Renato Rodriguez Cabral Ramos

Atolchelys lepida, a new side-necked turtle from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and the age of crown Pleurodira

We report a new pleurodiran turtle from the Barremian Morro do Chaves Formation, Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, Brazil. We tested the phylogenetic position of Atolchelys lepida gen. et sp. nov. by including it in a comprehensive cladistic analysis of pleurodires. The new species is a basal member of Bothremydidae and simultaneously the oldest unambiguous crown Pleurodira. The biogeographic and chronostratigraphic significance of the finding has implications for the calibration of molecular clocks studies by pushing back the minimum age of crown Pleurodira by more than 12 Ma (ca 125 Ma). The reanalysis of Pelomedusoides relationships provides evidence that the early evolution and relationships among the main lineages of side-necked turtles can be explained, at least partially, by a sequence of vicariance events.

The oldest plesiosaur (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from Antarctica

Antarctic plesiosaurs are known from the Upper Cretaceous López de Bertodano and Snow Hill Island formations (Campanian to upper Maastrichtian), which crop out within the James Ross Basin region of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we describe the first plesiosaur fossils from the Lachman Crags Member of the Santa Marta Formation, north-western James Ross Island. This material constitutes the stratigraphically oldest plesiosaur occurrence presently known from Antarctica, extending the occurrence of plesiosaurians in this continent back to Santonian times (86.3–83.5 Mya). Furthermore, MN 7163-V represents the first plesiosaur from this region not referable to the Elasmosauridae nor Aristonectes, indicating a greater diversity of this group of aquatic reptiles in Antarctica than previously suspected.

Mapa geológico do cenozoico da região da bacia de Volta Redonda (RJ, segmento central do Rifte Continental do Sudeste do Brasil): identificação de novos grabens e ocorrências descontínuas, e caracterização de estágios tectonossedimentares

This work aims to present new results of geological mapping and tectonosedimentary analysis of the cenozoic of Volta Redonda basin region, inserted in the central segment of the Continental Rift of Southeast Brazil (CRSB). Were recognized three paleogenic depocenters (grabens of Colonia Santo Antonio, Dorândia, Casa de Pedra - most importantly, for its volcanic and sedimentary record) and discontinuous paleogenics deposits (areas of Belmonte, Jardim Amalia, Cafundo, Vargem Alegre), and two expressives quaternary grabens (grabens of the Rio Bananal and the Usinal), distributed in the NE-SW direction. The paleogenic filling was related to three tectonic stages: Pre-Rift phase, linked to the deposition of the Ribeirao Quatis Formation (fluvial); Rift phase I (main), related to Resende Formation, characterized by a fluvial and alluvial fan systems associated with major fault edges, and basanitic volcanism (Casa de Pedra Basanite); Rift phase II (final) relating to Pinheiral Formation fluvial deposits, responsible for clogging of paleogenics depocenters. Significant accumulations of recent alluvial deposits are linked to the fulfillment of the Quaternary grabens. The current configuration of the Volta Redonda basin region is the results of a generation of several brittle structures associated to paleogenic opening and neotectonic deformation. Thus, this segment of the CRSB is represented by a mosaic of paleogenic dpocenters and discontinuous occurrences significantly compartmentalized by recent deformation, and quaternary depocenters, mainly linked to the Holocene extension event. The identification and characterization of these feautures, brings a new arrangement of cenozoic record in the region of the Volta Redonda basin, measuring around 40 km in the NE-SW and 10 km in the NW-SE direction.