Paleoecology and radiocarbon dating of the Pleistocene megafauna of the Brazilian Intertropical Region

Abstract

During the Pleistocene a fauna composed of large (biomass > 44 kg) and giant mammals (biomass > 1000 kg) that are usually associated with open environments lived in the Brazilian Intertropical Region. We present here new information concerning the paleoecology and chronology of some species of this megafauna. Carbon isotope analyses were performed for a better understanding of the paleoecology of the species Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842), Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) and Toxodon platensis (Owen, 1849). The δ13C data allow attributing a generalist diet to these species, which varied according to the kind of habitat in which they lived. In more open habitats all species were grazers; in mixed habitats E. laurillardi and T. platensis were mixed feeders, and N. platensis was grazer; and in more closed habitats all species were mixed feeders.

Quaternary mammals from central Brazil (Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul) and comments on paleobiogeography and paleoenvironments

“…Due to the absence of diagnostic features on the studied specimen, we have decided to not assign a specified taxonomical classification beyond Gomphotheriidae. Based on stable isotopes analysis, Dantas et al (2013) attributed a generalist diet to Brazilian gomphotheres (N. platensis). This would indicate that the species had a high ecological flexibility, being able to live in open areas as well as in forests.…”

“…Frequently, paleoecological and paleoenvironmental approaches take into account the feeding habits based on isotopical and morphological analyses (Bargo & Vizcaíno, 2008;Dantas et al, 2013). In Brazil, most of these studies have focused on fossils from North and Northeast regions (Dantas et al, 2013;França et al, 2014).…”

Evolução dos Toxodontia da América do Sul durante o Cenozoico: aspectos dentários, paleoclimáticos e paleoambientais

“…Além disso, nem sempre é possível observar entre os notoungulados eu-hipsodontes uma dieta restrita a gramíneas, podendo haver hábitos ramoneadores ou mistos (Macfadden 2005, Dantas et al 2013, Lopes et al 2013. A hipsodontia não está correlacionada apenas à dieta, mas a inúmeros outros fatores, como índice de precipitação (Eronen et al 2010a, b), hábitats abertos (Mendoza & Palmqvist 2008) e altura do forrageio em relação ao solo (Codron et al 2007(Codron et al , 2008, independentemente da abundância de gramíneas (Williams & Kay 2001, Damuth & Janis 2011).…”

Mamíferos fósseis do limite Pleistoceno/Holoceno do estado de Goiás

“…No entanto, no âmbito da Família Mylodontidae, ocorre a presença de espécies que exploravam recursos extraídos do subsolo, como raízes, tubérculos e/ou cascas de árvores, removidos com o auxílio de suas poderosas garras manuais (CARTELLE 2000, BARGO et al 2003. Por sua vez, Stegomastodon waringi constituía um forrageador considerado generalista, explorando uma dieta composta predominantemente por gramíneas e folhas de arbustos (SÁNCHEZ et al 2004, ASEVEDO et al 2013, DANTAS 2012, DANTAS et al 2013.…”