The present work presents the first occurrence of seabirdsʼ fossils from pleistocenic fossiliferous deposits submerged along the inner continental shelf of Rio Grande do Sul state. The fossils presented here were collected during field... more
The present work presents the first occurrence of seabirdsʼ fossils from pleistocenic fossiliferous deposits submerged along the inner continental shelf of Rio Grande do Sul state. The fossils presented here were collected during field works between 1999 and 2003 and consist of three cervical vertebrae and a partial left tibiotarsus. The fossilsʼ morphology and size are similar to those of a procellariiform seabird of the Thalassarche melanophrys Temminck 1828 species (black-browed mollymawk). The fossils are well-preserved, indicating that were not subject to significant re-working during transport from the source areas to the beach. This suggests that the submerged deposits are located near the present shoreline.
The “Sistema de Cuevas de Aguas Buenas” (SCAB) was developed in Cretaceous limestone bounded by insoluble volcanic rocks, located in northern Puerto Rico. The initial collection of fossils in SCAB was carried out at four localities... more
The “Sistema de Cuevas de Aguas Buenas” (SCAB) was developed in Cretaceous limestone bounded by insoluble volcanic rocks, located in northern Puerto Rico. The initial collection of fossils in SCAB was carried out at four localities within the system. The fossils were recovered in the sediments from top soil or by sieving but were not found a layer horizon per se. The mammal fauna found in SCAB can be used to establish a minimum age of 33,670 ± 370 years before the present (Pleistocene) for the semi-arboreal sloth (Acratocnus odontrigonus). Other fossils found were the large hutia (Elasmodontomys obliquus) and smaller hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis), as well as birds such as the crow (Corvus sp.), Audubon shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri), the Antillean cave rail (Nesotrochis debooyi), and reptiles such as the giant anole (Anolis cuvieri), the land iguana (Cyclura sp.) and amphibians such as the coqui (Eleutherodactylus sp.) and the toad (Peltophryne sp.). SCAB provides new information relating to the distribution of Quaternary fossils in northern Puerto Rico. Although most of the fauna found in this deposit have already been collected from other localities, the encrusted bones of the anuran Peltophryne sp. and other data are evolutionary and paleobiogeographical clues.
