Late Pleistocene mammals from northeastern Brazil caves: Taxonomy, radiocarbon dating, isotopic paleoecology (δ13C), and paleoenvironment reconstruction (δ13C, δ18O)

Osteohistological analysis and preservation stage of Coendou magnus Lund, 1839 (Rodentia, Erethizontidae) fossils recovered at Toca da Barriguda Cave, Northeastern Brazil

“…The identification was based on the nasal bones (Figure 2A), which were shorter and larger and more similar to those of Coendou than those of Erethizon, on the length of the cheekteeth row, which was longer than that presented in extant species, and in the tetralophodont p4 (Figures 2B-C), which occurs only in C. magnus (Vezzosi & Kerber, 2018). The individual was dated at 33,171-33,765 calyr BP (UGAMS 33269; 14 C bioapatite = 23,890±70 yr; converted to 14 C collagen = 28,990±70 yr; Alves- Silva et al, 2023). This is a partial skeleton from an adult specimen, composed of 103 bones (45% of the skeleton), and was found unbound above the ground near each other.…”

“…When found in the rock matrix, calcite is the most common mineral for filling bone cavities (Wings, 2004), facilitating fossilization. Its absence from the sample suggests that, despite its age (33,171-33,765 cal years BP; Alves- Silva et al, 2023), the skeleton has undergone little replacement of its original organic matter. The presence of calcite can lead to bone deformation caused by the growth of calcite crystals, which destroy the microscopic structures of the fossilized specimens (Holz & Schultz, 1998).…”

“…The analyzed material is a rib, part of the scientific collection of the Laboratório de Ecologia & Geociências (LEG) of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, under the number LEG 790. Alves- Silva et al (2023) described the nasal bones (LEG 810), left premaxilla (LEG 817), upper molars (LEG 813 to LEG 815), dentary (LEG 816), and several postcranial materials attributed to Coendou magnus.…”

“…Amid these deposits, a large number of fossils found in carbonate caves in the Chapada Diamantina region, State of Bahia, Brazil, have drawn considerable attention (Lessa et al, 1998;Castro et al, 2014;Dantas et al, 2019Dantas et al, , 2020Silva et al, 2019;Eltink et al, 2020). Many of these fossils are representative of extant mammals, such as Tamandua tetradactyla Linnaeus, 1758, Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758), and Dicotyles tajacu Linnaeus, 1758 (Eltink et al, 2020;Alves-Silva et al, 2023), whereas others are from extinct animals, such as giant sloths Catonyx cuvieri (Lund, 1839), Nothrotherium maquinense (Lund, 1839), and Eremotherium laurillardi Lund, 1839 (Vasconcelos et al, 2016;Dantas et al, 2019).…”

“…Recently, several studies have been conducted on fossils from carbonate caves, particularly regarding taphonomy and paleoecology (Berbert-Born & Karmann, 2002;Dantas et al, 2019;Alves-Silva et al, 2023). However, surveys detailing the fossilization processes and bone microstructure of specimens from caves still need to be made available (Costa et al, 2012;Mayer et al, 2020;Sousa et al, 2020).…”