Leonardo dos Santos Avilla

Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro · Departamento de Zoologia (DZO)

The diversity of South American deer genera during the Quaternary is considered one of the greatest in the world. However, this was established during the beginning of the twentieth century, when the recognition of new extinct deer taxa was based only on differences in antler morphology. Thus, South American extinct deer taxa need a detailed taxono...

Fossilization of mammalian young is extremely rare, mainly due to the fragility of bones (smaller and less mineralized) and unfused sutures, which are difficult to preserve during fossil diagenesis. Here, we describe an unprecedented and very complete juvenile of a pampathere, an extinct lineage of Cingulata (Xenarthra). The fossil comprises parts...

The Proboscidea were very prominent in South American ecosystems during the Pleistocene and part of the Holocene. Specifically, in Valle del Cauca (Colombia), fossils of these large mammals have been found, reflecting an abundant presence in the region. In this work, a mandibular fragment with a complete last molar (m3) is reported, found near the...

Research on the postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in pterosaurs is common in the literature, but most studies present only qualitative assessments. When quantitative, they are done on isolated bones. Here, we estimate the Air Space Proportion (ASP) obtained from micro-CT scans of the sequence from the sixth cervical to the fourth dorsal vertebra of...

In the Northeast Region of Brazil, Pleistocene megafauna fossils are abundant and have been recorded since the 18th century. Proboscideans were quite common among these megamammals and have become one of the groups that may help paleoenvironmental interpretations. Thus, extensive bibliographical survey and taxonomic review were carried out, includi...

The South American native ungulates (SANUs) are usually overlooked in Eutherian phylogenetic studies. In the rare studies where they were included, the diversity of SANUs was underrated, keeping their evolutionary history poorly known. Some authors recognized the SANUs as a monophyletic lineage and formally named it Meridiungulata. Here, we recogni...

Climatic and environmental changes, as well as human action, have been cited as potential causes for the extinction of megafauna in South America at the end of the Pleistocene. Among megamammals lineages with Holarctic origin, only horses and proboscideans went extinct in South America during this period. This study aims to understand how the spati...

Full paper access until May, 2021 at https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1cjmd6hTLQgXY- Objective This study explores the chemical composition and surface aspects of fossilized dental calculus from the South American Quaternary proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis and the first record of fossilized oral bacteria from extinct megafauna. Materials Bloc...

Macrauchenia patachonica Oiwen, 1838 is a native and extinct Quaternary megamammal from South America. Although studies on macraucheniids started two centuries ago, when Darwin found their first fossils, M. patachonica paleobiology is still poorly understood. Dental calculus is an oral pathology that fossilizes and the analysis of its contents is a...

The tragic fire at the National Museum (Brazil) in September 2018 caused invaluable losses to South American natural and cultural heritage. However, previous visits to the paleontological collection generated photographic and descriptive records of mammalian fossil specimens from the Pleistocene of Brazil. Thus, it was possible to redescribe and re...

Here it is reviewed the cotype of the ground-sloth Nothrophus cararanensis Bordas, 1942, and proposed that it should be taxonomically relocated to the extinct deer Morenelaphus. The specimen in question is represented by a fragmentary braincase, that shares several features with Cervidae and, more detailed with Morenelaphus. Besides antler morpholo...

Here we respond to Dantas et al.‘s reply to de Oliveira et al. (2020) regarding a disagreement over the paleodiet of Xenorhinotherium bahiense and whether it was a grazer (our view) or a browser/mixed feeder (Dantas et al.). We refer again to the points made by de Oliveira et al. (2020) in order to refute the arguments of Dantas et al.

Fossils of Proboscidea are abundant in Northeastern Brazil. This study presents the identification and description of Proboscidea fossils from eight natural tank deposits in the Bahia state. The specimens were identified based on comparison with available references and by direct analysis of collection specimens. The fossils from the municipalities...

The extinction of the Quaternary megafauna stands out among the evolutionary history of Cenozoic mammals. In South America, nearly 80% of the megamammals went extinct, including the native un-gulates Macrauchenia patachonica and Xenorhinotherium bahiense. Little is known about the causes of the macraucheniids' extinction and their paleobiology. Her...

The drivers of the global Quaternary megafaunal extinction are constantly being updated and discussed. Most paleoarchaeological sites in South America with proboscideans and humans in association are considered as clear killing sites, an interpretation that might not consider their taphonomic aspects and neglect other ecological interactions. Here...

Birds and pterosaurs have pneumatic bones, a feature likely related to their flight capabilities but whose evolution and origin is still poorly understood. Pneumatic foramina are present on the external surface of the bone and are reliable indicators of post-cranial skeletal pneumatization present in Pterosauria, Eusauropoda, and Neotheropoda. Here...

Interest in the origin and evolution of Equus dates back to over a century, but there is still no consensus on the definition of the genus or its phylogenetic position. We review the placement of Equus within several phylogenetic frameworks and present a phylogenetic analysis of derived Equini, including taxa referred to Equus, Haringtonhippus, Din...

Biochronology is important to vertebrate chronology because the primary temporal units developed and applied by vertebrate paleontologists for correlation of terrestrial deposits (Land Mammal Ages, LMA) are all biochronologic units. Specific mammal biochronologic scales have been developed for Europe (MN units or ELMA), Asia (ALMA), North America (...

The extant horse genus Equus originated in North America, probably during the late Miocene/early Pliocene, and its entrance into South America was possibly related to one of the last four stages of the Great American Biotic Interchange. Nonetheless, the genus had a broad geographic distribution throughout South America. Five species of Equus were t...

The diversity of South American proboscideans during the Quaternary has been a subject of discussion for decades. The presence of Cuvieronius hyodon in South America is unquestioned and unanimous; however, the taxonomy of the known second South American proboscidean is still a controversy. Some authors argue that the South American species traditio...

Antifer es el cérvido más grande para el Cuaternario de América del Sur, conocido hasta la fecha solo por sus astas. Presentamos aquí el primer molde endocraneano de este taxón, en base a tomografías computadas del neurocráneo de un individuo adulto (MRS 202) con volteo completo. El mismo proviene del Pleistoceno Tardío (edades OSL 84- 95 ka AP) de...

The study of two caves from the Serra do Ramalho region is here presented, this is one of the most important karstic areas in Brazil. A taxonomic analysis revealed 29 taxa including Xenarthra, Cetartiodactyla and Carnivora, ranging from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene. Taphonomic studies reveal taphocoenosis consisting mainly of complete element...

The genus Equus originated in the Pliocene Epoch of North America, and its arrival in South America is likely related to the Great American Biotic Interchange that took place in the transition of Pliocene to Pleistocene. Currently, there are five recognized species for the South American continent: Equus neogeus, E. santaeelenae, E. insulatus, E. a...

During paleontological surveys conducted in 2013 and 2014 in Quaternary deposits from the Gruta do Urso cave, Tocantins State, nine isolated teeth and five postcranial elements of Equus neogeus were recovered. Absolute datings indicate that E. neogeus inhabited the surroundings of Gruta do Urso cave during the Last Glacial Maximum. The specimens pr...

The subfamily Glyptodontinae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) comprises one of the most frequently recorded glyptodontids in South America. Recently, the North American genus Glyptotherium was recorded in South America, in addition to the genus Glyptodon. It has been shown that both genera shared the same geographic distribution in central-north and eastern...

Among the extinct cervids of the Pleistocene in South America, Morenelaphus has the most abundant fossil record and the broadest geographic distribution. However, the paleoecology of Morenelaphus is poorly known, especially its dietary patterns; thus, this study aims to recognize the feeding habits of this extinct cervid through analysis of microwe...

This study reports new occurrences of the Quaternary megafauna in the paleontological sites of Campo Alegre (Taperoá municipality, Paraíba State) and Lage Grande (Alagoinha municipality, Pernambuco State), northeastern Brazil. The following taxa were identified: Hippidion principale (Perissodactyla, Equidae), Panochthus sp. (Cingulata, Glyptodontid...

Este trabalho reporta novas ocorrências de mamíferos da Megafauna do Quaternário nos sítios paleontológicos de Campo Alegre (município de Taperoá, estado da Paraíba) e Lage Grande (município de Alagoinha, estado de Pernambuco), Nordeste do Brasil. São registrados os seguintes táxons: Hippidion principale (Perissodactyla, Equidae), Panochthus sp. (C...

Studies regarding Quaternary mammals from the Serra da Bodoquena (South-western Brazil, state of Mato Grosso do Sul) are scarce. In the region, the Fadas Cave has been an important paleontological site. Remnants of Pleistocene fauna were collected along a river channel inside the cave. It is the first record of Arctotherium, Scelidotheriinae and No...

Proboscideans are common constituents of the Quaternary megafauna in South America and their remains have been recovered over the entire continent; however, the records of Notiomastodon platensis are unknown in Bolivia, Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname. In this study, we describe the first record of Notiomastodon platensis from Bolivia. A N. plat...

The Camelidae is currently extinct in Brazil. In this study, we present several cranial and postcranial specimens recognized as Camelidae, recovered from Gruta do Urso cave, southeast Tocantins state, Brazil. The specimens were identified as Palaeolama major, mainly due to the absence of protostylids and parastylids in the lower permanent molars. T...

The Cerrado, the second largest morphoclimatic area of South America, has many limestone outcrops with caves. However, studies of the bat fauna in karstic environments in the Cerrado are scarce. We present an inventory of bats in a karstic Cerrado area in the Tocantins state. We used mist-nets to sample caves, savannas, deciduous forests, and periu...

We performed a paleopathological and paleoepidemiological analysis for a Notiomastodon platensis population (47 individuals) from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil recovered from Quaternary sediments in Águas de Araxá (QAA), which revealed three different osseous diseases: Schmorl's node, osteomyelitis and osteoarthritis. All diagnosed injuries were o...

Studies on South American Gomphotheriidae started around 210 years ago and, 150 years later, the classic study “The mastodonts of Brazil” by Simpson and Paula Couto (1957) attempted to clarify the complex issues related to our understanding of these proboscideans. Here, we update state of knowledge regarding proboscideans in South America subsequen...

Here we present teiid lizard fossils from Gruta do Urso, Aurora do Tocantins, Tocantins State, northern Brazil. We describe a left lower jaw of a “Cnemidophorinae” indet. and a right dentary attributed to Tupinambis sp. These materials share with extant Teiidae a heterodont dentition with subpleurodont tooth implantation, and are assigned to Teiina...

To recognize the distributional patterns of living ungulates in the Neotropical region, the South American transition zone, and Andean region using the panbiogeographical method of track analysis, and to attempt to correlate these patterns with geological history. The distribution of 24 species of living ungulates (in the families Camelidae, Cervid...

Echimyidae (spiny rats, tree rats and the coypu) is the most diverse family of extant South American hystricognath rodents (caviomorphs). Today, they live in tropical forests (Amazonian, coastal and Andean forests), occasionally in more open xeric habitats in the Cerrado and Caatinga of northern South America, and open areas across the southern por...

This work identifies and interprets taphonomic features of the deer fossil assemblage recovered from the Gruta do Urso cave, located in Tocantins State, Northern Brazil. Consequently, its results shed light on the origin of the vertebrate assemblages in cave deposits and paleoecological aspects of Quaternary deer of northern Brazil. The cervid foss...

Foi desenvolvida uma técnica de laboratório para a extração de palinomorfos de cálculos dentários de indivíduos do gonfotério sul-americano Notiomastodon platensis. As amostras foram retiradas de espécimes molares provenientes de localidades do Nordeste e do Sul do Brasil. O procedimento constitui-se em etapas de maceração, adição de esporos exótic...

The "Yanghecun specimen", a proboscidean specimen represented by a mandible from Miocene of China and previously described as Gomphotheriidae, is here reviewed and described as a new genus and species of Mammutidae: Sinomammut tobieni. This taxon is a longirostrine mastodon, lacking lower tusks, and bearing a wide last molar with oblique and non-in...

The incisors of proboscideans (tusks and tushes) are one of the most important feature in conservation, ecology and evolutionary history of these mammals. Although the absence of upper incisors is rare in proboscideans (occurring only in deinotheres), the independent losses of lower incisors are recognized for most of its lineages (dibelodont condi...

Characters list and Data matrix of non-amebelodontine trilophodont gomphotheres. (DOCX)

As pesquisas palinológicas em depósitos cársticos quaternários brasileiros representam um desafio devido à preservação diferenciada dos palinomorfos em seus processos diagenéticos. No entanto, quando o conteúdo palinológico destes depósitos reflete a vegetação local/regional confere-lhes um grande valor paleoecológico e paleoambiental. Este trabalh...

As pesquisas palinológicas em depósitos cársticos quaternários brasileiros representam um desafio devido à preservação diferenciada dos palinomorfos em seus processos diagenéticos. No entanto, quando o conteúdo palinológico destes depósitos reflete a vegetação local/regional confere-lhes um grande valor paleoecológico e paleoambiental. Este trabalh...

The evolutionary history of the genus Galictis in South America probably begins after the Great American Biotic Interchange. Two species are recognised: Galictis vittata and Galictis cuja. The latter are more frequently found in open areas in southern South America and the first occurs in humid forests from northern South America to Central America...

Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: A Quaternary very young juvenile Tapirus Brisson, 1762 (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from a cave deposit in northern Brazil: taxonomy and taphonomy During fieldworks carried out from 2009 to 2013 in Aurora do Tocantins (northern Brazil), three isolated deciduous teet...

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1C8B4842-3A58-4FF1-BC0E-09D73FE57135 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA-Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP

This paper presents the Quaternary cingulates collected from two limestone caves in Aurora do Tocantins, northern Brazil. Osteoderms of Euphractus sexcinctus, Dasypus novemcinctus, Propraopus sulcatus, and Pachyarmaterium brasiliense were retrieved, representing an expansion on the known distribution of the taxa. The specimens are described herein,...

This paper presents the Quaternary cingulates collected from two limestone caves in Aurora do Tocantins, northern Brazil. Osteoderms of Euphractus sexcinctus, Dasypus novemcinctus, Propraopus sulcatus, and Pachyarmaterium brasiliense were retrieved, representing an expansion on the known distribution of the taxa. The specimens are described herein,...

The present study acknowledges the diversity of fossil marsupials from the Gruta dos Moura cave, as well as environmental and climatic aspects during the Quaternary. The results show that this is the largest diversity of Pleistocene marsupials recorded in a single cave: Didelphis albiventris, D. aurita, Gracilinanus agilis, G. microtarsus, Marmosa...

Bat species richness in Neotropical localities is generally higher than that of any other group of mammals, and surveys of local bat assemblages may provide useful data for conservation management plans. Although the bat fauna of the Rio de Janeiro state is currently one of the best known in Brazil, there are several localities not adequately surve...

Data of rarefaction curve

Biodiversity inventories are essential to generate information leading to the proposal of conservation plans, especially for threatened areas. Despite being one of the best sampled regions for bats in Brazil, some areas of Rio de Janeiro still represent knowledge gaps. Between May 2011 and June 2012, we performed 36 nightly samplings to conduct an...

The Brazilian Quaternary terrestrial Carnivora are represented by the following families: Canidae, Felidae, Ursidae, Procyonidae Mephitidae and Mustelidae. Their recent evolutionary history in South America is associated with the uplift of the Panamanian Isthmus, and which enabled the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). Here we present new fo...

The lesser spear-nosed bat, Phyllostomus elongatus, is endemic of South America and in Brazil this species is recorded in Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Pantanal. Here, we present a new record for P. elongatus in the savanna of central Brazil, known as the Cerrado. In January 2012, five individuals of P. elongatus were captured and recorded...

This paper describes new remains of Propraopus sulcatus from a late Quaternary cave deposit located in Aurora do Tocantins, northern Brazil. Propraopus was recorded in numerous late Pleistocene–early Holocene sites in South America, and its inclusiveness has been long debated. In order to address some of the controversial taxonomic questions, the o...