GEOCIENCIAS

Occurrences of gomphotheres in northeastern Brazil there are in tank deposits, caves and lagoons and many of these records are from the Pleistocene tank deposits, formed by physical and chemical erosion in crystalline rock. These deposits are common in northwestern of State of Ceará and correspond to the most Pleistocene fossil fi ndings. This paper
presents the description of two specimens of gomphotheres identifi ed
as Gomphotheriidae constituting an unprecedented record for the City
of Irauçuba, Ceará, located 150 km from Fortaleza. In the same place,
Xenarthra, Liptoterna, Notoungulata and Perissodactyla were also found.

Studies on South American Gomphotheriidae started around 210 years ago and , 150 years later , the classic study " The mastodonts of Brazil " by Simpson and Paula Couto (1957) attempted to clarify the complex issues related to our understanding of these proboscideans. Here , we update state of knowledge regarding proboscideans in South America subsequent to the publication of Simpson and Paula Couto (1957). The taxonomy of South American proboscideans is now stable and two species are recognized , Notiomastodon platensis and Cuvieronius hyodon. The former had a wide distribution in South America (from lowlands to highlands and from east to west coasts) , while the latter was restricted to Ecuador , Peru and Bolivia. Although records of Notiomastodon are abundant and occur in almost overlapping geographic distribution with Cuvieronius , they have never been recorded in the same locality. Here , we evaluated over 500 South American localities with proboscidean remains , although only cranial and dental specimens show recognizable diagnostic features. As both proboscideans in South America had a generalist-opportunist alimentary strategy , a competitive exclusion probably precluded their sympatry. Their origin is most probably related to independent migrations from Central America during the Great

Sagittal cranial crests are evident in several groups of pterosaurs, although their exact function has still not been determined.
One of the most distinctive features of the Anhangueridae is a sagittal premaxillary crest on the anterior portion of the skull.
A comparison of the skulls of anhanguerids revealed that they all have similar skull and crests shapes. In this paper, six
anhanguerids from Araripe Basin were analysed using bidimensional geometric morphometrics. As a result, the taxa were
arranged in two groups and two isolated taxa in the morphospace: elongated skulls, with crests high and expanded,
representing 40% of the skull length; and median size skulls; and low and short crests starting posteriorly on the region of the
seventh and fourth pairs of alveoli. Some of these groupings also share a phylogenetic relationship. Despite this separation in
morphospace, the difference between the morphology of the crest was not as striking as in other pterodactyloid pterosaurs.
Crest variation in Anhangueridae presented in this paper is considered as non-specific, with some patterns of similarity, such
as the shape and the beginning of this structure on the premaxilla. In addition, the presence of positive allometric growth in
the skull was observed and no trend in sexual dimorphism could be pointed

A new species of pterosaur, Maaradactylus kellneri gen. nov., sp. nov. (Archosauria: Pterosauria) from the Romualdo Formation
(Aptian/Albian), is herein described. The specimen (MPSC R 2357) was found at Sítio São Gonçalo, Santana do
Cariri city (State of Ceará, northeast Brazil) and consists of the skull, atlas and axis, and represents one of the largest skulls
of the Anhangueridae from the Araripe Basin described. The autapomorphies of the new pterosaur include the following
characters: a premaxillary sagittal crest that is relatively long and high, beginning at the anterior part of the skull (rostrum)
and extending to the 22nd pair of alveoli, not covering the nasoantorbital fenestra or the choanaes, and also the presence of
35 pairs of alveoli; smooth palatal ridge, which starts on the 5th pair of alveoli and ends on the 13th pair; palate is convex
shaped in the anterior region; choanae not extending laterally; small and convex palatal elevation; the 5th, 6th and 7th alveoli
smaller than the 4th and 8th; the alveoli decreasing in size from the 9th to the 12th and increasing from the 13th to 18th, and
from the 18th to the 35th they are arranged in triplets. Furthermore, the lateral surface of the premaxillary crest shows
grooves and tridimensional structures that may have housed blood vessels.

The Crato Formation paleoflora is one of the few equatorial floras of the Early Cretaceous. It is diverse,
with many angiosperms, especially representatives of the clades magnoliids, monocotyledons and eudicots,
which confirms the assumption that angiosperm diversity during the last part of the Early Cretaceous was
reasonably high. The morphology of a new fossil monocot is studied and compared to all other Smilacaceae
genus, especially in the venation. Cratosmilax jacksoni gen. et sp. nov. can be related to the Smilacaceae
family, becoming the oldest record of the family so far. Cratosmilax jacksoni is a single mesophilic leaf
with entire margins, ovate shape, with acute apex and base, four venation orders and main acrodromous
veins. It is the first terrestrial monocot described for the Crato Formation, monocots were previously
described for the same formation, and are considered aquatics. Cratosmilax jacksoni is the first fossil
record of Smilacaceae in Brazil, and the oldest record of this family.

The presence of external fundamental system (EFS), in tetrapods, indicates an effective end in any significant periosteal
growth. Although it is present in some Archosauromorpha, the idea of a continuous growth in this group remains. Here, new
data about the presence of the EFS in Neosuchia, a clade composed of terrestrial crocodilomorphs, and its implications
throughout arcosaurs evolutive history, are presented. We sampled a partially complete rib, referred to a dirosaurid crocodile
(CAV 0014-V). The cortex was composed of a lamellar-zonal bone, vascularization constituted of primary osteons and simple
vascular canals with longitudinal arrangement. Secondary osteons occurs in the inner cortex and spongy bone, indicating the
remodeling process. The presence of EFS was detected periostically, revealing the end of assimptotic growth and
characterizing the specimen as skeletically mature. Its microestructural arrangement is consistent with a slow growth and
metabolical rate animal, which is already known to crocodiles and their basal related groups. Until now, the EFS has been
detected in Pseudosuchia, Crocodilomorpha, Pterosauria and Dinosauria, identifying the determinate growth in archosaurs
since extint to extant groups. New EFS evidences would support the hypothesis of determinate growth as a rule not an
exception to Archosauria.

a paleontologia constitui um ramo da ciência que se encarrega de estudar os fósseis e entender como se deram as sucessões de fauna e flora em nosso planeta, ao longo de milhões de anos (1). Para isso, desde os primeiros trabalhos realizados na área, se caracterizou como uma ciência primordialmente descritiva. Isso pode ser explicado por uma tendência que acontecia no início do sé-culo XIX, quando a morfologia era tida como a " menina dos olhos " das ciências biológicas, direcionando os estudos para descrições anatômicas e morfológicas detalhadas, incluindo o conhecimento das características microscópicas e das teorias de geração e determi-nação da forma. Na paleontologia não foi diferente, e por mais que algumas técnicas de microscopia tivessem sido empregadas apenas rotineiramente, essas não vingaram até muito recentemente. Foi nas décadas de 1980 e 1990, a partir de um conhecimento maior a respeito dos organismos pretéritos da Terra, que os paleon-tólogos se viram com inúmeros debates a respeito dos organismos fósseis que estudavam. Apenas descrever, identificar e classificar já não era suficiente para saciar sua curiosidade. Começaram então a buscar técnicas que permitissem entender algumas questões relacio-nadas com a biologia desses organismos, muitos deles extintos sem deixar descendentes. Dentre elas estavam perguntas relacionadas à idade dos organismos ao serem fossilizados. Se aqueles animais cres-ciam rápido ou lentamente. Se seu corpo seria capaz de desenvolver determinados movimentos. Em qual ambiente viviam e suas adap-tações para aquele tipo de vida. Mais recentemente, se perguntaram qual a capacidade e alcance dos órgãos sensoriais dos organismos fossilizados. Para resolver esses dilemas, algumas técnicas oriundas de áreas correlatas começaram a ser empregadas. Com os novos métodos, vieram também novas análises e interpretações acerca do conteúdo fossilífero. Dentre estas destacamos a paleohistologia, a microscopia eletrônica de varredura, a tomografia computadoriza-da com a geração de imagens para impressão em três dimensões e, atualmente, a paleometria. Embora os primeiros estudos envolvendo as técnicas mencio-nadas acima e suas adaptações para sua utilização com os fósseis tenham se originado em países da Europa e também nos Estados Unidos, atualmente, todas podem ser encontradas em utilização no Brasil. Aos poucos os pesquisadores nacionais foram direcio-nando suas pesquisas para uma ou mais de uma dessas técnicas, resultando no surgimento de laboratórios especializados, com to

The study of bone microstructure preserved in fossils provides substantial information about physiology, growth gradients and strategies, and some ecological considerations. Paleohistology is a useful tool for understanding the biological mechanisms of extinct animals. Presented here is the microstructure characterization of two Anhangueria pterosaurs. Thin sections of the fi rst wing phalanx and metacarpal IV of MN 7060-V have been confectioned, as have sections of the radius, ulna and fi rst wing phalanx of MPSC R2090. The histological analysis of bones of MN 7060-V revealed fi brolamellar tissue, few osteocytes and vascular canals. Bones of MPSC R2090 showed a mixed plexiform-fi brolamellar tissue and histovariability, showing that bones from the same individual grew in different patterns. The vascularization was high in the phalanx, intermediate in the ulna and absent in the radius. The absence of canals in the radius may be related to biomechanical issues, due to torsion resistance during fl ight. The histology and the absence of fused bones suggests that the specimens are not adults. Two distinct moments of growth were established. MN 7060-V is a subadult, with presence of bone porosity and MPSC R2090 is a young animal as determined by the high number of canals and plexiform-fi brolamellar tissues, which indicates fast growth. In this work, we concluded that in the Anhangueria clade, the growth of bones is not compatible with the ontogenetic stage. Young animals may present large proportions, whereas there were older individuals of smaller sizes in the same clade. RESUMO – O estudo da microestrutura óssea preservada em organismos fósseis traz informações substanciais sobre a fi siologia, gradientes e estratégias de crescimento e uma série de considerações ecológicas. Para o entendimento dos mecanismos biológicos de animais extintos utiliza-se a paleohistologia. Apresentamos a caracterização microestrutural de dois pterossauros do clado Anhangueria. Foram confeccionadas lâminas da primeira falange alar e IV metacarpal de MN 7060-V, além da ulna, rádio e primeira falange alar de MPSC R2090. A análise histológica de ambos os ossos de MN 7060-V exibiu tecido fi brolamelar, poucos osteócitos e canais. Já os ossos de MPSC R2090 apresentaram tecido fi brolamelar plexiforme e histovariabilidade, sugerindo diferentes taxas de crescimento para os ossos de um mesmo indivíduo. A vascularização na falange foi elevada, intermediária na ulna e ausente no rádio. Essa ausência de canais pode estar relacionada a pressões biomecânicas, devido a resistência às cargas de torção exercidas durante o voo. A histologia e a ausência de fusão dos ossos sugerem indivíduos não adultos. Dois momentos diferentes de crescimento foram então estabelecidos. MN 7060-V é um subadulto, com presença de porosidade óssea e MPSC R2090 um jovem, devido à alta vascularização e tecido fi brolamelar plexiforme, indicativo de crescimento rápido. Foi concluído neste trabalho que, no clado Anhangueria, o crescimento ósseo não acompanha o estágio ontogenético dos indivíduos. Animais jovens podem apresentar grandes proporções, ao passo que indivíduos mais velhos tamanhos menores dentro de um mesmo clado. Palavras-chave: paleohistologia, Pterosauria, Anhangueria, Formação Romualdo, bacia do Araripe.

Susisuchus anatoceps is a neosuchian crocodylomorph lying outside the clade Eusuchia, and associated with the transition between basal and advanced neosuchians and the rise of early eusuchians. The specimen MPSC R1136 comprises a partially articulated postcra-nial skeleton and is only the third fossil assigned to this relevant taxon. Thin sections of a right rib and right ulna of this specimen have been cut for histological studies and provide the first paleohistological information of an advanced non-eusuchian neosuchian from South America. The cross-section of the ulna shows a thick cortex with 17 lines of arrested growth (LAGs), a few scattered vascular canals, and primary and secondary osteons. This bone has a free medullary cavity and a spongiosa is completely absent. Thin sections of the rib show that remodeling process was active when the animal died, with a thin cortex and a well-developed spongiosa. In the latter, few secondary osteons and 4 LAGs were identified. According to the observed data, Susisuchus anatoceps had a slow-growing histological microstructure pattern, which is common in crocodylomorphs. The high number of ulnar LAGs and the active remodeling process are indicative that this animal was at least a late subadult, at or past the age of sexual maturity. This contradicts previous studies that interpreted this and other Susisuchus anatoceps specimens as juveniles, and suggests that full-grown adults of this species were relatively small-bodied, comparable in size to modern dwarf crocodiles.

Resumo Fundado em 1985, o Museu de Paleontologia em Santana do Cariri (MPSC) tem armazenado fósseis provenientes da Bacia do Araripe, com o objetivo de guardar e proteger espécimes importantes para a ciência. Os fósseis que compõem o acervo são, por exemplo, peixes, plantas, tartarugas, crocodilomorfos, artrópode, crustáceos, anuros, conchas, bivalves, dinossauros e pterossauros. Este trabalho é a continuação de outro que foi iniciado há 13 anos, desde então, a coleção de pterossauros aumentou consideravelmente, e hoje conta com 134 espécimes, dotados de material pós-craniano (155), crânio (19), vértebra cervical (5), fragmentos desconhecidos (2), fósseis adulterados (8) e mais 38 peças que foram classificadas erroneamente como pterossauros. Alguns espécimes de pterossauros se encontram sob empréstimoem outras instituições ou em preparação no Laboratório de Paleontologia da Universidade Regional do Cariri (LPU). Abstract Founded in 1985, the Museu de Paleontologiaem Santana do Cariri (MPSC) has stored fossiliferous beings from Araripe Basin, with objectives of keep and protect important specimens to the science. The fossils compose the collection are, for example, fishes, plants, turtles, crocodylomorphs, arthropod, crustaceans, anurans, shells and bivalves, dinosaurs and pterosaurs. This study is continuation of other was started 13 years ago, since, the pterosaur's collection increased considerably, and today have 134 specimens, endowed of (155) postcranials material, (19) cranials, (5) cervical vertebra, (2) unknow fragments, (8) fossil adulterateds and 38 pieces were erroneously classificated as pterosaurs. Some species of pterosaurs are on loan or in preparation in Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA (LPU).