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Type: Article
Published: 2015-01-13
Page range: 397–406
Abstract views: 21
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of Equinoxiodus (Dipnoi: ?Neoceratodontidae) from the Late    Cretaceous of Brazil

Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Cidade Universitária Paulo VI, CEP: 65055-970 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
Departamento de Química e Biologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Campus do Bacanga, CEP: 65.085-580, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
USP/ IGC/ GSA, Rua do Lago / 562, Cidade Universitária, Butantã, CEP: 05.508-080, São Paulo, Brasil.
UNESP/ IGCE/ DGA/ NEPV, Av. 24 A, 1515, Campus Rio Claro, Bairro Bela Vista, CP 178, CEP: 13.506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil.
Centro de Pesquisa de História Natural e Arqueologia do Maranhão, Rua do Giz, 59, Centro, CEP:65010-680, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Geologia, CCMN/IGEO, RJ 21.949-900, Cidade Universitária-Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Dipnoiformes Neoceratodontids Equinoxiodus schultzei Cretaceous

Abstract

A noteworthy diversity of Dipnoi tooth plates has been collected in the fossiliferous conglomerates of the Alcântara Formation, early Cenomanian (Cretaceous) of Brazil. This sequence was deposited under transitional (estuarine) conditions, gathering reworked dissociated fossils represented by plants, fishes, crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs and dinosaurs. A new species of Dipnoi is reported in this work, Equinoxiodus schultzei sp. nov. whose genus is endemic of northern South America and lived probably in fresh water. The presence of several species of dipnoan in the mid-Cretaceous of north/northeastern Brazil indicates that the environmental conditions were very suitable to this group, confirming the well-marked seasonality of the climate, with frequent prolonged droughts, as interpreted in previous publications.