The dorsal and pectoral fin spines of catfishes (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) from the Bauru Group (Late Cretaceous), Brazil: A comparative and critical analysis.

Catfish fossils are mainly represented by disarticulated material, most of which is dorsal and pectoral spines. Morphological data on dorsal and fin spines are described. These materials, collected from two sites of the Adamantina and Marilia formations, Late Cretaceous, of the Bauru Group, reveal the morphologic diversity of the freshwater siluriform taxa. This fauna represents one of the oldest samples of catfish diversity in South America, shortly posterior to its separation from Africa during the Cretaceous. A comparative analysis of these materials with the pectoral and dorsal spines of fossil and extant taxa demonstrated a mosaic of similarities shared with several catfishes, such as the families Bagridae - dorsal spine of morphotype one, Pimelodidae, Ictaluridae and †Bachmannidae - dorsal spine of morphotypes two and three, and Ictaluridae and †Hypsidoridae - pectoral spines of morphotypes one and two. • This paper offers a detailed description of dorsal and pectoral spines of Siluriformes from the Bauru Group. • The Siluriformes specimens present a morphologic diversity which comprises three morphotypes of dorsal spines and two morphotypes of pectoral spines. • The dorsal spine of morphotype one shares features with some Bagridae. • The pectoral spines of morphotypes one and two are most similar to two North American families, †Hypsidoridae and Ictaluridae. • The dorsal spine of morphotypes one and two are like Pimelodidae, Ictaluridae and †Bachmannidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]