A pterosaur bone bed with at least 47 individuals (wing spans: 0.65–2.35 m) of a new species is reported from southern Brazil from an interdunal lake deposit of a Cretaceous desert, shedding new light on several biological aspects of those flying reptiles. The material represents a new pterosaur, Caiuajara dobruskii gen. et sp. nov., that is the southermost occurrence of the edentulous clade Tapejaridae (Tapejarinae, Pterodactyloidea) recovered so far. Caiuajara dobruskii differs from all other members of this clade in several cranial features, including the presence of a ventral sagittal bony expansion projected inside the nasoantorbital fenestra, which is formed by the premaxillae; and features of the lower jaw, like a marked rounded depression in the occlusal concavity of the dentary. Ontogenetic variation of Caiuajara dobruskii is mainly reflected in the size and inclination of the premaxillary crest, changing from small and inclined (∼115°) in juveniles to large and steep (∼90°) in adults. No particular ontogenetic features are observed in postcranial elements. The available information suggests that this species was gregarious, living in colonies, and most likely precocial, being able to fly at a very young age, which might have been a general trend for at least derived pterosaurs.
ResumoEm visita ao Geopark Araripe (GA), único representante nacional na Rede Global de Geoparques, realizada em julho de 2010 por pesquisadores da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, acompanhados por membros da equipe do GA, buscou-se conhecer seu território, estrutura física e administrativa, entidades parceiras e colher impressões sobre seu processo de criação e funcionamento, tendo em vista a construção de proposta semelhante para a região dos Campos Gerais do Paraná. No GA foram visitados todos seus geossítios e para eles identificados valores da geodiversidade sensu Murray Gray (intrínseco, cultural, estético, econômico, funcional, didático e científico). Pela subjetividade do valor intrínseco, assume-se que toda a geodiversidade em questão o tem. Em relação aos demais valores, os mais facilmente reconhecíveis para cada geossítio foram: o valor cultural para o Geossítio Colina do Horto, associado principalmente a aspectos religiosos e à figura do Padre Cícero e nos geossítios Batateiras e Cachoeira de Missão Velha pela forte ligação com os aldeamentos dos índios Kariris, suas histórias e lendas e seu vínculo com os recursos hídricos; o valor estético para os geossítios que por questões topográficas permitem uma visão privilegiada da Chapada e da Bacia do Araripe (Colina do Horto e Pontal da Santa Cruz), de cachoeiras que compõem uma paisagem exuberante (Batateiras e Cachoeira de Missão Velha) e por processos singulares de erosão (Ponte de Pedra). O valor econômico tem seu reconhecimento no Geossítio Pedra Cariri, com a lavra de calcário laminado e no antigo Geossítio Ipubi, com extração desativada de gipsita. O valor funcional é expressivo nos geossítios Batateiras e Riacho do Meio por abrigarem as nascentes de importantes rios da região. Os valores científico e didático podem ser constatados no conjunto total de geossítios, no entanto, os geossítios Floresta Petrificada do Cariri e Parque dos Pterossauros tornam estes valores mais evidentes, pois possuem um registro paleontológico riquíssimo. A identificação destes valores só reforça e contextualiza a importância das ações de geoconservação que vêm sendo realizadas neste território e lança um olhar holístico sobre a geodiversidade, estreitando seus laços com a população local e com toda a vida que lhe tem como suporte. Palavras-chave: valores da geodiversidade; geossítios; Geopark Araripe AbstractIn July 2010 researchers from the State University of Ponta Grossa visited the Araripe Geopark (AG), the only national representative in the Global Network of Geoparks. Accompanied by staff members of the AG, the group looked for knowing the geopark territory, administrative and physical infrastructure, public and private partners, daily work and the whole process of its establishment, with the main objective to build a similar proposal in the Campos Gerais region, State of Paraná. All selected geosites from the AG were visited, and intrinsic, cultural, aesthetic, economic, functional, educational and scientific values of geodiversity, as proposed by Murray Gr...
The Devonian Escarpment (DEEPA), located in the south of Brazil, represents an important area of environmental preservation composed by grasslands, gallery forests, as well as rock outcrops and archaeological sites. A law project (LP 527/2016), which suggests a reduction of the DEEPA area in approximately 70% of its original area (from 393,579 to 125,895 ha), is currently being processed in the Paraná State House of Representatives. Such reduction seems to be related to economic interests (mainly agriculture and mining) in the state of Paraná. If approved, LP 527/2016 will allow farmers to deliberately expand their activities, with the suppression of natural forest as main consequence. Additionally, loss of faunal diversity, contamination of water and soils, and alteration in nutrient cycles are expected, due the intensive use of agrochemicals. In addition to the direct environmental consequences, we expect the disappearance of areas of high geological interest, reducing local geodiversity, as well as substantial economic losses with ecotourism. Brazil is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, where it undertakes to develop strategies to prevent biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation by 2020. An approval of the LP would be contradictory, considering that there are few natural vegetation areas in this region of the country. We emphasize that the proposal of such projects goes against the sustainability in the country and disregard the scientific knowledge generated until then. Thus, it is necessary to develop regional and federal political objectives that guarantee economic development in a balanced way, considering the local bio and geodiversity, not the proposal of mechanisms that destroy them.
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