Paulo Victor Luiz Gomes da Costa Pereira

Osteoderm Histology of Late Pleistocene Cingulates from the Intertropical Region of Brazil

During the Late Pleistocene, several possibly endemic cingulate species, known mostly from isolated osteoderms, carapace fragments, and caudal tubes, coexisted in the Brazilian Intertropical Region. Here, we describe the osteoderm microstructure of Pachyarmatherium brasiliense, as well as the glyptodonts Panochthus greslebini, Panochthus jaguaribensis and Glyptotherium sp., in order to provide additional species-diagnostic characters and shed light on their evolutionary relationships. Pachyarmatherium brasiliense lacks several derived features shared by glyptodonts and pampatheres, such as extensive bone remodeling, fibers arranged in large bundles, and relatively poorly developed layers of compact bone, thus supporting its exclusion from glyptodonts as suggested by a recent cladistic study. The osteoderm histology of P. greslebini resembles that of other species of Panochthus (e.g., Panochthus frenzelianus). By contrast, the presence of relatively thick layers of compact bone, the configuration and size of resorption areas, the absence of randomly oriented lateral fiber bundles, and the absence of an intermediary region between the compact and trabecular bone potentially support the exclusion of Panochthus jaguaribensis from the genus. Finally, osteoderms of the Brazilian specimens of Glyptodontinae share histological features with Glyptotherium floridanus, rather than Glyptodon, thus reinforcing their assignment to Glyptotherium. These results highlight the relevance of histological osteoderm characters in cingulate systematics, ands call for further and more comprehensive studies.

Reassessment of the enigmatic crocodyliform "Goniopholis" paulistanus Roxo, 1936: Historical approach, systematic, and description by new materials

The Crocodyliformes are the most represented vertebrate clade in the Upper Cretaceous sequences of the Bauru Group, Paraná Basin. However, some of the species described have an uncertain taxonomic status and phylogenetic position. For instance, “Goniopholis” paulistanus has been assigned as a nomem dubium, due to its description being based on scarce material. The “G”. paulistanus specimens (i.e. teeth and a left tibia) were discovered in two different localities in São Paulo state: Mirandópolis and Valparaíso municipalities; where the upper interval of the Adamantina Formation (Early Maastrichtian of Bauru Group) crops out. Revisiting these specimens, we observed multicrenulated teeth in middle dentary toot- row, a remarkable feature only shared with teleosaurids Machimosaurus hugii (Upper Jurassic of Laurasia) and M. rex (Lower Cretaceous of Tunisia). This apomorphy was also recognized in new material from the Alfredo Marcondes municipality (Presidente Prudente Formation), which are here also referred to “G”. paulistanus. We recognized the teeth of “G.” paulistanus as the lectotype, however the tibia cannot be assigned to a species as it was not collected in association with the teeth. We performed a phylogenetic analysis with a data matrix composed of 388 characters and 86 taxa, analyzed in TNT. The strict consensus tree recovered Neosuchia and Ziphosuchia (Notosuchia + Sebecia) within Mesoeucrocodylia. The species “G” paulistanus is valid, as a distinct and new genus within Sebecia, in a polytomy with Barreirosuchus, Pepesuchus, Itasuchus and Peirosaurus, forming the clade Itasuchidae. Stolokrosuchus is the sister taxon to Itasuchidae, the sister group of all other Sebecia (Peirosauridae (Mahajangasuchidae + Sebecidae and taxa affinis)). The clades Ziphosuchia, Sebecia and Itasuchidae are here redefined, and we find the last two clades to be more closely related to terrestrial notosuchids than to semiaquatic neosuchians.

Paleobiogeographic evolution and distribution of Carcharodontosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda) during the middle Cretaceous of North Africa

Over the last few decades, the systematics and evolution of carcharodontosaurids, a group of large predatory dinosaurs, from North Africa have been better understood mainly due the discovery of new species. We review this record here and discuss its importance for understanding the evolution and ecology of these dinosaurs. North Africa has one of the best records of carcharodontosaurid species. These species show dietary specializations and paleogeographic distributions similar to other top predatory theropods such as Abelisauridae and Spinosauridae. However, carcharodontosaurids have a wider distribution than other large theropods. The middle Cretaceous of North Africa was characterized by the niche overlap between large predators. This evidence increases our understanding of the evolution of Carcharodontosauridae in a highly competitive region, a conjuncture rarely reported for large top predators.

Social and Economic Up and Downgrading in Brazil's Hortifruiticulture

Within the framework of the Capturing the Gains research network, which adopts a global value chain (GVC) perspective, this article analyses developments in the hortifruiticulture sector and Brazilian food retail with the aim of identifying processes of social and economic up and downgrading as a result of participation in GVCs. Recent literature on these questions in Latin America and Brazil, which has largely been conducted within the retail transnationalization perspective developed by Reardon and colleagues, is first reviewed. We then analyse recent data on the retail sector, highlighting the shift of the dominant actors to non-food sales and the growth of local and regional outlets in response to the increased purchasing capacity of low-income groups. Retail is recognized to have decreased the number of farm produce suppliers and increased quality demands. Our research, however, has identified substantial informal subcontracting, with positive effects on inclusion but raising doubts on the efficiency of standards. In revisiting Brazil’s most important and most studied fruit export pole, Petrolina, we conclude that the agricultural sector has increased its bargaining power within the GVC given the opportunities opened up by an expanding domestic market. This has similarly led to farmworker economic upgrading via longer production periods. Even though working conditions are harsh, trade union negotiating strength in the current political conjuncture has been significantly improved, leading to important measures of social upgrading.