A new spinosaurid taxon, Oxalaia quilombensis gen. et sp. nov., is described based on the anterior part of a snout and a fragment of a maxilla. These specimens were collected at the Laje do Coringa site, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of the São Luis Basin. Unlike Cristatusaurus and Suchomimus, Oxalaia quilombensis lacks serrations on the teeth. The new species differs from Angaturama limai by having the anterior part of the premaxillae more expanded and by lacking a sagittal premaxillary crest. It further differs from Spinosaurus cf. S. aegyptiacus and the Algerian spinosaurid by the rounder shape of the terminal expansion. Furthermore, Oxalaia quilombensis has one functional tooth followed by two replacement teeth, a feature not previously observed in theropods. Oxalaia quilombensis appears to be more closely related to the spinosaurids found in North Africa than to the Brazilian members of this clade and thus further increases the diversity of these enigmatic predatory dinosaurs in this country.

A new mesoeucrocodylian (Crocodyliformes) is described from the Laje do Coringa site, earliest Late Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) of the São Luís Basin, northeastern Brazil. Due to the likely hetorodonty indicated by distinct alveoli shapes, Coringasuchus anisodontis gen. et sp. nov. is tentatively referred to the Notosuchia and distinguished from other members of this clade by the presence of obliquely implanted teeth with the main axis directed anterolingually-toposterolabially and the presence of alveoli that are distinctively raised above the level of the dorsal margin of the dentary. The material further confirms the interpretation that the fossil concentration of the Laje do Coringa site is the result of multiple reworking events from previous deposits, but the degree of time-averaging was possibly higher than previously suspected.

The genera Nuculites and Cucullella have originated in different geographic areas, with the oldest record found in the Llandovery (Lower Silurian). The former was reported in Gondwana with two subgenera, Nuculites and Trilobonuculites, while the latter is found in Avalonia. Due to environmental and tectonic factors, those taxa became associated and distributed throughout Gondwana, Avalonia, Kazakhistan and Laurussia from the Late Silurian to the Late Devonian. The subgenus Trilobonuculites appeared firstly at the Pitinga Formation, Amazon Basin, Brazil, and the subgenus Nuculites is only recorded in the Silurian from the Tabuk Formation, Saudi Arabia. Cucullella was found in the Ross Brook Formation of New Scotia, Canada. Since the Late Silurian (Ludlow), which is marked by a marine transgression, Trilobonuculites and Cucullella started to occur associated, invading other paleocontinents, confirmed by the presence of Cucullella in the Gondwana (Bolivia) and Trilobonuculites in Avalonia (New Scotia). This suggests that the environment in these areas became more uniform due to the rise of the sea level and the narrowing of the ocean Rheic. The Silurian-Devonian boundary is marked by a marine regression followed by a new transgression, with maximum in the Frasian, and the collision of Avalonia/Baltica and Laurentia forming Laurussia. At this point, the subgenus Nuculites reappeared. Still in the Lower Devonian (Pragian-Emsian), the genus Nuculites diversified, dominating by the subgenus Trilobonuculites, while Cucullella was only represented by a sole species from Kazakhistan. In the Middle Devonian (Eifelian-Givetian) the subgenus Nuculites predominated while Trilobonuculites was restricted to the Maecuru Formation (Brazil). The only species of Cucullella dispersed to the oriental Laurussia and North and Occidental Gondwana. In the Late Devonian (Frasnian), the occurrence of these taxa was restricted to the Armorican Massif, Northeastern of Brazil and some doubtful occurrences in Bolivia. At that time, the oceans deepened, dysaerobic and anoxic environments spread out and Gondwana and Laurussia were approaching. These factors, associated with thermal stress, led to extinction of several taxa at the Frasnian/Fammenian boundary, including those studied here. The paleogeographic distribution of Nuculites and Cucullella agrees with the sea level curves and the movement of the continents suggested to have taken place during the Silurian and Devonian.-(

The type specimen of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti (DGM 1477‐R), a baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous of Brazil) displays some abnormalities that are here described. The holotype was examined macroscopically and compared with other skeletal elements of S. maxhechti and Baurusuchus salgadoensis (UFRJ DG 288‐R). After this analysis, the elements with signs of alterations were subjected to a computed tomography (CT) scan exam which gave more information about them. The medial and proximal thirds of the right metacarpal V show an extensive bone growth, which modified the normal form of this element. The left metatarsals I and II exhibit an abnormal bone callus covering part of the medial third of the distal end. Based on their morphology these features are regarded as the result of two injuries of distinct natures. In the right metacarpal V, the presence of a large bone callus and a fracture, with two possible causes: post‐traumatic infection or tumour. In the metatarsal I and II a case of stress fracture with a marked bone callus. Additionally, insect boring marks in the left ulna and right and left tibia of the same specimen were observed, which could be confused with pathologies. These bone changes may provide additional clues about the palaeoenvironment, such as habitat conditions, in which the specimen studied here lived. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, S140–S151.

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The Museu Nacional founded in 1818, houses important Brazilian and foreign paleoinvertebrate, paleovertebrate and fossil plant material. This paleontological patrimony is the result of not only the first acquisitions during the 19th century, specially those made by the end of it by the Imperial Geological Commission, but also of the 20th century paleontological activities, which mixes the history of the Paleontology in the Museu Nacional with the own history of the institution

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