BP (stage I), the area underwent through a more humid climatic phase compared to the current one, which allowed the expansion of the Riparian Semideciduous Forest. After that date, in stage II (1,800 to 510 BP), the percentage of the Cerrado (Cerradao Forest) increased, dueto a drier period. From 510 BP to the present day (stage III), humidity has taken place with a new expansion of the Riparian Semideciduous Forest, although elements of Cerrado are present. Microscopic charcoal fragments were found in all stages and may infer the incidence of paleo-wildfires during the Late Holocene. The results indicate that both phytophysiognomies remained for the studied period, varying their expansion depending on the humidity present in each stage. Although lakes formed by abandoned meanders are not areas with the best palynological record, they are frequent environments in the interior of the continents. If properly interpreted, they may provide relevant information to vegetation and climatic changes for the areas. Keywords: paleoenvironmental studies, Holocene, river dynamics, pollen grains, isotopic analysis, charcoal fragments. RESUMO – As planicies de inundacao de rios meandrantes no sudeste do Brasil representam locais nos quais se acumula o registro sedimentar associado a historia de areas de transicao/ecotono e intercâmbio de biomas como o Cerrado (Floresta de Cerradao) e Mata Atlântica (Floresta Semidecidua-Ripariana). O presente estudo teve como objetivo utilizar indicadores palinologicos, isotopicos (δ13C, δ15N e 14C) e antracologicos em testemunhos retirados de tres meandros abandonados para realizar inferencias sobre evolucao ambiental, reconstrucao da vegetacao e inferencias climaticas na Bacia do Rio Mogi Guacu, no interior do Estado de Sao Paulo. Os estudos apontaram que ha ~2.730 AP (estagio I), a area passou por uma fase climatica mais umida que a atual, que possibilitou a expansao da Floresta Semidecidua-Ripariana.Apos essa data no estagio II (1.800 a 510 AP), a porcentagem de taxons do Cerrado (Cerradao) aumentou, em decorrencia de um estagio mais seco. A partir de 510 AP ate os dias atuais (estagio III), a umidade retornou com uma nova expansao da Floresta Semidecidua-Ripariana, embora tambem estejam presentes ainda elementos do Cerrado. Fragmentos de carvao microscopicos foram encontrados em todos os estagios, podendo entao inferir a incidencia de paleoincendios durante o Neo-holoceno. Os resultados indicam que as fitofisionomias permaneceram pelo periodo estudado, variando sua expansao dependendo da umidade presente em cada estagio. Embora lagos formados por meandrosabandonados nao sejam os locais com o melhor registro palinologico, eles sao ambientes muito frequentes no interior dos continentes e que se devidamente interpretados podem aportar informacoes importantes vegetacionais e possivelmente climaticas para estas areas. Palavras-chave: estudos paleoambientais, dinâmica fluvial, graos de polen, analises isotopicas, fragmentos de carvao.

The Permian lycopsid Lycopodiopsis derbyi Renault, 1890 (Lemoigne and Brown 1980) Faria et al. (2009) is an abundant plant that inhabited the margins of the Parana Basin under semi-arid and sometimes hypersaline environmental conditions of late Permian. Here we study a remarkable and unprecedented assemblage, with stems attributed to Lycopodiopsis cf. derbyi Renault preserved in an outcrop in the Rio Claro municipality, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The stems are preserved in the north-south orientation, spreading over a wide area with a massive concentration of overlapping specimens, thus forming a monospecific plant fossil assemblage. The stems are unbranched or dichotomously branching, preserved as compression-impressions and cast. In the preserved assemblage, there are records of at least three different cortical levels which may be associated with Lycopodiopsis cf. derbyi. This record is possibly non-selective. Lycopodiopsis cf. derbyi commonly occurs in the Passa Dois Group, indicating it was an important component of the southwestern Gondwana coastal floodplains flora, which today constitutes Sao Paulo State and Southern Brazil.

Reconstruction of the mean annual temperature and precipitation with basis on plant macrodebris accumulations of the Itanhaem River Basin, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Paleoclimate reconstruction, specifically of the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP), from fossil angiosperm leaf assemblages, is usually performed using the main leaves physiognomic characteristics, type of leaf margin and leaf area. In order to know the error of these reconstructions, over the years, studies based on the analysis of leaf accumulations from modern forests have been presented. In the southern coast of the Sao Paulo state, in the Itanhaem River basin, along its main tributaries, especially in the rivers Branco and Preto, which present a meandering pattern, well-preserved plant macrodebris accumulations have been studied. These plant macrodebris accumulations are considered a record of El Nino, the warm phase of the global climate phenomenon El Nino-Southern Oscillation, since they were deposited in periods when this happened, specifically in 1957 and 2004–2005. Based on the analysis of the leaf material of these accumulations, reconstruction of MAT and MAP was carried out. The reconstructions of the MAT underestimated the real value by 1.6 ° C and overestimated it by 0.1 °C. On the other hand, MAP reconstructions only underestimated the actual value, specifically at 620 and 960 mm. The error of these reconstructions seems to be influenced, inter alia, by the habitat, origin habit of the leaf material, sample collection, and not by the occurrence and intensity of El Nino, since during the deposition period of these accumulations, it had no influence on precipitation and temperature. Keywords: paleoclimate reconstruction, leaves physiognomic characteristics, leaf accumulations, modern forests, El Nino. RESUMO – A reconstrucao do paleoclima, especificamente a temperatura media anual (TMA) e a precipitacao media anual (PMA), a partir de associacoes de folhas fosseis de angiospermas, geralmente e efetuada utilizando as principais caracteristicas fisionomicas das folhas, o tipo de margem e area foliar. Com a finalidade de conhecer o erro destas reconstrucoes, ao longo dos anos, tem sido apresentados estudos baseados na analise de acumulacoes de folhas, produto de florestas modernas. No litoral sul do Estado de Sao Paulo, na Bacia do Rio Itanhaem, ao longo de seus principais afluentes, especialmente nos rios Branco e Preto, os quais apresentam um padrao meandrante, foram estudadas acumulacoes de macrorrestos vegetais bem preservadas. Estas acumulacoes sao consideradas um registro de El Nino, a fase quente do fenomeno climatico global El Nino-Oscilacao Sul, ja que se depositaram em periodos em que este aconteceu, especificamente em 1957 e 2004–2005. Com base na analise do material foliar dessas acumulacoes, se levou a cabo a reconstrucao da TMA e a PMA. As reconstrucoes da TMA subestimaram o valor real em 1,6 °C, e o sobrestimaram em 0,1 °C. Por outro lado, as reconstrucoes da PMA so subestimaram o valor real, especificamente em 620 e 960 mm. O erro destas reconstrucoes parecem ser consequencia de fatores como habitat e habito de procedencia do material foliar, coleta das amostras, entre outros, e nao da ocorrencia e intensidade de El Nino, ja que durante o periodo de deposicao destas acumulacoes, nao teve nenhuma influencia sobre as precipitacoes e a temperatura. Palavras-chaves: reconstrucao do paleoclima, caracteristicas fisionomicas das folhas, acumulacoes de folhas, florestas modernas, El Nino.

Microorganisms play a significant role in mineral precipitation, but detecting them in the fossil record is still a challenge. Here we offer an example of how the detection of biological activity in the sedimentary environment can modify a classical depositional model. This study describes the activity of microorganisms in sedimentary structures and the iron mineral formation during the last Paleozoic Ice Age in southwestern Gondwana, recorded by the “Itu rhythmites”, Parana Basin, Brazil. The Itu rhythmites have been considered to be varve-type deposits that present alternating dark laminae (clay/silt-size sediments) and light layers (sand/gravel-size sediments) of varied thickness, forming couplets. Earlier studies focused on abiotic processes of these structures. We applied different techniques and analytical approaches were used, such as synchrotron-based techniques and rock magnetic techniques, in order to test the biogenicity of iron minerals contained in putative microbially-induced sedimentary structures. By detecting biominerals in this rock succession, the depositional model had to be reconsidered, taking into account the biological activity, the limitations on the specific conditions for bacterial growth, and for mineral precipitation. Therefore, we offer a new depositional model that considers the role of microorganisms in formation of these laminae, and this model can be considered for other iron-rich rhythmic deposits in other places of the world. Considering the effects of temperature and other factors in the bacterial productivity, the deposition of the latest couplets in the outcrop occurred in different seasons and by different depositional processes, corroborating with the non-periodicity of 1 year per lithological couplet.

Benthic microorganisms commonly form microscopic biofilms, which in aquatic environmental settings may develop into meter-scale microbial mats. Biofilms are a microbial community in which all members closely interact in order to harvest nutrients. Microbial mats and biofilms have a significant influence on the effects of waves and currents on unconsolidated sediments. Results of such biotic-sediment dynamic processes are microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS). These are primary sedimentary structures that occur in clastic deposits from early Archean age to the modern time. Because of their modes of formation, MISS offer insights into the paleoenvironmental conditions under which they were formed. Microbial response to erosion is called biostabilization. The microbes react to deposition by baffling and trapping material. Binding (microfabrics establishment by microbes) and the growth of biofilms take place during periods of sedimentary and hydraulic quiescence. Different microbial mat types grow within an area corresponding to the average dynamic pattern. Accordingly, different types of MISS are formed, each type characteristic of a specific setting within the depositional system. Archean MISS are important fossil structures, allowing insight into early life on Earth and on similar terrestrial planets such as Mars.

The Caieira taphoflora, which is associated with the Pirabas Formation, is the best documented one for the Oligocene/ Miocene of the eastern Amazonia. The taphoflora represents a predecessor of a phytophysiognomy of the Amazon Forest, specifically of a floodplain forest, which has developed under a warm and humid climate. The main physiognomic characteristics – type of margins and leaf area – of the angiosperm leaves of 19 species of this taphoflora, allowed us to carry out the reconstruction of the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) for the moment of its deposition. The different equations used to reconstruct the MAT and the MAP are based on univariate methods known as Leaf Margin Analysis and Leaf Area Analysis. These equations indicated that the Caieira taphoflora developed under a MAT between 24.6 and 25.0 °C, and a MAP between 1849 and 2423 mm. The values are similar to the current values for the region where the taphoflora was collected, therefore, it is possible to infer that the current climatic configuration has been firmly established since the Oligocene/Miocene, as well as its vegetation. The values also indicate that the climate was colder, between 1.1 and 1.5 °C, and less humid, between 42 and 619 mm, for the moment of deposition of the Caieira taphoflora, possibly due to the global cooling event known as Mi-1 glaciation, which affected the whole Amazonia during the Oligocene/Miocene transition.

The city of Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, contains an important geological and paleontological site that is part of the Parana Basin and presents one of the most significant records of Permian microbial life of southwestern Gondwana: the giant stromatolite field, with structures reaching 3 m high and 6 m wide. This work proposes a new overview of the paleoenvironment, focusing on the growth and development of microbial mats and microbialites. The characterization and association of nine facies were performed: intraformational breccia with wackestone matrix, intraformational breccia with grainstone matrix, packstone, wackestone, microbial mats, peloidal wackestone, laminated peloidal wackestone, laminated peloidal packstone and stromatolites. Four lithologic logs were correlated and used to interpret the history of the establishment of microbial communities during the episode of the Irati Sea closure. Field studies were carried out, thin sections were analyzed, and techniques such as SEM/EDS and Raman spectroscopy were applied for compositional analysis and to aid in the identification of associated fossils. This moment in the Parana Basin's evolution was important due to the noteworthy increase in rates of organic matter deposition and the significant proliferation of microbial life brought about by the closure of the Irati Sea. One hypothesis is that there was more than one attempt to establish microbial communities during the paleoenvironmental evolution, and success was achieved only after a decrease in water depth and energy of the depositional system, as well as after an increase in salinity. As a result of a reconfiguration of paleogeography in the Gondwana supercontinent, the closure of the Irati Sea significantly affected the development and establishment of microbial communities, which gave rise to extensive microbialitic structures such as those at Santa Rosa de Viterbo.

The Nova Iorque fossil flora, located in northeastern Brazil, is the only fossil flora known for the Pliocene of the Nova Iorque Basin. Because the paleobotanical records in the areas populated by the Caatinga vegetation are scarce, this flora is very important to understand the climatic and environmental changes that occurred in northeastern Brazil. The main physiognomic characteristics – margin type and leaf area – of the angiosperm leaves of 26 species of this flora, allowed us to carry out a quantitative estimation of mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) for the moment of its sedimentation. The different equations used to estimate the MAT and the MAP are based on univariate methods known as Leaf Margin Analysis and Leaf Area Analysis. The equations used indicate that the Nova Iorque fossil flora developed under a MAT between 26.1 and 26.7°C and a MAP between 580 and 833 mm. These values are very similar to those currently registered in the region where the Nova Iorque fossil flora is located; therefore, this flora lived under a climate similar to that of the Caatinga, which is characterized by being warm and semi-arid. Because this fossil flora has developed under conditions similar to those of the current flora, it is possible to infer that this flora represents a precursor of a phytophysiognomy of the Caatinga.

Estudos paleopalinológicos baseiam-se na identificação de grãos de pólen e esporos fósseis a partir da comparação com tipos modernos. Esta pesquisa objetivou desenvolver um atlas palinológico atual da flora nativa localizada na bacia de Colônia. Para a construção da listagem de espécies foram utilizados taxa encontrados na literatura botânica do local. Com base na lista, foram coletadas no Herbário UEC/Unicamp. O material foi processado utilizando a técnica de acetólise. Neste artigo são descritas 77 espécies, pertencentes a 44 famílias de angiospermas que representam a maioria das famílias presentes na Bacia de Colônia. Os grãos de pólen foram caracterizados considerando aspectos morfológicos e registro fotográfico no eixo polar e equatorial, conjuntamente com os aspectos ecológicos da espécie. O presente atlas fornecerá auxílio na identificação de taxa de pólen fóssil observados nos registros palinológicos do Quaternário que se encontram em andamento na Bacia de Colônia.

Submitted by Ismar Carvalho (ismar@geologia.ufrj.br) on 2017-12-15T10:27:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Morphofunctional design of Montealtosuchus.pdf: 4119793 bytes, checksum: da04919cf1ca95daca26ca20aafa59ed (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Samantha Eunice de Miranda M. Pontes (samantha@sibi.ufrj.br) on 2017-12-15T17:23:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Morphofunctional design of Montealtosuchus.pdf: 4119793 bytes, checksum: da04919cf1ca95daca26ca20aafa59ed (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-15T17:23:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Morphofunctional design of Montealtosuchus.pdf: 4119793 bytes, checksum: da04919cf1ca95daca26ca20aafa59ed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-11 Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a Peirosauridae from the Upper Cretaceous of the Bauru Basin, was a Crocodyliformes of terrestrial habits. The fossils analyzed in this study belong to the pectoral girdle (scapula and coracoid) and anterior appendicular skeleton (humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, radiale, ulnale, metacarpals and phalanges). In this study we infer the locomotion habits of M. arrudacamposi. A morphometric, morphofunctional and 3D reconstruction of the elements of the pectoral girdle and the anterior limbs of M. arrudacamposi were performed. For a better understanding of the most plausible pectoral girdle and anterior limb posture, the studied bones were virtually disarticulated and articulated on 3D reconstruction. The herein results obtained indicate the structures present a relatively thin and elongated aspect, thus allowing an interpretation that M. arrudacamposi possessed more slender anterior limbs than living crocodyliforms. This condition allowed for an adducted stance and cursorial habits that would enable movement through terrestrial environments for prey searching.

Studies in the accumulation of plants developed in tropical forests promote understanding the origin of elements that integrate the accumulation time of layers, and the physical and chemical processes that interfere in their formation. Thus, studies were conducted in meandering rivers located in the state of Sao Paulo. Accumulations of leaves found in point bars were collected in the Mogi-Guacu, Capivari and Itanhaem (Branco, and Preto rivers) hydrographic basins and 14C dated. The leaves were classified in morphotypes and taxonomically organized. In all assemblages, the leaves belong to arboreal vegetation near the deposit with well-preserved leaves, being in decimetric thickness layers deposited along the 1950s, and possibly trend associated with years of high precipitation. The preservation of the assemblages is related to changes in the level of the water table and the chemical composition of water.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:13:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-12-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fossil bryophytes are rare because their preservation is compromised by the presence of a thin cuticle (if any) and a lack of lignin. Except for the occurrence of one bryophyte in the glacial Dwyka Group of the Karoo Basin, the other rare Late Paleozoic records in Gondwana are notably from the Parana Basin in Southeast/South Brazil. Four bryophyte sites (including a newly discovered one) were found in the lower part of the thick Permo-Carboniferous glacial succession of the Itarare Group, and one was found in the Guadalupian Teresina Formation, which was roughly assigned to an epeiric sea (or lake) dominated by a warm, semi-arid climate. This study describes the fossils from the new occurrence from the Itarare Group and discusses the context in which the bryophyte beds originated in the basin. The new samples confirm that all of the bryophytes of the Itarare Group can be classified as Dwykea araroii Ricardi-Branco et al. (a possible pleurocarp) and are associated with the lycophyte megaspore Sublagenicula brasiliensis (Dijkstra) Dybova-Jachowicz. In the much younger Teresina Formation, the bryophytes are Yguajemanus yucapirus Cristiano-de-Souza et al. and Capimirinus riopretensis Cristiano-de-Souza et al., and abundant charophytes and rare dwarf lycophyte stems and bracts are present in the same layers. Although the two stratigraphic units represent distinct paleoenvironments and climates, they seem to share some characteristics: a) the bryophyte assemblages were transported very little; b) they were deposited in very calm environments; c) they were the main components (along with some lycophytes) of local or poorly diversified regional vegetation. The low number of species, which is characteristic of opportunistic communities, can be explained by local or regional conditions that would have been stressful for the vascular plants in other areas. During the deposition of the Itarare Group, the main control was probably the cold climate in addition to a relative (liquid) water deficit because the bryophyte vegetation may have belonged to a tundra biome in areas of retreating glaciers. For the Teresina Formation, it is possible that the control was scarce freshwater, an unstable environment and water-saturated soil in a scenario of bryophyte vegetation living around temporary ponds in a wide marginal area of the epeiric sea. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Geociencias, P Box 6152, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Geol Aplicada, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, Campus Rio Claro,P Box 178, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Petrobras SA, CENPES, PDGEO, Gerencia Bioestratig & Paleoecol Aplicada, Ave Horacio Macedo,950 Predio,20 Sala, BR-21941915 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Geociencias, Programa Posgrad Geociencias, P Box 6752, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Geol Aplicada, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, Campus Rio Claro,P Box 178, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 97/03639-8 FAPESP: 2013/11563-6 CNPq: 304805/2014-9

Quando escrevíamos o texto de apresentação do ano passado, correspondente ao volume 16, sabíamos que 2020 seria inconfundível, diante da catástrofe humanitária representada pela pandemia de COVID-19, cujos efeitos não cessam de desafiar o mundo e as autoridades de todos os países. Em certa medida, as Ciências da Terra estiveram em pauta, obviamente subordinadas às questões médicas, epidemiológicas e humanitárias. As sociedades humanas precisam reaprender a se relacionar com a natureza.

This research documents for the first time the detailed histological description of severe bone inflammation and the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied parasitical microorganisms inside the vascular canals of a non-avian dinosaur. The results bring new insights into the fields of parasitology, pathology, and histology in the fossil record. A senile titanosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Southeast Brazil presented acute osteomyelitis, identified by the presence of a highly reactive periosteum with a filigree pattern, and localized dome-like cortical tissue inflammation connecting the former to the medulla. Furthermore, tens of parasites were identified throughout the specimen's vascular canals. Novel histological insights resulted from the developmental description of an aggressive case of osteomyelitis. The lesions were either caused or facilitated by the parasitic infestation. This may be the earliest occurrence of infectious bone disease associated with parasites, adding new information to the complex biogeographic and evolutionary history of parasitic ailments.

Theropod tooth crowns are abundant in the Upper Cretaceous (post-Coniacian) continental deposits of the Bauru Group, Brazil. The distribution of anatomical crown features indicates that a variety of carnivorous dinosaurs inhabited the area at that time, which is consistent with fossil records from other parts of Gondwana. More specifically, some authors have attributed several isolated specimens to the Carcharodontosauridae; while this has important implications for palaeobiogeography and paleoecology, other scholars have argued that the clade became extinct during the Turonian. In this study, we conducted discriminant and phylogenetic analyses for 18 crowns putatively assigned to the Carcharodontosauridae. In short, the discriminant analysis suggested that the specimens should be tentatively assigned to the following groups: non-abelisauroid Ceratosauria, Abelisauridae, Neovenatoridae, Dromaeosauridae, and Pantyrannosauria. By contrast, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that all should be assigned to abelisaurid theropods, which is consistent with the theropod osteological records in both Brazil and Argentina. We recommend using a combined approach involving morphometric and phylogenetic tools when identifying isolated teeth, as this may yield more reliable identifications. We also suggest that all previous reports on the presence of post-Turonian carcharodontosaurids in the Bauru Group are invalid, which also corroborates previous work. Our results indicate that abelisaurids from the Bauru Basin were diverse in morphology and activity; that is, many were quite large and/or played important ecological roles. Findings also support the hypothesis that this taxon had a preference for semi-arid environments.

Lycopsids evolved arborescent and sub-arborescent growth habits and played a major paleoecological role during the late Palaeozoic. Here we provide an overview of lycopsid macrofossils documented so far in the late Palaeozoic deposits of the South American Parana Basin. Most of these lycopsid remains were reported from the Brazilian part of the basin, whereas only a few records have been documented from the Uruguayan and Paraguayan parts. The oldest well-documented macrofossil record of these plants in late Palaeozoic strata of this basin comes from Pennsylvanian interglacial deposits of the Itarare Group. As the late Palaeozoic ice retreated, arborescent and sub-arborescent lycopsids successfully colonized the Brazilian Cisuralian post-glacial palaeoenvironments represented by the Rio Bonito Formation, becoming important elements of the iconic Glossopteris flora. The late Palaeozoic transgression during the Artinskian coincided with the termination of the fluvio-deltaic and peat-forming systems of this formation in most areas of the basin, and this might have affected the lycopsids that grew in these peat-forming palaeoenvironments. Lycopsids again became significant components of the flora in the Brazilian part of the basin during the deposition of the Teresina and Corumbatai formations in the Guadalupian. After the increase of aridity in South America during the upper Permian, the group seems to have disappeared from the late Palaeozoic fossil record of the basin. The late Palaeozoic lycopsid macrofossil record of the Parana Basin consists mainly of fragmented and incompletely preserved specimens, which lack crucial parts for systematics, such as reproductive structures. Therefore many aspects of these plants are still poorly known. The discovery of more completely preserved specimens and reproductive structures is required to provide a robust taxonomical and systematical classification, and reliable palaeobiogeographical and evolutionary hypotheses for the distribution and evolution of these particular lycopsids.

Scorpions are one of the most remarkable evolutionary successes among invertebrates, however, fossils are rare, especially from Gondwana. The paleontological record of scorpions in Brazil is attested by ichnofossils of the Botucatu Formation (Early Cretaceous, Parana Basin), and by two species preserved in laminate limestones in the Crato Formation (Albiano-Aptiano, Araripe Basin). A new species of fossil scorpion has been collected in the municipality of Canoinhas, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in sedimentary rocks belonging to the Teresina Formation (Guadalupian), Parana Basin. The specimen presents the preserved ventral face consisting of subtle prosoma impressions, fragments of the fourth pair of legs, and complete opisthosoma. Peculiarities such as the lateral articulations between the metasoma segments and the small size of the aculeus propose a new genus and species: Suraju itayma, the oldest fossil scorpion in South America, and the most complete representative of the group in Gondwana Paleozoic sediments, so far.

Abelisauridae é uma ampla família de dinossauros do grupo Theropoda, que inclui grandes animais carnívoros extintos bem como as aves dos dias atuais. Sua distribuição é majoritariamente sulista, mas alguns espécimes são oriundos da Europa. As relações filogenéticas dos abelissaurídeos têm se tornado refinadas, mas ainda existem discordâncias quanto ao posicionamento de grupos incluídos na família que merecem atenção. O plano corporal dos abelissaurídeos é conservador entre o grupo, mas apresenta uma grande disparidade morfológica no crânio. Eles também possuem uma tendência a desenvolver estruturas cranianas que variam entre chifres, espessamentos do crânio e coberturas córneas. A variedade de tecido mole craniano associado à estrutura esquelética sugerem que os abelissaurídeos poderiam apresentar comportamentos de marradas de baixo impacto. O registro brasileiro de abelissaurídeos ainda é escasso e são reconhecidas apenas duas espécies em diferentes unidades geológicas. Ainda assim, é possível verificar que a diversidade desse grupo no Brasil foi grande.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo realizar a analise taxonomica dos gastropodes, vertebrados e carvoes de queimada presentes no Membro Nossa Senhora de Fatima da Formacao Sao Carlos, Cretaceo Superior, Bacia Bauru. As amostras foram observadas com o auxilio de um estereomicroscopio e as investigacoes se sucederam com imagens obtidas atraves da Microscopia Eletronica de Varredura (MEV), juntamente com um detector EDS, e por analises com mapeamento elemental por micro-fluorescencia de Raios X (?-XRF) baseada em Sincrotron.O imageamento por MEV permitiu a visualizacao de piritas framboidais e remanescentes de biofilmes intimamente ligados aos fosseis, levando a possivel interpretacao da acao de sulfobacterias no processo de fossilizacao. Os gastropodes foram identificados como Viviparus souzai, como exemplares similares descritos nessa bacia. As estruturas vegetais preservadas nos charcoals permitiram classificar esses fragmentos como originados da queima de angiospermas durante o "Grande Incendio do Santoniano". Assim, a deposicao dessa camada ocorreu num ambiente lacustre onde houve a possibilidade de acao de sulfobacterias, que possivelmente induziram a precipitacao da pirita por meio da decomposicao da materia orgânica. Esse processo esta relacionado a condicoes anoxicas geradas na interface sedimento-agua aliado a uma sedimentacao mais lenta, concordando com a deposicao siltito-argilosa dessa unidade.

A presente pesquisa tem como principal objetivo estudar a assembleia icnofossilifera que ocorre nos arenitos proximos a Pacuja-CE. Tanto a unidade estratigrafica quanto a interpretacao destes registros se mostram controversos na bibliografia, sendo inseridos na Formacao Pacuja, Bacia Jaibaras ou na Formacao Ipu, Grupo Serra Grande da Bacia do Parnaiba. Esses registros de icnofosseis sao as unicas evidencias para uma biota bentonica dessa regiao, sendo importnates para entendermos os habitos de vida dos organismos e as condicoes paleoambientais envolvidas na sua preservacao. Foram descritas 6 amostras e 21 moldes em resina que variam de escavacoes horizontais retas a sinuosas e estruturas e impressoes circulares. As analises petrograficas caracterizam essas rochas como Quartzo-Arenitos e as realizadas em Microscopia Eletronica de Varredura e Espectroscopia por Energia Dispersiva (MEV/EDS) permitiram constatar presenca de minerais de Titânio, cimentacao por oxidos de ferro e argila. Tambem foram realizadas analises em FRX para fim de observar possiveis bioassinaturas microbiais.

O ano 2020 será inconfundível, pois a população vivencia, no momento em que este texto é redigido, angustiantes ameaças à saúde humana, no bojo de uma catástrofe humanitária de proporções inéditas. Diante do enorme desafio da pandemia do COVID-19, importante conhecimento será obtido desse quadro geral de impotência. Agora, perguntas se avolumam com rapidez, respostas objetivas tardam a surgir, e coloca-se no centro do cenário mundial a relação entre ciência e política: “estamos aprendendo que o lugar da ciência na política é determinado não pela lógica dos fatos, mas pela influência fundamental dos valores humanos” (Sarewitz, 2020). Haverá correções de rumos, de grande interesse para as Ciências da Terra, uma vez que boa parcela do conhecimento a ser gerado diz respeito ao modo como o homem se relaciona com a natureza. Enfim, trata-se de uma relação geoética, na medida em que a humanidade aplica as Geociências para dar forma ao “nicho humano”, empregando profissionais da área como instrumentos operacionais (Bohle, 2020)...

There is a necessity to systematically sample taxa to enlighten our knowledge on the presence of histological correlates of avian-like air sacs among dinosaurs. This work expands the studies on the occurrence of pneumosteum in sauropods to the Brazilian lithostrotian titanosaur Uberabatitan ribeiroi. This confirms previous hypotheses on the insertion of an air sacs system on titanosaurian vertebrae based on external observation and CT-scans. We also highlight that diagenesis can obliterate traces of pneumosteal bone. Caution is required to have a good understanding of the diagenetic history of the studied specimens. This could avoid false negatives, especially when sampling pneumatic histological traces in stem taxa. Additionally, we describe a new workflow for manipulating CT-scan data using open-source software. The goal is to make this technology more accessible to research groups with limited funding and potentialize the achievement of more paleontological data.

A pesquisa objetiva incrementar os estudos palinológicos sobre a porção superior do Subgrupo Itararé com base na identificação palinomorfos em lâminas. As amostras tratadas são de lamitos do Afloramento Rio Capivari, datados do Carbonífero-Permiano ricas em fósseis vegetais. Após a identificação de 250 palinomorfos distribuídos pelos 11 níveis estudados será feita uma divisão em biozonas e uma classificação tafonômica da área analisada.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:18:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-09-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) This research described fossil woods with preserved pith and primary xylem from strata of the Irati Formation (Artinskian) of the Paraná Basin (southeastern Brazil). The three specimens studied are all related to the Coniferales and include the following taxa: Solenopitys paulistana Kräusel, Atlanticoxylon ibiratinum n. sp. and Abietopitys sp. Kräusel. Solenopitys paulistana represents a species with a solid, heterocellular pith with a peripheral secretory canal system. Atlanticoxylon ibiratinum n. sp. has a lacunose, heterocelular pith with “nests” of sclereids, with a central secretory canal and a peripheral system of canals. Abietopitys sp. has a solid, lobed, homocelular pith associated with a secondary xylem containing cross-fields with non-contiguous pits (abietoid vascular rays). Xeromorphic features observed in these specimens, such as a pith with groups of sclereids and false growth rings, may be related to the depositional environment of the Irati Formation. The specific factor triggering the xeromorphy has not yet been determined, but the present study corroborates clearly the sedimentary evidence of dry conditions during the deposition of the Irati Formation, as seen in the 30-m-thick carbonate layer extending through four South American countries. Departament of Geology and Natural Resources Institure of Geosciences University of Campinas, Carlos Gomes, 250 Department of Applied Geology University of the State of São Paulo - Unesp Rio Claro, Av. 24a, 1515 Departament of Ecology and Evolutive Biology Federal University of São Carlos, Washington Luiz Highway, 235 Department of Applied Geology University of the State of São Paulo - Unesp Rio Claro, Av. 24a, 1515 CNPq: 141099/2012-7 CNPq: 304805/2014-9 FAPESP: FAPESP Process 2009/10547-1

The skin of Crocodyliformes is characterized by osteoderms of various sizes and shapes. It plays roles in defence, thermoregulation, sexual attraction, calcium reserves, and locomotion. This study presents the morphometric characteristics of osteoderms preserved in the nuchal, dorsal, ventral and appendicular shield of Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi , a Peirosauridae crocodyliform from the Turonian-Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Adamantina Formation, Bauru Basin, Brazil. The results of the analysis show that its dermal shield had protective and thermoregulatory functions and a well-defined mechanical function allowing terrestrial locomotion and enabling good agility and capacity for movement.

The Late Paleozoic in West Gondwana was a period of significant climatic changes, ranging from a glacial climate in the Late Carboniferous to a semi-arid climate in the Late Permian. The Floristic Province of Gondwana in the Parana Basin was directly affected by such changes, and underwent a transformation regarding composition and geographic distribution. Thus, the climatic phases were divided into three intervals: Phase A containing interglacially developed flora; Phase B, containing floras of immediate post-glacial temperate climates, and phase C, identified with floras related to the decline of dryness. Regarding their geographical distribution, the floras were concentrated in the far-northern and far-southern portions of the basin during the Glacial interval, and, with a gradual increase in temperature, went on to occupy the entire basin. Finally, we can see that the floras located in the Argentinean portion of West Gondwana are older and have greater species diversity than those present in the Parana Basin and Africa during Phase A. In Phase B, there is a decline of Argentinean flora species, a large increase in the Parana Basin floras, and an average increase in African floras. In the final stage, the floristic province no longer exists in Argentina, the flora of the Parana Basin also suffers a decrease of specimens, and the African flora undergoes its moment of greatest development. Such diversity change also reflects a west-to-east migration throughout the Late Carboniferous.