Thiago Marinho

Tyto furcata is a relatively common owl in Brazil, popularly known as “barn owl”. It is a generalist predatory bird and its diet consists mainly of small rodents, as well as other vertebrates such as bats, opossums, frogs and lizards, as well as some invertebrates. It is a common habit of some predatory birds to regurgitate the undigested remnants of their prey, in the form of pellets, which are used not only for research of the feeding ecology of this species, but also to acknowledge the diversity of small vertebrates hardly observed in the environment or caught in traps. In this contribution, the pellets collected were analyzed in a systematic way (fortnightly), in the rural town of Peirópolis, Uberaba, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The site of collection corresponds to an old, abandoned limestone mine located approximately 1.7km from Peirópolis. In this study, pellet analysis shows a high percentage of rodents Cricetidae, following by Didelphidae marsupials and arthropods (mostly Coleoptera and Orthoptera), as well as frogs and birds, but in very low percentages. Prey consumption significantly varied throughout seasons with a lower frequency of insects during winter and a lower frequency of rodents accompanied by an increase in the importance of marsupials during spring.

The scientific collection of Centro de Pesquisas Paleontológicas L. I. Price (CPPLIP, CCCP/UFTM) includes a large number of fossil specimens, mostly discovered at the municipalities of Uberaba and Campina Verde (Triângulo Mineiro). Currently, approximately 1500 specimens were cataloged and hundreds are still waiting to compose the repository. They represent fishes, anurans, crocodyliforms, turtles, sauropod and theropod dinosaurs, birds, mammals, mollusks, and fossil traces, including six holotype specimens, five of vertebrates and one of ichnofossil. In 2010, the CPPLIP and the Museu dos Dinossauros were aggregated to the Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), which together with the defunct Rede Nacional de Paleontologia, comprise the Complexo Cultural e Cientifico de Peirópolis (CCCP). In 2012, the CCCP started a project of total restructuration of the paleontological collection in order to improve considerably its storage conditions, with financial support of the CAPES, FAPEMIG, and MCTI/CNPq. The curatorial phase of the cataloged specimens is finished and constitutes an important step for the valorization and preservation of paleontological heritage of Brazil, which has a huge scientific, educational and sociocultural potential.

We describe a juvenile specimen of a titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur consisting of two dorsal and three caudal vertebral centra, an ilium fragment, and an ischium unearthed in 1991 from Site Km 153.5 at BR-050 highway in the Serra da Galga region, municipality of Uberaba, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The outcrop at the site is assigned to the Serra da Galga Member of the Marília Formation (Bauru Basin: Bauru Group; Upper Cretaceous: Maastrichtian). Although the material is very incomplete, features such as strongly procoelous caudal centra suggest an affinity with the titanosaurian clade Lithostrotia. The extensive vertebral pneumaticity with deep pleurocoels and well-developed camerae supports the hypothesis that, in titanosaurs, the air sac system was already present and fully developed even at early ontogenetic stages.

The Baurusuchidae is one of the most representative families of Crocodyliformes from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil. Amongst the ten recognized species of the family in the world, eight are recovered from Bauru Basin outcrops. Despite its relative diversity and abundance, information on postcranial elements of species of the family is scarce in the literature. Campinasuchus dinizi is a baurusuchid found in the neocretaceous redstones of the Adamantina Formation of Bauru Basin (SE Brazil). The postcranial skeleton of the species is described based on five specimens, with the following bone elements identified: proatlas, intercentrum of the atlas; pedicles of the atlas; odontoid process; axis; three postaxial cervical vertebrae; nine dorsal vertebrae; eight caudal vertebrae; seven ribs and gastralia fragments; eleven chevrons; twelve osteoderms; pectoral and pelvic girdle; humerus; radius; ulna; manus; femur; tibia; fibula; and pes. Campinasuchus dinizi has the smallest and most delicate postcranial skeleton when compared with examined Baurusuchidae, with an inferred body mass of approximately 28 kg. Some elements of the postcranial skeleton of C. dinizi are also comparatively more robust (e.g. neural spines higher and more developed; vertebral body thicker; pelvic girdle more proeminent; limbs more elongated) than in some notosuchians, such as Mariliasuchus amarali and Notosuchus terrestris, and extant crocodyliforms such as Caiman latirostris and Melanosuchus niger. The mostly straight limbs of C. dinizi indicate a terrestrial habit, and suggests a semi-upright to upright posture during locomotion. The first descriptions of postcranial bones of a young specimen of C. dinizi and osteoderms of Pissarrachampsinae as well as comments about the distinct anatomy of some of those elements are also presented.

The Mesozoic Era is a fascinating period in the evolution of life on Earth. Several animal taxa with representatives in present-day fauna, such as amphibians, mammals, birds, turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles, originated and diversified in this Era. Non-avian dinosaurs and pterosaurs also occur within this geological time span, making it known as the Age of Reptiles. Less known to the public is the fact that oceans and seas were also ruled by extinct reptiles, including ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Their singular anatomy and complete demise at the end of Mesozoic continue to fascinate, ever since their discovery starting in the 18 th century. This work provides information to teachers so as to support basic education about the main groups of marine reptiles of the Mesozoic. We discuss aspects concerning anatomy, lifestyle, evolution and the implications of their discovery for the history of science.

O presente trabalho apresenta o levantamento das espécies vítimas de atropelamento em um trajeto total de 25 km na rodovia BR-262, iniciando-se no anel viário de Uberaba (Km 800) até o Km 775 (sentido Belo Horizonte), no município de Uberaba (Minas Gerais, Brasil). Foram identificadas as áreas com maior frequência de atropelamento (hotspots) e os grupos mais atingidos. O trecho foi monitorado durante 25 semanas, entre julho a dezembro de 2012, totalizando 47 indivíduos mortos. Os animais atropelados incluíram Mammalia (64%), Aves (23%), Lepidosauria (13%), e o mês com maior número de registros de atropelamentos foi novembro, seguido de outubro e setembro. O maior número de atropelamentos foi registrado no 3° trecho, considerado “hotspot” de atropelamento, pois sua paisagem de entorno possui Mata de Galeria (com a presença do Córrego do Lageado) e Cerrado típico (utilizados como pastagem). O grupo mais afetado foram os mamíferos, principalmente tatus (Dasypodidae). Os resultados evid...

The development of virtual three-dimensional models of vertebrate fossils is proved to be a powerful tool in research, curatory and scientific popularization. Intending to explore two of these methods the Crocodyliformes Baurusuchus salgadoensis, found in the Adamantina Formation (Bauru Basin, Late Cretaceous) was three-dimensionally scanned. From this scanning data a virtual model of B. salgadoensis was built. With software Avizo 6.0, Autodesk 3D Studio Max and Autodesk Maya, it was possible to virtually remove rock and, with anatomical supporting studies, reorganize three-dimensionally the skeleton, with the closest natural posture possible, and finally animate it into a walk. The resulting material is completely similar to the original specimen, so it can be published online for observation and manipulation, which reduces damage possibility, it can also be used on biomechanical studies and its final animation is an ideal product in scientific diffusion, as it bears a high technol...

Durante o Turoniano-Santoniano, na região abrangida pela Bacia Bauru (Formação Adamantina), ocorria uma diversa e abundante fauna de crocodiliformes. Cinco famílias são reconhecidas nos estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais: Notosuchidae, Sphagesauridae, Baurusuchidae, Peirosauridae e Trematochampsidae. Destas, destacam-se os baurussuquídeos como alguns dos fósseis mais comuns destes estratos. Os Baurusuchidae foram crocodiliformes carnívoros terrestres altamente especializados que apresentam crânios oreinirostrais; dentição reduzida; dentes maxilares e mandibulares posteriores comprimidos lateralmente e portando carenas serrilhadas; quarto dente mandibular, terceiro e quarto dentes maxilares hipertrofiados; narinas orientadas anteriormente; e membros longos e verticalmente posicionados. O mais novo representante desta família é Gondwanasuchus scabrosus Marinho, Iori, Carvalho & Vasconcellos, 2013, um baurussuquídeo de pequeno a médio porte, descrito a partir de um crânio parcialmente...

The fossiliferous localities on the municipality of General Salgado comprise one of the most important fossil sites in the Bauru Basin, Upper Cretaceous. To this date nearly 20 skeletal remains of crocodyliformes, ophidian vertebrae, fossil eggs shells, vertebrate coprolites and invertebrate ichnofossils were discovered. The sedimentary succession reveals traits of a climatic cyclicity in Brazilian continental areas during the Cretaceous, associated to a diversified and singular gondwanic herpetofauna. Formally described fossil taxa, as Baurusuchus salgadoensis, Baurusuchus albertoi and Armadillosuchus arrudai, unravels life strategies adopted by these crocodilians to endure arid environments, unknown so far in the crocodyliform fossil record. Apart from it, the herpetological specimens represent world evolutionary novelties, conducting to a stronger Brazilian paleontological identity. But, as far as to the local community, its relevance is being constructed through the midia and th...

Calcretes são acumulações secundárias de carbonato de cálcio próximas à superfície, que ocorrem como resultado de processos pedogenéticos e diagenéticos, formando uma grande variedade de morfologias e texturas. Na região de Uberaba (MG), calcretes ocorrem em rochas da Formação Marília (Neocretáceo da Bacia Bauru) e tem sido foco de muitos estudos. O objetivo deste estudo é investigar a origem dos calcretes que ocorrem no Membro Serra da Galga da Formação Marília, e compreender a evolução paleoambiental e as relações entre processos de sedimentação, pedogênese e diagênese meteórica (processes vadosos e freáticos) que ocorreram na unidade. Como resultado, foram distintas litofácies relacionadas a processos fluviais, a ambientes de planície de inundação e paleossolos, entre os quais ocorrem níveis de cimentação carbonática em diferentes graus, sob a
forma de revestimento de clastos, substituição parcial a total do material parental, nódulos e laminações. Microscopicamente, foi possível a distinção de microtexturas do tipo alfa – associada a processos abiogênicos – e do tipo beta – associada a processos biogênicos. Entre as microtexturas do tipo alfa, foram observadas feições de substituição de grãos siliciclásticos, texturas do tipo grãos flutuantes – representativas de crescimento deslocativo do carbonato - e franjas carbonáticas ao redor de grãos, apontando processos diagenéticos vadosos e freáticos em seu desenvolvimento. Entre as microtexturas do tipo beta estão feições alveolares e rizólitos, as quais se encontram substituídas por carbonato microcristalino e cimentadas por calcita microespática. A ocorrência de feições do tipo alfa e do tipo beta sugere que processos de precipitação de carbonato abiogênicos e biogênicos se sobrepõem ou ocorrem simultaneamente nestas rochas. Os processos abiogênicos estão relacionados a eodiagênese, na qual a precipitação de carbonato é promovida sob intensa circulação e evaporação da água presente nos estratos ou ao longo do nível freático. Processos biogênicos de precipitação do carbonato ocorrem por influência de raízes e micro-organismos.