Taxonomy and paleoenvironmental inferences from fossil vertebrates of Paripiranga Borboletas Cave, Northeastern Bahia, Brazil.

The fossil mammals that lived in the Brazilian Intertropical Region during the Quaternary are found in different types of deposits (e.g. natural tanks, ponds, caves, rockshelter, and riverbeds) throughout the Brazilian territory. The state of Bahia, located on northeastern Brazil, stands out for the presence of large and important caves, which are characterized by the natural deposition of sediments and fossils. The study aims to identify the fauna found in the Borboletas Cave, and to provide the first paleoecological inferences for the environment during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene. Here we present the first record of Palaeolama major, Hippidion principale and Smilodon populator in Paripiranga, Bahia. Coendou sp., Mazama gouazoubira , and Toxodon platensis , already known to the region, were also collected and identified. Based on the chronological and geographical distribution of the taxa, it is suggested that the faunal content found lived during the Late Pleistocene – Holocene. The presence of the taxa found indicate an open paleoenvironment, similar to savanna, with areas covered with grasses associated with areas with forest cover. This study demonstrates that the Borboletas Cave is the richest paleontological site carrying the mammals in this region. • First paleoenvironmental reconstitution for northeastern Bahia, Brazil. • Solid description of fossils in Borboletas Cave. • Rich and most diversified natural assemblage of paleomastofauna. • Amplification of the paleobiogeography of extincted taxons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]