Fossil mammals from near the pleistocene/holocene boundary from Goiás State

Abstract

Although the State of Goiás contains significant areas of potentially fossiliferous sedimentary deposits, the vertebrate fossil record in the state has not been properly explored, especially with respect to mammals. This work brings together information on fossil and sub-fossil occurrences of mammal in Goiás from near the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary gathered from bibliographic references and Brazilian collections. Abundant Pleistocene surface cover may be found, commonly in interfluvial areas between major rivers. From some of these areas, as in Goiânia and Niquelândia municipalities, an important amount of Pleistocene megafauna remains have been reported. Caves in Goiás also exhibit a great number of vertebrates records of the following families: Didelphidae, Dasypodidae,

Phyllostomidae, Natalidae, Vespertilionidae, Procyonidae, Tayassuidae, Cervidae, Cuniculidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Cricetidae and indeterminant Chiroptera. Moreover, archaeological studies in Serranópolis Municipality have rendered a vast biotic variety, including fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals from near the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. Among these remains the following mammal families were recognized: Felidae, Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Myrmecophagidae, Hydrochoeridae, Erethizontidae, Caviidae, Atelidae, Cebidae and Tapiridae. Thus, the rich and varied fossil record from near the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary in Goiás has a great potential to furnish important palaeobiogeography, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic data and a better knowledge of the evolution of the Cerrado and its mammalian fossil assemblage during this period.