Prata p aleontological district, Minas Gera

Geobios3 9( 2006)3 19–327
http://france.elsevier.com/direct/GEOBIO/
Original article
Vertebrate fossils from the Adamantina Formation (Late Cretaceous),
Prata p aleontological district, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Vertébrés fossiles du Crétacé supérieur de la Formation Adamantina,
district p aléontologique de Prata,
de Minas Gerais, Brésil
État
Vertebrados fósseis da Formação Adamantina (Neocretáceo)
do Distrito Paleontológico do Prata, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil
àà à
Carlos Roberto A . Candeiro a,b,*, Adriano R. Santos a, Thomas H. Rich c,d, Thiago S. Marinho a,b,
Emerson C. Oliveira a
aMuseu de minerais e rochas, Universidadef ederal de uberlândia (UFU), Avenida J oão N aves de Á vila 2160, 38408-100 Uberlândia, MG, B razil
bLaboratório de macrofósseis, departamento de g eologia, Universidadef ederal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ),
avenida B rigadeiro Trompowski, s /n, I lha do Fundão, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, B razil
cMuseum of Victoria, P O Box 666E, M elbourne, Victoria, A ustralia
dSchool of geosciences, P O Box 28E, monash University, Victoria 3800, A ustralia
Received 11 May 2004; accepted 21 October 2004
Available online 22 May 2006
Abstract
In this contribution is given a p reliminary u p-to-date annotated list of all fossil vertebrates from the Turonian–Santonian Adamantina
Forma- tion, Bauru Group where it occurs in the Prata p aleontological district which is located 45 km to the west of Prata in Minas Gerais
State, Brazil. The A damantina Formation is a reddish sandstone in the Triângulo Mineiro region. These fluviolacustrine sediments were
deposited in a semiarid environment. Three fossil vertebrate sites occur in the Prata p aleontological district. The diversity of vertebrates in the
Adamantina Formation is modest, and its components comprise a mixture of typical austral Gondwana t axa (such as abelisaurids,
A eolosaurus) and b oreal Gondwana taxa (such as Carcharodontosauridae). The absence of Laurasian taxa in the u pper p art of the Bauru
Group is noteworthy. Excepting some turtles, crocodylians, and one titanosaurid, most of the specimens discovered in this Group are b ased on
fragmentary and isolated remains, which make it difficult to correctly identify the fossils. For this reason, many of the t axa have only
b een identified in a p reliminary manner. Despite this drawback, the dinosaurs are typical Gondwana forms with no evidence of Laurasian
affinities. This is concordant with the idea that the Laurasian dinosaurs entered South America at the end of the Late Cretaceous; i.e. after the
Turonian–Santonian, the age of the A damantina Formation.
©
2006 Elsevier SAS. All r ights reserved.
Résumé
La liste des v ertébrés fossiles est mise
j our dans la Formation Adamantina datée du Turonien-Santonien affleurant dans le district
p aléonto- logique de Prata 45 km l’est de Prata (Minas Gerais, Brésil). La Formation A damantina est composée de grès rougeâtres dans
la région du Triangle Minier. Les sédiments fluviolacustres se sont déposés dans u n environnement semi-aride. Trois sites
vertébrés
fossiles sont connus dans le district p aléontologique de Prata. La diversité des vertébrés de la Formation A damantina est réduite et comprend
u n mélange de taxons typiques du Gondwana austral (comme des Abelisauridés, A eolosaurus) et des taxons du Gondwana b oréal (comme des
Carcharodontosauridae).
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: candeiro@yahoo.com.br (C.R.A. Candeiro).
0016-6995/$ - see front matter ©
2006 Elsevier SAS. All rights r eserved.
doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2005.10.003
320
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
L’absence de t axons laurasiatiques dans la p artie supérieure du Groupe Bauru est r emarquable. Excepté quelques tortues, des crocodiliens et
u n titanosauridé, la plupart des spécimens découverts dans ce Groupe Bauru sont r eprésentés par des restes fragmentaires et isolés. Pour cette
raison, seules des identifications p réliminaires sont p roposées. Toutefois, les dinosaures sont typiques du Gondwana sans évidence
d’affinité Laura- sienne. Ceci est en accord avec l’hypothèse que les dinosaures laurasiens ne seraient arrivés en Amérique du Sud qu’à la fin
de Crétacé supérieur, c’est-à-dire après le Turonien-Santonien, âge de la Formation A damantina.
©
2006 Elsevier SAS. All r ights reserved.
Resumo
Na presente contribuição é apresentada uma listagem p reliminar de todos os fósseis de vertebrados do Distrito Paleontológico do Prata
(For- mação Adamantina, Turoniano-Santoniano, Grupo Bauru). As rochas da Formação Adamantina são compostas por arenitos
avermelhados que afloram na região do Triângulo Mineiro. Esses sedimetnos de origem fluvio-lacustre foram depositados em u m ambiente
semi-árido. São conhe- cidos três sítios de vertebrados fósseis que ocorrem no Distrito Paleontológico do Prata. A diversidade de v ertebrados
na Formação Adamantina é modesta sendo representados por uma mistura típica de taxa austrais do Gondwana (abelisaurídeos e A eolosaurus)
e boreais (carcarodotontosau- rídeos). A ausência de taxa laurasianos na p arte superior do Grupo Bauru é notável. Exceto p ela presença de
tartarugas, crocodilianos e u m titanossaurídeo a maioria dos espécimes descobertos nessa unidade geológica é baseada em restos
fragmentários e isolados os quais são de difícil identificação. Por essa razão, a maioria desses taxa têm sido somente identificados de forma
p reliminar. Considerando essa desvantagem, se p ode afirmar que os dinossauros do Prata são tipicamente de formas gondwânicas com
nenhuma evidência de formas laurasianas. Isso é concordante com a idéia de que os dinossauros laurasianos entraram n a América do Sul
somente no final do N eocretáceo, ex. depois do Turoniano-Santo- niano, que é a idade da Formação Adamantina.
©
2006 Elsevier SAS. All r ights reserved.
Keywords: Late Cretaceous; Brazil; Crocodiles; Dinosaurs; Turtles
Mots clés :Crétacé supérieur ; Brésil ; Crocodiliens ; Dinosaures ; Tortues
Palabras-chaves: N eocretáceo;
Brasil; Crocodilos; Dinossauros; Tartarugas
1. Introduction
Since the b eginning of the last century, numerous specimens
of fossil vertebrates have b een collected from continental Cretaceous r ocks of the Adamantina
the Bauru Basin,
Triângulo
Formation, Bauru Group, in
Mineiro
region,
Minas
Gerais
State. In the same area of Minas Gerais State, the Marília Formation (Ponte Alta and Serra da Galga Members)
also has
yielded fossil vertebrates. Both formations have produced faunas consisting p rimarily of fishes, turtles, crocodylians, and dinosaurs. All of these fossils occur in sandstones
deposited in
braided river channels.
A large quantity of fossil bones has b een found in the continental Cretaceous rocks exposed in the Prata p aleontological
district of the Triângulo Mineiro region of Minas Gerais State,
Brazil (Fig. 1; Goldberg et al., 1995a, 1995b; Silva et al., 2001 ;
Marinho, 2003; Candeiro
For this reason,
et al., 2003; Marinho et al., 2003).
the Prata
p aleontological
district,
located
45 km w est of the town of Prata, is k nown as one of the most
important
fossil locations, as it contains abundant remains of
sauropod and theropod dinosaurs as w ell crocodylians
and tur-
tles.
Many authors
1983; Barcelos,
(Soares
et al., 1980; Suguio and Barcelos,
1984; Candeiro,
2002) assign the sediments
of Prata p aleontological district to the Adamantina
Formation
(Bauru Group), which was dated as Turonian–Santonian in age
(Dias-Brito
et al., 2001). This u nit is exposed at the Serra da
Boa Vista Hill, in the vicinity of Prata.
Some of the richest Cretaceous fossil vertebrate localities in
Central Brazil occur in the Adamantina Formation. Many of
the Adamantina Formation sites in the Prata p aleontological
district have b een k nown since the 1920s (Price, 1961). Owing
to a lack of reliable lithological and p aleontological data, the
geological ages of these sites are not w ell established.
The Adamantina Formation was formally proposed b y
Soares et al. (1980). The u nit, 2–20 m t hick, consists of r ose
to b rown fine grained, cross-bedded sandstone. The type section of this formation was in the town of Adamantina, São
Paulo State. In Triângulo Mineiro, the A damantina Formation
is the b asal lithostratigrafic u nit of the Bauru Group and is
widely exposed in the area.
In the Prata p aleontological district, Triângulo Mineiro
(Fig. 1), three fossil vertebrate sites occur in the Adamantina
Formation. These three fossil sites represent the b est record of
Late Cretaceous vertebrates in the Minas Gerais State (Brazil).
This makes those sites some of the most important w hen discussing the fossil r ecord of Late Cretaceous in Minas Gerais
State.
The vertebrates reported here are from the A damantina
Formation near Prata, and b elong to the following groups: abelisaurs, carcharodontosaurs, A eolosaurus, and titanosaur dinosaurs, turtles, and crocodylians. More is known about the dinosaurs than any other group from the Prata p aleontological
district. The p aleontologist Llewellyn Ivor Price first reported
to the Departamento Nacional de Produção Mineral fragmentary dinosaur b ones in 1940. The fossils were transferred to
Rio de Janeiro (Price, 1961). Since then, there have b een numerous fossil collecting trips to the Prata p aleontological district that have yielded new dinosaurs and other v ertebrate fossils (Silva et al., 2001). However, detailed stratigraphic studies
based on dinosaur remains were not attempted.
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
321
Fig. 1. Location of the Prata p aleontological district, and geographic
distribution of the Cretaceous
fossiliferous
location.
2. Geological setting
The Adamantina Formation was defined b y Soares et al.
(1980) and is known in the following states of Southeast Brazil:
Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. These
authors regarded it as p art of the Bauru Group, which occurs in
the Paraná Basin. Based on variation in the regional lithology,
Barcelos (1984) divided the Adamantina Formation into two
units: the A raçatuba and São José do Rio Preto Members.
The Prata p aleontological district is currently regarded as
formed by rocks of the Bauru Group (Late Cretaceous)
(Fig. 2). In the Triângulo Mineiro region, the A damantina,
Marília and Uberaba formations sensu Fernandes and Coimbra
(1996) form p art of Bauru Group. These rocks overlay the ba-
salt layers of the Serra Geral Formation.
Goldberg and Garcia (2000) described the A damantina Formation (Fig. 3) in the Prata p aleontological district as very fine
to fine grained, w ell-sorted, cross-bedded red sandstones.
Furthermore, t hese authors r ecognized intraformational conglomerates and subordinate red shales, which are massive or
laminar. The top of this u nit is characterized b y the interbedding of (1) conglomerates, (2) fine- to m edium-grained crossbedded sandstones and (3) abundant nodular and h orizontal
carbonate concretions, which coarsen and thicken upward.
322
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
Fig. 2. Geological map of the Bauru Group (Upper Cretaceous) in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (modified de Fernandes and Coimbra,
1996).
Fig. 3. Bauru Group lithostratigraphic chart in Prata
Suguio and Barcelos, 1983).
area
(modified from
Von Huene (1927, 1939) regarded the Adamantina Fm as
Senomanian b ased on a correlation made between the turtle Najadochelys and the sauropod “Titanosaurs australis” with similar
taxa recorded in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Based on ostracods and caryophytes, Dias-Brito et al. (2001) considers the age
of t his Formation to b e Turonian–Santonian (92–83 my).
3. Vertebrate paleontology
The Late Cretaceous sequence of the Prata p aleontological
district contains fossil remains of crocodylians, dinosaurs and
turtles (Table 1; Silva et al., 2001 ; Marinho, 2003; Albuquerque et al., 2003; Marinho et al., 2003; Moraes et al., 2003).
The fossil occurrences are in h illy areas located west of Prata (Fig. 1). Because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils
collected thus far, they have not b een identified to a refined
taxonomic level except the genus A eolosaurus.
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
323
Table 1
Vertebrate fauna of the Adamantina Formation from Prata p aleontological district. See footnotes for source r eferences included. 1 Goldberg et al. (1995a,
1995b), 2 Silva et al. (2001), 3 Marinho (2003), 4 Albuquerque et al. (2003), 5 Candeiro et al. (2003), 6 Marinho et al. (2003), 7 Moraes et al. (2003), 8 Henriques et
al. (2002), 9 Almeida et al., 2003 (in p ress)
TaxaLocation1 Location2 Location2
Boa vista hill GPS. 19°27′26.0″S
Outskirt GPS. 19°26′21.0″S
“Idelmo Bramh farm” GPS. 19°26′31.8″S
and 49°14′42.6″W.
and 49°15′41.3″W.
and 49°14′27.8″W.
Vertebrata
1–7
Vertebrata indet
Reptilia
Chelonia indet.
Crocodylomorpha indet.
Dinosauria
Sauropoda
Titanosauria
Aeolosaurus
Theropoda
Theropoda indet.
Abelisauridae
Carcharodontosauridae
2
x
x
x
2
2–8
9
3, 7
x
x
x
3-7
x
x
x
3
x
Fig. 4. Dinosaur remains from Prata p aleontological district. A, labial view, B, lingual view Abelisauridae tooth (MMR/UFU-PV 0006); C, labial view, D,
lingual view, Carcharodontosauridae tooth (MMR/UFU-PV 005); E, labial v iew, F, lingual view, Theropoda tooth (MMR/UFU-PV 007). Bar scale represent
30 mm. G, lateral view, Titanosauria caudal vertebrae (MMR/UFU-PV 0001); H, I, lateral view, Titanosauria r ibs. Bar scale A , B, C, D, E, F bar scale = 30 mm;
G = 10 mm; H, I= 50 mm.
3.1. Remarks
about the dinosaurs
of the P rata district
Abbreviations:
MACN, Museo Argentino
de Ciencias
N aturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Dinosaurs
are
collection; Prata
Universidade
Gerais,
the
Site.
best-known
This
material
and most
diverse
is housed
mainly
UFRJ-DG and briefly commented here.
taxa
from
at MMR
Universidad
and
Nacional
MMR/UFU-PV,
Federal
de
MUCPV-CH,
de
Comahue,
El
Museu de Minerais
Uberlândia,
Brazil;
324
Museo de la
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
Chocon
e Rochas,
Uberlândia,
Minas
RTMP, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller,
Canada; U FRJ-DG-R, Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, fossil
reptilian collection.
3.1.1. S ystematic p aleontology
Suborder THEROPODA Marsh, 1881
ABELISAURIA N ovas, 1992
Family ABELISAURIDAE Bonaparte and N ovas, 1985
Material: (MMR/UFU-PV 0006) (Fig. 4A, B).
Locality: 2.
Remarks: the Abelisauridae are represented b y a single
tooth (MMR/UFU-PV 0006) from locality 2 on the western
side of the Prata p aleontological district. This tooth was described recently b y Marinho (2003). It lacked a root but the
preservation of the crown is good. It is small (32 mm), w ith
serrated anterior and p osterior carinae, the denticles on the
proximal p art of the anterior carina are smaller than t hose on
the distal p art, and denticles on the m iddle are largest. All the
denticles on the distal p art are pointed toward the crown apex.
The denticles on the proximal and middle p art of the anterior
carina are p erpendicular to the crown apex. The denticles on
both carinae are higher than wide. The denticles of the p roximal and distal p arts of the p osterior carinae are the same size;
those in the middle are larger. The cross-section of the t ooth
has the anterior face compressed and p osterior face convex
(MMR/UFU-PV 0006) has the labial and lingual faces more
convex in cross-section nears the anterior edge and flatter p osteriorly; the lingual face is also slightly concave p roximodistally.
The characters exhibited by the low crown tooth from
MMR/UFU-PV 0006 clearly indicate that it represents an abelisaurid. Bonaparte (1996), Lamanna et al. (2002), Wilson and
Upchurch (2003), and Candeiro et al. (2004) noted the p resence of a low crown in the Abelisauridae (e.g. A ucasaurus
garridoi, Carnotaurus sastrei, R ajasarus narmadensis) teeth
and regarded it as a diagnostic character of the family. Candeiro et al. (2004) pointed that abelisaurid teeth are characterized b y labial and lingual faces more convex in cross-section
near the anterior edge and flatter p osteriorly; the lingual face is
also slightly concave proximodistally. The cross-section of the
specimen (MMR/UFU-PV 0006) is exactly as in the Abelisauridae.
Family CARCHARODONTOSAURIDAE Stromer, 1931
Material: (MMR/UFU-PV 005) (Fig. 4C, D). Tooth.
Locality: 2.
Remarks: Marinho (2003) recently described MMR/UFUPV 005, w hich has a labial side of the tooth that is convex on
its more anterior portion and p osteriorly flattened. A s on the
labial side, the anterior p art of the lingual side is slightly convex, becoming p osteriorly flattened. The p osterior r egion of the
lingual side b ears acute wrinkles on the enamel, which are very
well developed, on the proximal and medial region, but t hese
vanish toward the crown tip. Each wrinkle is obliquely oriented
with respect to the tooth margin, but b ends along its length
away from tooth margin until its orientation is transverse with
respect t o the tooth’s long axis. The wrinkle then continues
across the tooth surface as a horizontal b and. The p osterior
denticles on the proximal and distal ends are equal, while the
middle denticles are larger. The anterior denticles are smaller
than the p osterior ones. All the denticles of b oth carinae are
perpendicular to the crown apex, and are r ather higher than
wide. The cross-section is chestnut-shaped. The outline of the
tooth in lateral view is in the form of a rough isosceles triangle.
The presence of wrinkles on a theropod teeth tooth crown
has b een considered as a diagnostic feature for Carcharodontosauridae (Carcharodontosaurus s aharicus and Giganotosaurus
carolinii) b y many authors (Larsson, 1996; Sereno et al., 1996;
Vickers Rich et al., 1999; Candeiro et al., 2004). In Giganotosaurus carolinii different forms of wrinkles occur (Candeiro
pers. obsers.) w hich can b e strong or subdued. These wrinkles
may or may not b e close to the crown b order (e.g. Carcharo-
dontosaurus and Giganotosaurus).
The wrinkles on the crown of MMR/UFU-PV 005 are
strong and similar to the wrinkles found in carcharodontosaurids. This specimen is mediolaterally compressed and thus quite
similar to Carcharodontosaurus s aharicus (Stromer, 193 1) and
the Giganotosaurus (MUCPV-CH-1 and casts of MACN S/N
and RTMP 94.43.1, 94.43.2, 94.43.3, 94.43.4).
The presence of carcharodontosaurids in the PPD is especially noteworthy as it r epresents the youngest record of this
clade found to date (Turonian–Santonian). Previously, the
youngest known records of carcharodontosaurids are from
Cenomanian beds in Africa, Argentina and Maranhão State in
Brazil. Carcharodontosaurid teeth from the MMR/UFU-PV
005 of Late Cretaceous age contrast with the osteological record of Carcharodontosauridae, which is mainly restricted to
older p arts of the Cretaceous (e.g. Albian–Turonian) of Africa
and South America.
Order THEROPODA indet.
Material: (MMR/UFU-PV 0007) (Fig. 4E, F). Tooth.
Locality: 2.
Remarks: no family assignment could b e made for MMR/
UFU-PV 0007, but there is no doubt that this specimen belongs to a theropod dinosaur as it is strongly labio-lingually
compressed and shows denticles w ith great variation in size
and shape throughout the carina. Their cross-sections are different from any of the k nown Gondwanan Theropoda, but it is
important to note that the teeth of some Gondwanan dinosaurs
are still unknown (Novas, 1997).
TITANOSAURIA Bonaparte and Coria, 1993
Genus A eolosaurus Powell, 1986
Aeolosaurus indet.
Material: (UFRJ-DG 270-R). Caudal vertebra.
Locality: 2.
Remarks: the sauropods are the most common and abundant fossil v ertebrate remains found in the region (Fig. 4G–I).
Numerous
p ostcranial
b ones r epresent
(2003, 2004) (UFRJ-DG
them. Almeida
et al.
270-R caudal vertebra) (Fig. 5A–C)
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
325
Fig. 5. A eolosaurus caudal vertebra UFRJ-DG 270-R. Lateral v iew (A),
posterior (B) and anterior (C). Abbreviations: CN, neural canal; PRZ,
postzigapophysis; PT, transverse process; PZ, postzygapophysy; SN, neural
spine. Scale bar 50
mm.
and Henriques et al. (2002) reported the presence of titanosaurid sauropods. Almeida et al. (2003, 2004) recognized the t itanosaurid genus A eolosaurus, w hich was first described from
the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina) (Powell, 1986,
2003; Salgado and Coria, 1993; Salgado, 2000). Although this
vertebra is almost complete, it did suffer some damage. This
damage made it possible to observe the internal spongy composition (Fig. 5B) of the b one. The v ertebral centrum is deep
and r elatively low, p rocoelous, and b ears a h eart-shaped anterior articular facet (Fig. 5C). The transverse process is w ell
developed and p ositioned at the centro-neural suture. The b ase
of the neural arch is p ositioned anteriorly in relation t o the
vertebral centrum. The neural canal is oval—the lateral diameter is the longer one. The neural spine is large and posteriorly oriented, showing a well-developed p respinal laminae
(PRSL) (Fig. 5A). The spinoprezygapophyseal laminae are also
well developed and b oth are j oined to the b ase of the PRSL.
The postzygapophysis is w ell marked. The haemal arch is
straight and laterally compressed. Although its proximal region
is fragmented, its Y-shaped nature is readily seen. The open
haemal canal indicates that this caudal vertebra belongs to the
Camarasauromorpha. Within that group, the p rocoelous condition of this caudal vertebrate is a synapomorphic feature that
allies it w ith the “Titanosauridae” (Bonaparte and Coria, 1993;
Wilson and U pchurch, 2003). The h eart-shaped p osterior articular facet and w ide p rezygapophyses allow u s to r elate this
vertebra to the taxa Gondwanatitan/Aeolosaurus. Recently, a
titanosaurid (MN 5013-V) was recognized at the same locality
(the Boa V ista Hill) (Table 1). However, Almeida et al. (2004)
pointed out that the specimen lacked features of the Gondwanatitan/Aeolosaurus complex. Henriques et al. (2002) suggested that this fossil was a new taxon closely related t o these
genera.
TITANOSAURIA indet
Material: (MMR-UFU-PV 001). Caudal v ertebrae.
Locality: 2.
Remarks: there are several fragments of disarticulated
bones found in A damantina Formation sediments in the Prata
paleontological district that have not p reviously b een attributed
to the Titanosauridae (sensu Powell, 1986, 2003; McIntosh,
1990). These specimens are caudal v ertebrae (MMR-UFU-PV
001; Fig. 4G) that are strongly p rocoelous, having “ball socket” p osterior articular faces. According Powell (1986, 2003)
and McIntosh (1990) among Titanosauria, titanosaurids developed anterior caudals w ith a deeply excavated anterior face
much like a “socket” and a p osterior articulation like a p rominent “ball”.
3.1.2. A damantina F ormation f ossil localities in the P rata
paleontogical district
Price studied the first fossil site in the Prata p aleontological
district in the 1950’s. However, it was only in 2002 that fossil
localities in the Adamantina Formation were discovered in that
area b y researchers from the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (Museu de Minerais e Rochas). Three fossil v ertebrate sites
in the A damantina Formation are mentioned in the literature
(e.g. Albuquerque et al., 2003). The b est-known vertebrate fossils of A damantina Formation occur in the Prata p aleontological district and are listed in Table 1.
4. Concluding remarks
The fossils from the Prata p aleontological district are all
vertebrates mainly collected at the Boa Vista Hill fossil site,
Locality 2. The b est-known taxa from the Adamantina Formation are referred to the Abelisauridae, Carcharodontosauridae
and Titanosauria (Aeolosaurus and Titanosauria indet.).
Although the vertebrate fossil record of Prata District is currently p oorly known, w ith few w ell-preserved specimens,
many fragmentary remains have b een found. Fossil localities
are centered in the western p arts of Prata municipality, and
resemble the fauna from southern South America (Patagonia).
The dinosaurs of the Prata District comprise two families of
Gondwanan theropods (Abelisauridae and Carchadorodontosauridae), one genus of titanosaurs (Aeolosaurus). Single crocodilian and turtle records are reported in the literature from
the Prata District. Their presence supports the earlier conclu326
C.R.A. Candeiro et al. / Geobios 39 (2006) 319–327
sions of Von Huene (1927, 1939) that correlated the fauna of
Adamantina Formation with those found in the Late Cretaceous of Argentina or even those of Africa, India and Madagascar.
Although only a few of the n amed Prata taxa h ave b een
fully reported, a picture is emerging w hich suggests a Gondwanan origin for the assemblage (Bonaparte, 1986). Carcharodontosaurs are common in the early Late Cretaceous in South
America (Coria and Salgado, 1995; Leanza et al., 2004), but
in the Prata District of Minas Gerais State a record of this
group indicates that it possibly survived into the Late Cretaceous. Titanosaurs and abelisaurs dominate the Late Cretaceous
in the Gondwana landmasses. They are found also in Late Cretaceous of the Prata District. A eolosaurus is found not only in
the Prata p aleontological district but also in the Late Cretaceous of A rgentina.
Typical Laurasian taxa such as ornithischians have b een
widely documented in several Late Cretaceous u nits of Southern South America (e.g. Bonaparte et al., 1984; Salgado and
Coria, 1996; De Valais et al., 2003; N ovas et al., 2004). Because they are absent from earlier Turonian–Santonian deposits
including the A damantina Formation, this suggests t hat the
physical connection between N orth and South America was
not established u ntil the end of the Cretaceous.
Acknowledgments
We thank Agustin G. Martinelli (Museo A rgentino de Ciencias N aturales, Buenos Aires) for thorough and helpful comments that greatly improved this manuscript. For references,
we thank Jeffrey A. Wilson (University of Michigan), P. Up-
church (University
of Cambridge)
and F. N ovas (Museo Ar-
gentino de Ciencias N aturales). The authors also t hank Alberto
Garrido (Museo Carmen Funes, Cipoletti) and an anonymous
reviewer
for critically
reading the manuscript
valuable
suggestions.
We
Bergqvist, Leonardo
specially
thank
and p roviding
Lílian
S. Avilla and Erika A branches
tório de Macrofósseis, Departamento
Paglarelli
(Labora-
de Geologia, U niversi-
dade Federal do Rio de Janeiro) for allowing u s free access
to laboratories
ho, Cláudia
and specimens in their charge. Adelino Carval-
Regina A. Candeiro, Edeilson P. Silva, Edivane
Cardoso, Flávio
Oliveira, Jorge Augusto Albuquerque, Patricia
Tavares (Uberlândia), and Sérgio Moraes (Prata) deserve many
thanks for assistance during 2002–2003
Regina A. Candeiro (Uberlândia) and
at Centre National de la Recherche
résumé
observations
field seasons. Cláudia
Éric Buffetaut
Scientifique,
(Research
Paris) made
and correction of the grammar.
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