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The Bauru Group is a sequence at least 300 m in thickness, of Cretaceous age (TuronianMaastrichtian), located in southeastern Brazil (Bauru Basin), and consists of three formations, namely Adamantina,
Uberaba and Marília. Throughout the Upper Cretaceous, there was an alternation between severely hot dry and rainy seasons, and a diverse fauna and fl...
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... the Upper Cretaceous, due to the persistence of a hot climate and to surrounding topographic heights, there was a progressive increase in aridity in the Bauru Basin. This allowed the establishment of alluvial plains, braided rivers and small temporary ponds (Mezzalira, 1980;Campanha et al., 1992Goldberg & Garcia, 2000). The invertebrate ichnofossils of the Adamantina Formation were collected in fine-grained sandstones, in the context of floodplain and channel-bar deposits (Figure 9). Some ichnogenera (Taenidium and Palaeophycus) reflect the activity of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates through feeding and locomotion in the substrate. Arenicolites is a dwelling structure, while Macanopsis is a nesting trace. The trace fossils occur in sediments interpreted as deposited during sudden floods on alluvial plains under a dry and hot climate. Associated or in nearby correlated stratigraphic levels there are plant root traces, a great amount of crocodylomorph eggs and eggshells, that are indicative of a nesting area exposed for a long period of ...
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ABSTRACT Two ichnofaunas (vertebrates and invertebrates) were discovered in the Caiuá Group, Rio Paraná Formation (Upper Cretaceous), respectively in the counties of Cianorte and Indianópolis, in northwest Paraná.
The fauna of Cianorte that is found in incoherent sandstone deposits and much altered, can be attributed to medium-sized Theropoda and t...
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... In addition, it also extends into the northwestern Paraná State and southern Goiás State (Fernandes and Coimbra 1996) (Figure 1(a)). It is subdivided into two groups, the Caiuá and Bauru, often referred to as chrono-correlated and deposited during the Late Cretaceous (Fernandes andCoimbra 1996, 2000). More recently, however, this view has been challenged and there is currently a lack of consensus on the onset of the basin sedimentation, which may have taken place as early as the Early Cretaceous (Menegazzo et al. 2016;Batezelli 2017). ...
... The history of definitions and redefinitions of the Bauru Basin lithostratigraphy is very long and complex and to this day there is no consensus among authors (e.g., Soares et al. 1980Soares et al. , 2020Suguio 1981;Fernandes andCoimbra 1996, 2000;Batezelli et al. 2003;Paula E Silva et al. 2003, 2006Batezelli 2010;Fernandes and Ribeiro 2015). The proposal by Fernandes and Coimbra (2000), reinforced by Fernandes and Ribeiro (2015), is used here because, in our view, it best describes the lithological differences observed in the Ibirá region. ...
... The history of definitions and redefinitions of the Bauru Basin lithostratigraphy is very long and complex and to this day there is no consensus among authors (e.g., Soares et al. 1980Soares et al. , 2020Suguio 1981;Fernandes andCoimbra 1996, 2000;Batezelli et al. 2003;Paula E Silva et al. 2003, 2006Batezelli 2010;Fernandes and Ribeiro 2015). The proposal by Fernandes and Coimbra (2000), reinforced by Fernandes and Ribeiro (2015), is used here because, in our view, it best describes the lithological differences observed in the Ibirá region. ...
By studying fossil bite traces, we can reconstruct the behaviour of extinct organisms and better understand past communities, environments, and ecosystems. In this paper, we analyse bite traces on a fragmented sauropod rib from the Upper Cretaceous of the Bauru Basin, southeastern Brazil. The fossil was collected in the Ibirá municipality, São Paulo State, in the strata of the São José do Rio Preto Formation (Santonian-?Maastrichtian). The analysed specimen displays nine tooth drag traces on its external surface, produced by
six or seven biting events. The traces consist of shallow linear grooves, with tapered ends and a serrated or smooth edge morphology. They can be classified as Linichnus serratus, Linichnus bromleyi, and Knethichnus parallelum and were produced by an organism with ziphodont dentition, probably an Abelisauridae. This work adds to the knowledge of the Bauru Basin palaeoecology and palaeobiology and expands the record of Mordichnia of Gondwana.
... The Adamantina Formation consists of fine-to medium-grained sandstones, matrix-supported intraformational conglomerates, and mudstones forming multi-lateral and single-story channels separated by floodplain and ephemeral lagoons deposits, as well paleosols (corresponding to medial and distal parts of the DFS) (Suguio and Barcelos, 1983;Batezelli, 2017). The sandstones usually present ripples, climbing ripples, cross lamination and planar-to trough-cross stratification, and trace fossils (roots and invertebrates) (Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006;Batezelli, 2017). The conglomerates are composed of mud and bioclasts (dinosaur and crocodile bones) deposited during warm periods with increased humidity (Suguio and Barcelos, 1983;Fernandes and Coimbra, 2000;Batezelli, 2017). ...
Burrowing behavior is an important adaptation of animals that live in arid and semi-arid conditions. In this paper, we describe examples of vertebrate burrows from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Adamantina Formation of the Bauru Basin, Brazil, most likely produced by turtles. The Adamantina Formation preserves abundant and diverse turtle body fossils such as Bauruemys elegans (Testudines: Pleurodira); however turtle burrows have not been previously documented. The newly reported burrows are preserved in fluvial sandstone facies and exposed in sections that partially preserve their three-dimensional geometry. Burrows are simple J-shaped tunnels with a cross-sectional shape that is semicircular (half-dome) with a flattened floor. Such burrows show a partially preserved entrance with an inclined ramp angle (22°), and grooves and ridges up to 1 cm in width preserved along the burrows walls and floor. The architecture and sedimentary facies of the host sandstone body, together with the occurrence of Taenidium barretti and the absence of rhizoliths, suggest that the burrow was excavated by scratch digging into an exposed point bar of a meandering river channel. Based on burrow morphology, dimensions, as well as ridges,and grooves in the walls and floor, we propose that burrows were formed by a chelonian (such as a freshwater turtle) during aestivation. We highlight that these are first examples of turtle burrows reported from the Cretaceous, and their occurrence reinforces the hypothesis that the original function of turtle shells was as an adaptation to fossorial behavior.
... The burrows produced by R. intermedius can be compared to fossil burrows described as Macanopsis isp. by Fernandes and Carvalho (2006) in Late Cretaceous (Turonian-Campanian) paleosols of the Adamantina Formation, Bauru Basin (central Brazil). The fossil structures correspond to vertical, widening, unbranched, subcylindrical shafts with a diameter of 10 mm, showing a hemispherical hollow at the base (Fig. 12A). ...
... The shafts are slightly curved, showing a clear J-shaped architecture and showing the same morphological features observed in the R. intermedius burrow (Fig. 6A-D). Fernandes and Carvalho (2006) considered spiders as possible tracemakers. The comparison of these structures with the results Fig. 11. ...
... These settings are not suitable for the occurrence of Psilonichnus, which are typical of backshore environments. Capayanichnus shows more regular parallel ridges than the fossil burrows described by Fernandes and Carvalho (2006), which show simple and discreet grooves and ridges. ...
The female Mygalomorphae spiders are sedentary and long-lived organisms that spend most of their lives inside their burrows. Neoichnological studies provide relevant information that can help the recognition of these structures in paleosols. Body fossils of spiders are known since the Carboniferous and burrowing is a primitive behavior
in Mygalomorphae spiders. However, trace fossils attributable to ground-dwelling spiders are still poorly documented in the geological record. In this work, we examine the burrows and burrowing behavior of Rachias intermedius Soares, 1944 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae) in its natural environment and discuss the characteristics
that can be used as ichnotaxobases for recognition of fossil spider burrows. Three major architectures, straight shaft with a terminal ovoid chamber, J-shaped winding shaft with the terminal chamber, and Y-shaped with a terminal teardrop-shaped chamber, are described and compared to morphologically similar ichnogenera, like Capayanichnus, Loloichnus, Macanopsis, and Psilonichnus. Differences in burrow shape and architecture are linked with the spider's sex and ontogenetic stage. Pedipalps, chelicerae, and fangs are used for soil excavation,
forming a variety of burrow wall ornaments represented by delicate sub-horizontal parallel ridges, irregular knobby micro-relief surface with soil structures attached to the wall, rounded pits, and millimeter-scale vertical striations along the burrow length. A thick inorganic clay lining covers the inner burrow wall, a feature that has not been described for spider burrows yet. These characteristics allow distinguishing spider burrows from burrows produced by other soil-dwelling arthropods. They should be used for spider burrow recognition in paleosols, mainly the millimeter-scale vertical striations that had not been documented before. The data discussed herein improve the knowledge about spider burrowing behavior and the mechanism that play the main role in preserving these burrows' features in the fossil record.
... The paleoenvironmental interpretations of this unit were mainly based in their abundant fossil record, which has been the subject of many studies in recent decades, especially based on dinosaurs, crocodiles, fishes, mollusks, and turtles (Bertini et al., 1993;Candeiro et al., 2006Candeiro et al., , 2008Carvalho et al., 2007;Marinho et al., 2013;Marsola et al., 2016). However, the studies are still scarce in the case of trace fossils, with just some works referred to the Bauru Basin (Fernandes & Carvalho, 2006;Carvalho et al., 2009;Cardoso et al., 2013;Nascimento et al., 2017a;Mineiro et al., 2017). ...
The Marilia Formation (Bauru Group, Bauru Basin) is an important record of the Upper Cretaceous in Brazil, and hosts an important fossil content. However, works regarding continental ichnology in this unit are still scarce. In order to improve this knowledge, the present work describes the occurrence of Camborygma litonomos in paleosols developed from floodplain deposits of the Marilia Formation in the Minas Gerais State. This trace fossil is associated with the activity of freshwater crayfishes, digging the soil looking for protection and to avoid the carapace dryness. Crayfish body fossils have not yet been described in deposits of the Bauru Group, thus, the trace fossil here recorded is the exclusive evidence of this organism, which is of great importance to the knowledge of the invertebrates paleodiversity of the Marilia Formation during the Late Cretaceous.
... To date Bauru Group invertebrate trace fossils are known to occur only in Adamantina and Marília formations deposits, whereas rhizoliths have been reported from several localities, except for the Uberaba Formation. Several ichnogenera occur in the Adamantina Formation, such as Arenicolites, Coprinisphaera, Macanopsis, Palaeophycus, Skolithos, Taenidium, and Trypanites (Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006;Carvalho et al., 2009;Vasconcellos and Carvalho, 2010;Cardoso et al., 2013). The number of ichnotaxa is not so diverse for the Marília Formation and only few ichnogenera, Asthenopodichnium, Macanopsis, Skolithos, Taenidium, and more recently a trace fossil similar to Daimoniobarax ichnogenus, are reported so far (Da lB o et al., 2010;Mineiro et al., 2013;Francischini et al., 2016;Nascimento et al., 2017). ...
... Fossil trackways are found worldwide, they are commonly found in rocks within the Palaeozoic (Collette et al., 2010;Gibb et al., 2009), Mesozoic (Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006;Zonneveld et al., 2010), and Cenozoic Eras (Donovan et al., 2005;Huddart et al., 2008). Examples of both body and trace fossils found together within the same sediments are rare in the fossil record; rarer still are trace fossils such as that described here, where the trace maker is found at the end of its trackway (e.g., Caster, 1940;Fortey and Seilacher, 1997;Collette et al., 2010). ...
A 9.7 metre long trackway was discovered in a plattenkalk quarry near the village of Wintershof, Bavaria; Germany in 2002. The huge ichnofossil derives from the Lower Tithonian, Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Lithographic Limestone. The trackway is complete from beginning to end and consists of footprints, telson drag impressions and is identified as the ichnotaxon Kouphichnium isp. Preserved at the very end of the trackway is a complete specimen of Mesolimulus walchi confirming the trackway as a mortichnia (‘death march’). Trackways and trace makers preserved together in the fossil record are rare and such specimens allow unique insights into behaviour and ecology. The events that led to M. walchi preserved in this sediment are unknown; however a most likely scenario is that the limulid was washed into the lagoonal environment during a harsh storm.
... Rindsberg and Kopaska-Merkel (2005) recognized four ichnospecies of Arenicolites, but the lack of a cross section of the paired structures doesn't allow the accurately identification of the ichnospecies of Arenicolites. This ichnogenus is only known at four Brazilian Mesozoic continental lithostratigraphical units: Sanga do Cabral and Caturrita formations (Triassic of the Paran a Basin; Netto, 1989Netto, , 2000Netto et al., 1994;Gandini et al., 2004), Sousa Formation (Lower Cretaceous of the Sousa Basin; Carvalho, 1989) and Adamantina Formation (Late Cretaceous of the Bauru Basin; Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006). Stratigraphy. ...
... Remarks. There are five recognized ichnospecies of Palaeophycus (see Pemberton and Frey, 1982;Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006): P. tubularis Hall, 1847, P. striatus Hall, 1852, P. heberti (Saporta, 1872), P. sulcatus (Miller and Dyer, 1978) and P. alternatus Pemberton and Frey, 1982. As cited by Fernandes and Carvalho (2006), P. tubularis and P. heberti, are comprised by smooth and unornamented straight to slight curved burrows. ...
... There are five recognized ichnospecies of Palaeophycus (see Pemberton and Frey, 1982;Fernandes and Carvalho, 2006): P. tubularis Hall, 1847, P. striatus Hall, 1852, P. heberti (Saporta, 1872), P. sulcatus (Miller and Dyer, 1978) and P. alternatus Pemberton and Frey, 1982. As cited by Fernandes and Carvalho (2006), P. tubularis and P. heberti, are comprised by smooth and unornamented straight to slight curved burrows. P. tubularis is thinly lined up and P. heberti is composed by thick-lined cylindrical burrows. ...
... Em relação às plantas, quando comparadas aos demais fósseis conhecidos, o registro é mais escasso, sendo reportadas ocorrências de girogonites de carófitas, fragmentos de coníferas e paleorraízes (Dias-Brito et al., 2002;Mezzalira, 1974Mezzalira, , 1989Fernandes, 2010;Dal´Bó et al., 2010). (Fernandes & Carvalho, 2006;Carvalho et al., 2009;Vasconcellos & Carvalho, 2010;Cardoso et al., 2013). Na Formação Marília as ocorrências não são tão abundantes, tendo sido registrados Macanopsis, Skolithos e Taenidium (Dal´Bó et al., 2010;Mineiro et al., 2013). ...
... Though the type materials of Macanopsis (Type-6) were described as marine, these were later recorded in the pointbar deposits of the fluvial deposits (Bown 1982;Bown and Kraus 1983), fluvial floodplain and in braided fluvial environment (Fernandes and Carvalho 2006). These structures were attributed to a variety of invertebrate trace makers including insects, spiders, decapods and molluscs (cf. ...
Trace fossils that record animal and plant activity are described for the first time from the Middle Siwalik, Neogene deposits of Darjeeling Himalaya. Sedimentary facies association attests to a channel– interchannel floodplain fluviatile setting. The intimate association of the burrows with phytoliths, rhi-zoliths, leaf compressions and coal lenses suggest that the tracemakers dominated a floodplain habitat. Point bar deposits host a low diversity Planolites-Naktodemasis-Macanopsis-Cylindricum equilibrium ichnocoenosis in the heterolithic fine sandstone-siltstone-shale facies that alternates with dense, monospe-cific colonization of Planolites as opportunistic pioneers relocating under stressed condition. Interlayered floodplain deposits in the fluvial successions preserve enigmatic large diameter, vertical tubes within thin to thick-bedded, dark silty shale facies. These tubes bear mixed characters assignable to both crayfish burrows and large-diameter rhizoliths. Further work on these tubes is necessary to make more accurate interpretations of those structures. Shallow to moderate burrow depths; intermittent, short-lived colo-nization events and preservation of rhizoliths and rhizohalos under fluctuating moisture content indicate short-term fluctuations of a relatively high water table (close to the paleosurface) in an imperfectly drained proximal floodplain setting. Ichnotaxa distribution and their inferred ethology provide significant faunal data that may put constraints on the reconstruction of Middle Siwalik depositional environment.
... Both M. astreptum and trace fossil type 11 of Bown (1982) are similar to bembidionid burrows discussed herein (Figs. 3A, D). Fernandes and Carvalho (2006) described ?Macanopsis isp. from Upper Cretaceous fluvial sediments of southeastern Brazil. ...
Domichnial and domichnial-fodinichnial burrows of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) belonging to the genera Bembidion and Harpalus, respectively, and pupichnial burrows of Melolontha (Coleoptera: Melolonthinae: Scarabaeidae) occur in sandy to muddy nonvegetated or partly vegetated substrate on a well-drained, rarely flooded alluvial plain of the Dunajec River (Sandomierz Basin, southern Poland). The burrows show a characteristic morphology, with a straight or curved shaft and a horizontal to oblique terminal chamber. The Bembidion and Harpalus burrows are similar and show a wide range of morphological variability, including forms in which the terminal chamber is poorly outlined. Their inclination changes from oblique (most common) on horizontal surfaces to horizontal in steep scarps. The Melolontha burrows are larger, with vertical shafts and strongly elongated chambers. The Melolontha and Harpalus burrows occupy vegetated areas in more distal areas, the Bembidion stephensii burrows occur in the intermediate environments with respect to the river channel, while the B. quadrimaculatum is present in more proximal, nonvegetated or poorly vegetated flood plain and scarps of the river channel. Comparison with the trace fossil Macanopsis indicates that ground beetles and scarab beetles should be included as possible tracemakers (as well as spiders, wasps, or millipedes as presented in the literature) of Macanopsis in continental settings. These traces occur in environmental conditions typical of the Coprinisphaera ichnofacies, mainly in soils above the groundwater table.
